Oil on canvas

53 × 38.4 cm. 20 7/8 × 15 1/8 in.

LITERATURE
1996, Wu Dayu 1903-1988, Lin & Keng Gallery, Taipei, p. 32-33
2001, Exhibition of Wu Dayu’s Paintings, National Museum of History, Taipei, p. 95
2006, Wu Dayu, Lin & Keng Gallery, Taipei, p. 101
2013, Works of Representatives of Shanghai Artists in the Century: Wu Dayu, Shanghai Shu Hua Publishing House, Shanghai, p. 61
2015, Works of Wu Dayu, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House, Beijing, p. 139
2020, Wu Dayu, The Commercial Press, Beijing, p. 173
EXHIBITED
9 Mar – 8 Apr 2001, Exhibitions of Wu Dayu’s Paintings, National Museum of History, Taipei

PROVENANCE
18 Apr 1999, Christie’s Taipei Spring Auction, Lot 44
Acquired directly by present important private Asian collector from the above

Filling the Universe with Integrity
Floral Symphony - a Rare Oil Painting by Wu Dayu Blooms with the Beauty of Dynamic Imagery

Wu Dayu was one of the first generation of Chinese painters to study in France as well as the founder of abstract Chinese painting and theory. Lin Fengmian described him as "the standard bearer of the Hangzhou Arts Academy" and praised his "magnificent creativity," whereas for Lin Wenzheng he was "a representative of the Chinese colour school of painting." In 1922, Wu studied in Paris and had the foresight to dedicate himself to the rising tide of modernism. Moreover, on returning to China and becoming dean of the department of Western painting at Hangzhou Academy of Art he adopted an inspirational approach to teaching, encouraged creative freedom and cultivated three students who went on to become internationally renowned artists, rewriting the modern art history of China – Zao Wou-Ki, Wu Guanzhong and Chu Teh-Chun. As such, Wu was later known as the "Grandmaster of art masters." Although Wu, along with Lin Fengmian and Liu Haisu, was one of the first generation of Chinese oil painters, he was also "a pioneer among pioneers" and the first Chinese artist to embrace abstraction and receive major accolades. Indeed, his unique "dynamic imagery" aesthetic influenced countless generations of aspiring artists across China.

However, Wu Dayu’s life was far from easy. During the 1940s he was forced to relocate because of the second Sino-Japanese war, in the 1950s he became a target of political struggle and for most of his life thereafter lived in seclusion in a 10 square meter garret loft in the Shikumen of Shanghai, where he painted. It was only after the Cultural Revolution ended in the 1970s that Wu entered his most productive period in 1980, during which time he gave voice to his art-life experience. The current work for auction Floral Symphony was completed in 1980 against this background and is one of the best floral themed works from the 146 oil paintings by Wu known to exist. The piece has been part of the collection of an important private Asian collector for 25 years, is in excellent condition and has a well documented provenance. It has also featured in exhibitions and publications, including in the catalogue for the Wu Da-yu Exhibition held at the National History Museum in Taipei in 2001, as well as in the artist’s six-volume painting album collected works, an indication of its importance.

Putting Down Roots as Art: Creating a Unique Universe from Flowers

"Beauty is found in the heavens as with clouds, enters the mind, is reworked and puts down roots as art."
——Wu Dayu

Wu Dayu loved painting flowers and many of his best known works have floral themes such as Red Flower and Colourful Grass in the National Art Museum of China collection. Indeed, flowers were one of the first themes on which Wu focused and remained an important basic motif throughout his life, as evidenced by the artist’s sketches in the 1940s, crayon drawings in the 1950s, ink paintings from the 1960s or the abstract oil painting Floral Symphony from the 1980s. In other words, it represents as a classical symbol of Wu Dayu’s personal aesthetics.

From the 1950s, Wu was limited by the environment in which he found himself and lived in seclusion in a small garret loft in Shanghai. Despite living in such a confined space, with just one small window, he still observed the changes of the four seasons beyond the window. Although his semi-abstract expressive forms were unacceptable in that era, the brilliant colours in which he painted were so pure and true that ultimately they speak to the artist’s state of mind. It is precisely against this backdrop that Wu’s floral series of oil paintings represent an outpouring of words on the nature of the artistic life. Floral Symphony, completed in 1980, is one of the greatest masterpieces he produced in later life.

Savouring Beautiful Colours in Fleeting Light: Poetry of Dancing Colours in a Clear Sky after Rain

"The Breeze builds into waves, scattering and filling the river with stars."
——Qing poet Zha Shenxing, On a Boat at Night Writing about What I Saw

In the paintings of Wu Dayu "blue" is the central melody with which he fell in love and Floral Symphony takes the azure glaze of Song Dynasty ceramics as its main hue, permeating Western blue with the grey tones of elegant Eastern rhymes. The large area of cerulean blue moves from the four corners of the work and gathers in the centre. Although the colour is clear and peaceful, it also showcases a powerful radiating structure, so the eyes of viewers are inextricably drawn to the flower vase at the centre, the light yellow flowers, green leaves, brown vase and brilliant colours that brim forth with the flowing light, breaking out from the depths of space. With the expansion of stroke strength to the left and right, up and down, the blue hue pours forth like a torrent of waves, showcasing differentiated expression comprised of light and dark colours, compact and dispersed strokes. At the centre of the painting the colour gamut is further widened, in the form of two colours layered on top of each other to create changes from different light sources. For example, the lush greenness of the yellow mixed into green orchid leaves, the dark green made from adding blue to green, while the light yellow, orange-yellow and brown-yellow of the flowers exude a sumptuous vitality, with the spatial layers of warm and cold, light and darkness elucidated one by one. This highlights Wu Dayu’s injunction to: "Use colours carefully and slowly over time you will achieve the desired result". In this context, the colour elements in Floral Symphony are simple and alive, and although the artist does not employ seven colours his presentation outshines the beauty of a rainbow.

Naturally Formed Strong Strokes: the Beauty of Freehand Dynamic Images

The work Floral Symphony is replete with exuberance but its main subject is not merely expressing the flowers in the vase in full bloom, but rather the resplendent sense of colour, the energetic lines and passionate brushwork, as the artist observes seasonal changes and the "life inherent in form and colour." It is precisely here that we experience first-hand the unique "dynamic imagery aesthetic" of Wu Dayu. As far back as the 1940s, Wu elaborated on aesthetic theory in a letter to his student Wu Guanzhong: "In revealing a painting to the human eye one is limited to hidden ‘dynamic imagery’ and the beauty of this ‘dynamic imagery’ is pure and noble encompassing a weight that has neither form nor texture." Wu viewed "stroke strength" and "image" as vehicles that drive "momentum" and "abstraction," enabling the artist to create a unique artistic language imbued with force, imagery and rhyme. Floral Symphony is a testament to this artistic approach.

Wu Dayu chooses the "dry brush and light ink" of traditional Chinese painting to play with colours, dipping into dry blue pigment, while employing quick movements of his brush and deft brushwork, each clear and succinct, ingeniously combining the light and rapid rhythm of calligraphy with flexible adjustments. In the painting, the strong brushwork sweeps across the canvas and whether the flowing long strokes, the spatial tension that fills the structure or the shorter strokes, these create a clear layering of colour that showcases the combination of "dynamism" and "imagery." From the flowers and stalks in the vase to the opening of the vase, Wu employs connected arc lines that bring out the exquisite rhythm of the outstretched flowers and leaves. With the interplay, juxtaposition and combination of brushstroke strength, the colours vigorously compete for attention in the space, a testament to the artist’s self-confidence at the beauty of dynamic imagery.

Picking Chrysanthemums under the Eastern Fence: Seeing the World through Blooming Flowers

All flower language is the language of the heart. Among the thriving vitality of Floral Symphony, Wu Dayu combines eastern and Western brushwork, giving rein to the unique "dynamic imagery" of each flower in his mind. He also uses the elegant colour of chrysanthemums to imbue the work with the idealistic spirit and worldly detachment of Picking Chrysanthemums Under the Eastern Fence by Tao Yuanming (365-427). After Wu started living a life of solitude, he came to view Tao as a role model, adopting the mindset of the ideal hermit living in a noisy market, while viewing the great things in human life and observing the changing seasons: "What nature is to life, life is to love, they are part of one whole, wherein beauty is me and I am Tao Yuanming." Comparing the nature of beautiful flowers to human character is the perfect sentiment, while comparing it to art is a belief rich in spirit. In the artist’s flower colours, viewers see the "brilliant luster" of their blossoming, the insistence that "flora have instinctive nature," the indifference that "idle flowers fall to the ground unheard, and a firm belief "in letting one’s integrity fill the universe." As these ideas blooms in the earth of artistic life, they resonate with the words of Wu Dayu: "We come from beauty, ahead lies truth!"

Price estimate:
HKD: 5,000,000 – 8,000,000
USD: 638,600 - 1,021,700

Auction Result:
HKD: 6,468,000