Wu Guanzhong

signed in Chinese and dated 77

Important Private Asian Collection

This work is overall in good condition. There are 4 pinholes on the 4 corners. On the upper left corner, there is a natural wood grain and a natural chip in the middle of the left edge. There is no evidence of restoration under UV light.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Wu Guanzhong uses a limited colour palette to create Bamboo Forest of the Lijiang River. The green colour in the vast expanse of bamboo forest particularly draws the attention of the viewer. This type of arrangement may seem easy for the artist to execute the painting, but as a matter of fact, it can be very challenging. Wu once mentioned in his article Bamboo Painting that when artists paint a monochromatic scenery, it is difficult to bring the oil paints into full play in terms of colour application. Furthermore, the delicate and ethereal bamboo forest is not the best subject matter to display the open and unconstrained characters of oil painting either, which makes it more difficult for an artist to work on this theme. After careful consideration, research and deliberation, he concludes that the expanse of green can actually express subtle hue gradation, and only oil paint medium's brightness and rich colours can reveal its essence. The green colour in this work has various tones, tints, shades and hues. The artist applies not only dark and light greens, but also black, grey, and blue to enhance a sense of depth in the corner of Lijiang river's bamboo forest. An epitome of Wu's vigorous artistic creation, this work is a fine and successful example of Chinese landscape oil painting.