Huang Yongyu

Private Collection, China

Generally good condition overall.
"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."

The lotus is a signature motif in Chinese literati painting, particularly by artists in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Such artists include the wildly talented Xu Wenchang, Bada Shanren—an imperial decedent of Ming—as well as Shi Tao (also known as Qingxiang Laoren). Each of these famed painters created enduring masterpieces of lotus painting imbued with their distinctive personalities—uninhibited and surreal, distant and severe, or noble and unsullied. In the early 20^th century, Zhang Daqian became an important successor of the great tradition, whilst contributing his unique interpretation to the genre.

Huang Yongyu calls himself "Master of the Pond of Ten Thousand Lotuses," and his obsession with the lotus motif is widely known. His predecessors favoured a minimalist approach when depicting the lotus, often with a sense of nobility in its solitude, thus creating a metaphoric distinction between the extraordinary and the mundane. In contrast, Huang's works are richly and vibrantly coloured, evoking an elegant beauty and creating a style of exceptional originality.

Lotus (Lot 46) was painted in Huang's hometown in Fenghuang, Xiangxi. The lotus leaves are executed with bold, sweeping brushstrokes, while the flowers are defined with fine, confident lines. Highly stylized, the composition exhibits a playful and unyielding quality that is simultaneously vivid and glamorous. In the upper right corner, the painting is balanced by a delightful Tujia folk rhyme from Xiangxi, a song passed on through generations. Like the artist himself, his inscriptions are witty and humourous, replete with profound surprises.