- 2914
Mu Xin
Estimate
150,000 - 200,000 HKD
bidding is closed
Description
- Mu Xin
- Untitled (Twilight)
- ink and gouache on paper, framed
executed circa late 1970s
signed in English and Chinese
signed in English and Chinese
Provenance
Elizabeth Wang Gallery, New York.
A private Asian collection.
A private Asian collection.
Condition
Overall in good condition
"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
Created in the late 1970s before Mu Xin moved to New York, Untitled (Twilight) is a serene and thoughtful reflection on the artist's circumstance in China at that time. Without delving into to complete abstraction or succumbing to emotional distress, Mu Xin creates a pictorial composition that both pays tribute to, and innovates on, the Chinese landscape tradition.
By adding thicker gouache pigments to his traditional brush and ink on paper, Mu Xin infuses his landscapes with bizarre and slightly eerie, terrains. The smooth painting surface suggests burnishing, in which the artist would have applied multiple layers of ink to achieve a silvery-smooth graphite-like sheen—a process often used in intaglio prints. The mixture of dark blue, black and reddish-brown creates a tonal richness that makes the image consistently fresh in its detail and refraction of light. Calm, reflective and peering towards a distant future, this painting is a poignant visualization of the thoughtfulness and elegance that also characterizes Mu Xin's writing.
By adding thicker gouache pigments to his traditional brush and ink on paper, Mu Xin infuses his landscapes with bizarre and slightly eerie, terrains. The smooth painting surface suggests burnishing, in which the artist would have applied multiple layers of ink to achieve a silvery-smooth graphite-like sheen—a process often used in intaglio prints. The mixture of dark blue, black and reddish-brown creates a tonal richness that makes the image consistently fresh in its detail and refraction of light. Calm, reflective and peering towards a distant future, this painting is a poignant visualization of the thoughtfulness and elegance that also characterizes Mu Xin's writing.
(A similar painting titled "Twilight" is published in The Art of Mu Xin: Prison Notes and Landscape Paintings, 2001.)