- 102
Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji)
Estimate
2,000,000 - 3,000,000 HKD
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Description
- Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji)
- Combat de coqs (Cockfight)
- oil on canvas
signed in Chinese and Pinyin; signed in Pinyin, titled and dated XII.53 - I.54 on the reverse
Provenance
Galerie Pierre, Paris, Mid-1950s
Private French Collection
1900 - 2000 Galerie, Paris
Acquired by the present owner from the above
Private French Collection
1900 - 2000 Galerie, Paris
Acquired by the present owner from the above
Condition
This work is in excellent condition. No restoration is apparent 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
Zao Wou-Ki Important Transition Period Work - Combat de Coqs
Agitated and rising, light and fascinating
Zao Wou-Ki's work passed through several important turning points. He had been lost on his artistic path, however he never shrunk from his fight against the canvas. As he said, “In my heart there is an unshakable strength. Nothing will make me give up. My joy in overcoming setbacks is as big as the setbacks themselves. What I have is a tenacious spirit!” After achieving many personal breakthroughs, he continued to find new enlightenment and strength, as if he were being reborn. Time and time again, he produced stunning splendour in his work.
From 1953 to 1954, Zao Wou-Ki's style changed dramatically. The still life, flowers and landscapes of his early Klee period started to disappear from his canvases. Instead, a series of imaginative writing that was difficult to comprehend appeared, integrating simplified symbols and ancient Chinese characters. Combat de Coqs (Lot 102) has been part of an important private European collection. An important symbol of this period of his works, the painting has appeared in the market for the first time.
Innovation beyond representation
The father of Western abstract art, Piet Cornelies Mondrian once said, “Observing sea, sky and stars, I sought to expressing them using the symbols + · and ─. What emerged was a representation that did not reflect the real-life objects.” In 1914, Mondrian combined horizontal and vertical lines to allow new geometric abstract interpretations of the scenery he observed. He led the De Stijl art movement. Zao Wou-Ki was immersed in Chinese culture and aesthetics from an early age. Although his direction was in line with Mondrian's “reality beyond the appearance”, his East Asian blood prompted him to take a different path. This can be seen in Combat de Coqs, which reflects a different type of subversive language.
On the horizontal canvas, black lines interlink. They look like ancient pictographic characters. The mysterious symbols surround the whole picture in an oval-shape, creating a dynamic, scene of jubilation. Just as we are thinking about the true meaning of the painting, the French words Zao Wou-Ki wrote on the back of the painting “Combat de Coqs”, immediately make the symbols before us seem clearer! There are two roosters in a standoff on an earth coloured ground. They have opened their wings and their necks are sticking out, in an attempt to push their opponent back. They are in fierce combat. The roosters are surrounded by a crowd. Their bodies appear agitated and there is a lot of noise and excitement. An enchanting pink sunlight radiates among them, creating a warm atmosphere.
The painting is fun to interpret. French poet Henri Michaux said, “I spent a good few hours looking at these small, rectangular colours, intermingled with lines and symbols. I was struck by the artist's free use of the brush and the light and vibrating poetic feel brimming from the canvas. He is good at creating a space on a very small canvas which appears vast. His understanding of and passion for Chinese painting is clear. A new world is born out of the tiny symbols in the multiple spaces. It dazzled me!”
Some of the mysterious characters and symbols are hidden, like an epitome of Zao Wou-Ki's name. Perhaps, as well as recalling competitions he saw during his childhood in China, or the folk games he witnessed during his time in Europe, he may be implying a story of himself. As a Chinese artist in Paris, he was like a competitor in the international art race. His name was on the rise and he was trying to establish his reputation. Perhaps this painting represents his expectation for the future!
Agitated and rising, light and fascinating
Zao Wou-Ki's work passed through several important turning points. He had been lost on his artistic path, however he never shrunk from his fight against the canvas. As he said, “In my heart there is an unshakable strength. Nothing will make me give up. My joy in overcoming setbacks is as big as the setbacks themselves. What I have is a tenacious spirit!” After achieving many personal breakthroughs, he continued to find new enlightenment and strength, as if he were being reborn. Time and time again, he produced stunning splendour in his work.
From 1953 to 1954, Zao Wou-Ki's style changed dramatically. The still life, flowers and landscapes of his early Klee period started to disappear from his canvases. Instead, a series of imaginative writing that was difficult to comprehend appeared, integrating simplified symbols and ancient Chinese characters. Combat de Coqs (Lot 102) has been part of an important private European collection. An important symbol of this period of his works, the painting has appeared in the market for the first time.
Innovation beyond representation
The father of Western abstract art, Piet Cornelies Mondrian once said, “Observing sea, sky and stars, I sought to expressing them using the symbols + · and ─. What emerged was a representation that did not reflect the real-life objects.” In 1914, Mondrian combined horizontal and vertical lines to allow new geometric abstract interpretations of the scenery he observed. He led the De Stijl art movement. Zao Wou-Ki was immersed in Chinese culture and aesthetics from an early age. Although his direction was in line with Mondrian's “reality beyond the appearance”, his East Asian blood prompted him to take a different path. This can be seen in Combat de Coqs, which reflects a different type of subversive language.
On the horizontal canvas, black lines interlink. They look like ancient pictographic characters. The mysterious symbols surround the whole picture in an oval-shape, creating a dynamic, scene of jubilation. Just as we are thinking about the true meaning of the painting, the French words Zao Wou-Ki wrote on the back of the painting “Combat de Coqs”, immediately make the symbols before us seem clearer! There are two roosters in a standoff on an earth coloured ground. They have opened their wings and their necks are sticking out, in an attempt to push their opponent back. They are in fierce combat. The roosters are surrounded by a crowd. Their bodies appear agitated and there is a lot of noise and excitement. An enchanting pink sunlight radiates among them, creating a warm atmosphere.
The painting is fun to interpret. French poet Henri Michaux said, “I spent a good few hours looking at these small, rectangular colours, intermingled with lines and symbols. I was struck by the artist's free use of the brush and the light and vibrating poetic feel brimming from the canvas. He is good at creating a space on a very small canvas which appears vast. His understanding of and passion for Chinese painting is clear. A new world is born out of the tiny symbols in the multiple spaces. It dazzled me!”
Some of the mysterious characters and symbols are hidden, like an epitome of Zao Wou-Ki's name. Perhaps, as well as recalling competitions he saw during his childhood in China, or the folk games he witnessed during his time in Europe, he may be implying a story of himself. As a Chinese artist in Paris, he was like a competitor in the international art race. His name was on the rise and he was trying to establish his reputation. Perhaps this painting represents his expectation for the future!