Oil on board

79 x 56 cm. 31 1/8 x 22 in.

Signed in Chinese on bottom left; titled and signed in Chinese and dated on the reverse

LITERATURE
2007, The Catalogue Raisonné of Ai Zhongxin, Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, Beijing, p.203
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by present Asian collector

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist and issued by ARZ International Corp., Taiwan

Chrysanthemums and A Golden Heart
Ai Zhongxin's Artistic Persona

As the leading icon of the second generation of Chinese realist oil painters, Ai Zhongxin was committed to the incorporation of impressionist elements and an art-for-life philosophy early in his career. He braced himself for life, where he continuously sought inspirations and enriched his spiritual self, and managed to rise above the secular sphere to a tucked-away creative world.

Back in his days at National Central University, Xu Beihong's realistic style paved the way for Ai's artistic journey and prompted him to promote the development of realism in China. Ai started with vigorous rendering of panoramic landscape and later on shifted his focus to impressionist, freehand brushwork of refined elegance, which emerged as the artist's unique signature.

A Rare Close-up Piece of Garden

This auction presents Garden Corner finished in 1980, one of the only three close-up courtyard paintings in his complete published collection, which demonstrated Ai's constant pursuit of new heights and mirrored the lofty ideals he harbored in his later years. Ai put aside his knack for scenic panorama and took a step closer for a more intimate visual experience. The cast-iron plant, as the anchor of the piece, extends its dark green blades in all directions towards the cottage rose and the chrysanthemum bush, adding a sense of warmth to the courtyard in the fall. At the bottom right stand the bonsais side by side to each other. All the components are carefully orchestrated to guide the viewer's vision and form a delightful equilibrium.

The Plants Speak His Mind

The starring of chrysanthemum and orchid, which corresponds to the connotations of class and taste attached by traditional Chinese literati, showed the artist's idyllic mindset. Although the owner doesn't show up in the painting, but his preferences and living rhythm are everywhere to be seen. Ai qualified as Tao Yuanming's counterpart in the painter community, projecting his passion for life and nature onto the exquisite and peaceful scene in the yard.

Price estimate:
HKD: 250,000 – 350,000
USD: 32,300 – 45,200

Auction Result:
HKD: 472,000