Oil on board

70 × 50 cm. 27 1/2 x 19 5/8 in.

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

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by ARZ international Corporation, Taiwan

Artisitic Brush, Aesthetic Touch
Luo Gongliu's European Time Masterpiece, Reservoir

"Luo Gongliu and I were in the same class when we started at the Hangzhou Academy of Art. He earned the unanimous compliments from teachers and students by his outstanding grades and exceptional taste…He loves art. Through all those tragedy and comedy, he committed all his life to the art."
——Wu Guanzhong

Luo Gongliu graduates from the famous Hangzhou Academy of Art, and is the student of the first generation Chinese oil painting artists Fang Ganmin and Wu Dayu. He is often viewed as one of the founders of the CAFA. In 1955, with the professor title, he went to USSR, and studied oil painting in the Imperial Academy of Arts. When he returned, he worked as the chief designer for Chinese banknote, the second, third, and fourth generation. Luo sought for a subtle relationship with the traditional Chinese painting. He believed that the traditions bear value to learn from but we shall break through those rules and seek for the new painting style. The Reservoir represented this time could be a great interpretation of that.

Chinese Central Academy of Fine Arts introduced studio as a teaching form in 1959. In the following four years, he directed his Luo Gongliu Studio, and took students across the China to directly experience and paint the nature. The masterpiece Jinggang Mountain was created at that time. He also published an important article on the Talks on Oil Painting, challenging the traditional ideology of the Soviet oil paintings, and emphasising that Beauty is the sensitivity of Human Kind. In this important year, he created the work Reservoir. According to the research, Luo visited Romania, Czech, Soviet, and some other places as a representative of Chinese artists that summer. Therefore this painting became a precious work of his Eastern Europe tour. In terms of the composition, the artist splits the canvas into two parts. The right part depicts the greyish green reservoir body and two bridges, up and below, with pedestrians standing on them, enjoying the splendid view. On the left, the grand waterfall is cascading down the dam, represented in deep and light white strokes. The artist uses strong projection curve to creat its power, energy, and momentum. The splashing water drops looks like music notes in contrast with the night sky, inviting people to join a ball at a mid summer night.

Price estimate:
HKD: 80,000 – 150,000
USD: 10,300 – 19,400

Auction Result:
HKD: 94,400