Oil on board

39.5×51 cm. 15 1/2×20 1/8 in

Signed in Chinese on bottom right
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by present Asian collector

The Impressionism in Realism
As a pioneer of realism, Ai Zhongxin was one of the representatives of the second generation of Chinese oil painting artist from the twentieth century. Not only did he inherit Xu Beihong’s realistic style, Ai Zhongxin further adopted the idea that “art is rooted in life” from Wu Tso-Jen and explored the “impressionism in realism”art style, stimulating further development of the nationalization of Chinese oil painting. Several of his works were collected by prestigious institutions, such as the National Art Museum of China and the Military Museum of Chinese People’s Revolution. His painting, baring deep feelings and spontaneous nature, became one of a kind in Chinese modern art world.
The work, The Great Tide, is an elaborate work from Ai’s later years. It shows the “impressionism in realism” characteristic of Ai’s painting most incisively and vividly. The picture captures the moment in which a couple of children frolicking by the sea. In the foreground, the color fields interlaced of blue, green and yellow reveal vague shapes of flowers and grass, deliberately arranged by the artist. Under a close look, the seemingly ordinary bare rocks are assembled by color transitions, a few free strokes bringing the stones to life. In the left, three little girls are frolicking in the wind. The view of their tender backs evokes the viewer’s deep memory of their own past. What Ai Zhongxin was particularly interested was the subtle variation of color. He adopted from his teacher, Xu Beihong, the technique of getting the fascinating colors which can not be obtained by toning—scratching down the pigments staining on the root of the brush. This unique technique is most evident in the work The Great Tide. The background of the picture is covered by a greyish hue, varying from layer to layer at the joint line of the sky and the sea. It exquisitely depicts the unpredictable changes of nature, also indicates the peaceful mind only the old has.

Price estimate:
HKD: 100, 000 - 200, 000
USD: 12, 800 - 25, 600

Auction Result:
HKD: 118,000