Indian ink on paper

37×28 cm 14 5/8×11 in

Signed in Chinese and English， dated on bottom right
EXHIBITED
Jan 1996， Zao Wou-Ki Retrospective， Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts， Kaohsiung
July 2000， Treasure in Mountain： The Select Collection， Mountain Arts Museum， Kaohsiung
March 2003， Legend in Mountain： Encounter Western Masterpiece， Shanghai Art Museum， Shanghai
April 2003， Legend in Mountain： Encounter Western Masterpiece， Sichuan Art Museum， Chengdu

PROVENANCE
Collection of Mountain Culture， Arts and Education Foundation
Important private collection， Asia

This work will be included in the artist’s forthcoming catalogue raisonné by Françoise Marquet and Yann Hendgen （Information provided by Foundation Zao Wou-Ki）When Zao Wou-ki first arrived France in 1948， he had a deep feeling about the significant difference between Europe and his home country， China. From the art， the architecture， the streets， the landscapes to the people， everything was in different forms and shapes in this new continent. During the early days in France， Zao and his wife Lalan frequently visited museums and feasted their eyes there on western modern masterpieces. The couple traveled around very often， through which they understood and embraced their new surroundings. In 1951， particularly， Zao visited Italy and Spain frequently and was delighted by those journeys full of splendors and inspirations. Along the way， he drew what he saw and heard， how he felt and thought with his pen. The work Untitled is the typical representative of the period. The slender lines with halos of ink depict a couple embracing each other in a forest， surrounded by a group of mountains. The intertwining arms seem to represent two lovers strolling and dancing under the moon， forsaking the society and living with nature. With its romantic and entrancing atmosphere， this composition presents Zao Wou-ki’s poetic imagination of daily life， fascinating the viewers at all times.

Price estimate:
HKD: 380,000 – 680,000
USD: 48,700 – 87,200

Auction Result:
HKD: 1,534,000