Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji)

Galerie Pierre Loeb, Paris
Private collection, United States
Sotheby's New York, June 13, 1978, lot 102
Private Collection
Chartres Auction, Chartres, October 24, 2004
Galerie Olivier Vanuxem, Paris
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Poligrafa, Barcelona, Spain, 1978, pl. 233, p. 276
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Hier et Demain, Paris, France, 1978, pl. 233, p. 276
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Poligrafa, Barcelona, Spain, 1979, pl. 233, p. 276
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Rizzoli International Publications, New York, USA, 1979, pl. 233, p. 276
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Cercle d'Art, Paris, France, 1986, pl. 265, p. 316

This work is in very good condition. There is a 1 mm long paint loss located 6.4 cm from the lower edge and 6,8 cm from the left edge. There is a very light 1,5 mm long dent on the lower edge of the board. Under UV light examination, there are scattered minor touch ups along the four edges of the work.
"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."

“I have always wanted to take what is most important, and understand the painter’s intention. I have studies how lines and dots make up a painting amidst the complexity… I have painted scenery, buildings and nature; people and animals. They are not subjects, but elements that make up the universe. They are a part of it.”
- Zao Wou-Ki

Having made many friends in the  diverse literary and artistic circles of Paris Zao Wou-Ki decided to broaden his horizons through travel. In 1951 he ventured to Switzerland where he finally had the  opportunity to study the Paul Klee Foundations’ vast collection in person, which profoundly encouraged Zao to return to his roots  and find inspiration for his paintings. 

Completed in the year  Zao visited Italy, Untitled abandons the linear perspective so prelavent in Western art,  and emphasises the viewpoints from above and  from distance, depicting a picturesque scenery  of different objects bathed in the light. The superimposed mountains, wood, deer and human figures are wittily overlapping, demonstrating Zao’s innovative approach combining Chinese composition with a Western medium. In the pink background, a colour rarely seen in the artist’s oeuvre, the half-moon in the sky exudes gleaming blue beams creat ing  an air of mystery and elegance. Like traditional Chinese painters Zao  embues spirit, personal feeling and emotion into Untitled rather than depicting exact appearance of the objects he sees., He masterfully and delicately applies empty space, a conventional method in Chinese landscape painting, around the edges of the canvas, resulting in a dream-like and joyful atmosphere.