Oil on canvas

53 × 89 cm. 20 7/8 × 35 in.

Titled, located, and signed in Chinese, dated on the reverse

LITERATURE
2007, The Catalogue Raisonné of Ai Zhongxin, Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, Beijing, p. 204
2007, Painting of Ai Zhongxin, Beijing Art and Photography Publishing House, Beijing, p. 72
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the artist in 1994-1995

Agility in Its Form, Skilled in Manifesting the Soul
The Music in Ai Zhongxin's Mountain-Water Paintings

Ai Zhongxin was born in Shanghai in 1915. He studied under Xu Beihong and Wu Zuoren in the Art Department of Central University in 1936, which laid a solid foundation for his artistic development. After graduating, he was hired to teach at the school. He later taught at the Peking Art Academy and the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Xu Beihong once said: “The essence of an image lies in the soul of which it contains; the voice of the message behind an image lies in the rhythm of which it brings. If the soul of the image is captured, the rhythm effectively entails.” Inheriting this thought, Ai Zhongxin advocated realism and believes that creation should be based on life. Through walking across the lands, he experienced the beauty of nature. He was especially good at presenting the magnificent scenery and local customs of all parts of China with panoramic composition.

Movement Exists in Stillness, Lively Rhythm Pulsating Endlessly

Completed in 1988, Tide at Dusk (Haimen) is a delicate piece produced in Ai's later years. It is an exemplar of his realism paintings. The painting captured both sternness and elegance, contradicting emotions yet flawlessly manifested in the same painting. It is no wonder that Li Keran described the piece as a “poetry embedded in a painting”. Haimen is a city located in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, facing the Yellow Sea from the south side with Shanghai across the river. In this work, Ai Zhongxin departed from his usual practice of setting the perspective from afar and above. Instead, he employed a close distance perspective, boldly letting the rocks on the beach painted with rich colours and textures lie in the foreground. There are several small yellow sandy beaches in the gap, so that the viewer's line of sight extends to the sea and the sky behind. The waves hit the right corner of the picture, bringing out dynamic life and vitality in the silence. The poetic interpretation is transpired through the imaginary sounds of waves as they hit the rocks, enhancing the unique prose Ai Zhongxin attempted to convey.

Price estimate:
HKD: 180,000 - 250,000
USD: 22,900 - 31,800

Auction Result:
HKD: 216,000