- 561
Wang Yidong
Estimate
6,000,000 - 8,000,000 HKD
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Description
- Wang Yidong
- Spring Reflections
- oil on canvas
signed in pinyin and Chinese and dated 1999; Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong label affixed to the reverse
Provenance
Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong
Important Private Collection
Important Private Collection
Literature
Li Fang & Ma Li ed., In Search of Beauty, Tianjin Yangliuqing Fine Arts Press, Tianjin, 2005, p. 106, illustrated in colour
Hu Jianbin, ed., The Chinese Contemporary Distinguished Oil Painter: Wang Yidong, People's Fine Arts Publishing House, Beijing, 2006, p. 62, illustrated in colour
Hu Jianbin, ed., The Chinese Contemporary Distinguished Oil Painter: Wang Yidong, People's Fine Arts Publishing House, Beijing, 2006, p. 62, illustrated in colour
Condition
The work is overall in good condition. There are slight accretions across the surface. There are minor dirt marks on the left palm of the left girl. There is a very slight, 10-cm long dent mark across the upper right arm to the forehead of the left girl. There is a slight white mark at the forehead of the right girl. There are minor paint losses at the upper part of the left girl's trousers. There is a very tiny paint loss in the middle of the left girl's face. There is a minor paint loss on the right girl's foot. 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Spring Reflections is a double portrait. It embodies the union of nature and human. After studying in the United States in the 1980s, Wang Yidong rediscovered Yimeng Mountain in Shandong province to be the place to realize his artistic potentials. The locality in his native region becomes his best material.
The two girls in the painting are youth themselves. Implanting their bare feet to the water stone, they are fused within nature, nourished by the mother earth. Art critic Wang Zhaojun once said: "Wang Yidong is skilled in combining the basic techniques of oil painting with a uniquely personal appeal. He creates movement in what is static, flexibility in steadiness and implies deep meaning through colour." In Spring Reflections, Wang Yidong creates the tension and fluidity through characters' postures, clothings and eye expressions. One girl has her arms reached high, the other has her feet firmly grounded. The gentle movement is extending, revolving and forming a cycle in balance. The girl in blue trousers echoes with the streaming mountain spring behind her. She modestly shies away from the viewer's gaze. The girl in red trousers seems more static. She engages back to the viewer, yet not letting anyone break her ease. It is not a linear passage of time but a continuation of life.
Traditional Chinese painting is used to female subject and most of them are goddesses, ladies or aristocrats. Therefore their postures speak of grace, courtesy and delicacy. The characters in Spring Reflections are however country girls in their adolescence. The freshness, youth and energy they carry are almost unseen of in conventional works. This unique character is carefully rendered without becoming a cliche. European artists have always celebrated the beauty of human body and emphasized the importance of natural proportion. Wang Yidong is greatly influenced by Neoclassicism. Master works from the 18th and 19th centuries are entwined with classical ideals and romantic beauties. They serve as inspiration to the artist. The two girls in this work are simple and pure. There is no pretentiousness in their down to earth expressions. The cool rural breathe set them apart from the inhibited courtly way of being. Not only does it respond to the countryside lifestyle, it also praises the independence of Chinese women in this new era.
The two girls in the painting are youth themselves. Implanting their bare feet to the water stone, they are fused within nature, nourished by the mother earth. Art critic Wang Zhaojun once said: "Wang Yidong is skilled in combining the basic techniques of oil painting with a uniquely personal appeal. He creates movement in what is static, flexibility in steadiness and implies deep meaning through colour." In Spring Reflections, Wang Yidong creates the tension and fluidity through characters' postures, clothings and eye expressions. One girl has her arms reached high, the other has her feet firmly grounded. The gentle movement is extending, revolving and forming a cycle in balance. The girl in blue trousers echoes with the streaming mountain spring behind her. She modestly shies away from the viewer's gaze. The girl in red trousers seems more static. She engages back to the viewer, yet not letting anyone break her ease. It is not a linear passage of time but a continuation of life.
Traditional Chinese painting is used to female subject and most of them are goddesses, ladies or aristocrats. Therefore their postures speak of grace, courtesy and delicacy. The characters in Spring Reflections are however country girls in their adolescence. The freshness, youth and energy they carry are almost unseen of in conventional works. This unique character is carefully rendered without becoming a cliche. European artists have always celebrated the beauty of human body and emphasized the importance of natural proportion. Wang Yidong is greatly influenced by Neoclassicism. Master works from the 18th and 19th centuries are entwined with classical ideals and romantic beauties. They serve as inspiration to the artist. The two girls in this work are simple and pure. There is no pretentiousness in their down to earth expressions. The cool rural breathe set them apart from the inhibited courtly way of being. Not only does it respond to the countryside lifestyle, it also praises the independence of Chinese women in this new era.
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, La Source, 1856, Oil on Canvas; Collection of Musee d’Orsay, Paris