Oil on wood panel

61 × 46 cm. 24 × 18 1/8 in.

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

LITERATURE
1994, Panorama by Wu Guanzhong, L'Atelier Production Pte Ltd., Singapore, p.22-23, pl. 6
1994, Art Asia Hong Kong, International Fine Art Expositions, Hong Kong, p. 157
1994, Wu Guanzhong: A Journey of Individualism, Notices The Gallery, Singapore, pl. 62
2007, The Complete Works of Wu Guanzhong, vol. II, Hunan Art Publishing House, Changsha, p. 141
2008, Paintings by Wu Guanzhong vol. II, Jiangxi Fine Art Publishing House, Jiangxi, p. 263
EXHIBITED
28 Oct – 2 Nov 1994, Tresors Singapore, Singapore
10 – 13 Nov 1994, Wu Guanzhong: A Journey of Individualism, Notices The Gallery, Singapore
17 – 21 Nov 1994, Panorama by Wu Guanzhong, Art Asia Hong Kong, The Booth of Soobin Art Gallery and Zee Stone Gallery, Hong Kong

PROVENANCE
3 Nov 1997, Christie's Hong Kong Autumn Auctions, Lot 324
Acquired directly by present important private Asian collector from the above

Embracing Moments in an Ever-Changing World
Rare 1960s Museum Quality Oil Painting Masterpiece by Wu Guanzhong – Morning Scene of Fuchun River

In 1994, Wu wrote in the exhibition catalogue for Panorama by Wu Guanzhong: “I walked the lush mountains in the footsteps of Xu Xiake, but traveled further than Xu investigating the hidden mysteries of things ... I reveled in the differences of landscapes and the diverse lives of people, but I did not paint from real life or keep a pictorial diary during my travels, choosing instead to focus on certain subjects and craft my own artistic skills.” In 1991, the artist received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture, in 1992 he became the first living artist to hold a solo exhibition at the British Museum and in 2002 was elected as a fellow to the Académie des Beaux-Arts. As a “modern day Xu Xiake,” the 50-year artistic journey of Wu Guanzhong saw him become adept at “cultivating eastern and western elements in equal measure” as well as “land and water vistas.” He also dabbled in Western oil painting and watercolours, while embracing Chinese ink and pen painting as a way of repaying the nurturing provided by the mountains and rivers of his homeland.

Wu Guanzhong's oil painting work reached its first peak in the 1960s. The work being auctioned on this occasion is Morning Scene of Fuchun River completed in 1963, a museum quality oil painting and excellent example of the artist's ability to combine Eastern and Western aesthetic forms with a literati feel. The piece was previously included in the touring solo exhibition Panorama by Wu Guanzhong which visited Singapore and Hong Kong. It also made a later appearance in the Wu Guanzhong: A Journey of Individualism exhibition in Singapore, where it was well received, and has featured in five authoritative publications, including the artist's catalogue raisonné and the Art Asia Hong Kong exhibition catalogue in 1994, indicating the importance of the painting.

Exquisite Brushwork, Employed to Depict Unique Scenery

In the spring of 1963, Wu Guanzhong traveled to Fuchun River in Tonglu County, Zhejiang Province to paint from real life. The river has been world-renowned since ancient times and is sometimes called the “Little Three Gorges.” Faced with the wonderful scenery of southern China, the place of his birth, Wu appears to have been particularly inspired or motivated and painted six works with the name “Fuchun River” in the title in quick succession. These pieces were all of roughly the same dimensions, but each one showcased a scene on Fuchun River from a different and unique perspective – fishing boat, sandbar, blue water, river bank, terraced fields, strange-shaped trees. Thereafter, Wu never again painted the area, making this a “never before known and never again occurring” period in his creative career. Limited by his financial circumstances in the 1960s, Wu Guanzhong did not produce many oil paintings at that time and cherished every opportunity he had to travel and paint from real life, so much so that he often painted the same scenes two or three times from different perspectives. Moreover, if we review the oil paintings Wu produced throughout his career Fuchun River was the thematic series for which he produced most pieces of similar dimensions. Thereafter, he visited Laoshan in 1975 and painted six oil paintings of different dimensions to record his trip. This highlights the special nature of the earlier works while also revealing how in the 1960s the artist challenged himself to create an artistic style imbued with myriad changes when painting multiples works of the same scenery in similar dimensions. As such, this piece is an important testament to Wu's well-honed painting skills and surging inspiration.

The work Fishing Boats on the Fuchun River from the same series is already part of the collection of the China Art Palace in Shanghai, whereas By the Side of the Fuchun River with its depiction of the blue river water exchanged hands in 2021 for 26.45 million Yuan. In addition, the auctioned piece Morning Scene of Fuchun River has the most intriguing composition of the six works in the series. It starts with a close up visual of strangely-shaped trees showcasing the natural and cultural landscape of the river, while the artist exquisitely and meticulously lays out the brushwork, use of colour, composition and artistic conceptualization of the work. The painting was purchased at auction by an important private Asian art collector in 1997 and has been well looked after in the intervening 26 years. Its appearance on the market after such a long time represents a serendipitous opportunity for any art lover looking to add a classic work from the peak creative period of Wu Guanzhong.

New Spring Shoots, Back to the Beginning: In Praise of Embracing Life

The most wonderful part of Morning Scene of Fuchun River is the way in which Wu's depiction of the posture and lines of the branches imbues them with poetry. In terms of composition, he places a small number of strange-shaped-trees on a slope, growing at an angle, in the very centre of the work. These exude a sense of strength and seem to almost soar into the sky with an energy that informs the whole painting. The way in which the trees are intertwined like a “couple tree,” stood firm and tall and appear to be competing to grow, also imbues them with anthropomorphic qualities, while at the same time constructing a dynamic focused on closeness, distance and the beauty of balance. Through the rich array of dots, lines and surfaces the artist's comprehensive training in calligraphy and line expression is showcased, as are the embryonic forms of abstract beauty that he first started to use in the 1990s, adding greater depth and meaning to the work.

If we look at the way in which Wu depicts the tree trunks, the strength of the brush strokes can be seen in the layers of vivid rhythmic lateral upward-moving short strokes. Of these, some of the branches seem to soar, but the artist shows no hesitation with his brush which is reminiscent of the jagged yet graceful crab-claw trees painted by Northern Song artist Li Cheng (919-967), with an emphasis on the way the physicality and life energy of the trees extends outwards. The tree to the far left appears to be reaching out its arms and straining every fiber of its being to embrace the world, dramatically showcasing an inextinguishable energy even in the coldness of early spring; If we look more closely, the green dots jump with joy like musical notes, drawing attention to the new life represented by the green shoots. As to the soil on the riverbank, a few strokes of a painting knife in the bottom righthand corner create lateral lines that resemble roots planted in the ground, which adds a sense of nostalgia at “returning to one's roots” to the scene. The dance-like movement of the lines shared by the three trees at the centre of the work highlights an ink rhythm informed by order and vitality in stillness. With the trees as a representational vehicle, Chinese calligraphic brushwork imbues the depiction with human-like sentiment and character, conveying how after winter passes the strength and unbowed vitality of nature stirs to life. As if waking for the first time, a cornucopia of spring glory is displayed, with the rhythm and poetry of naturally formed life being something to very much savor.

Searching for Truth, “Literati Poetry” Comprised of Colourful Brushwork Imbued with Emotion

Whereas most other depictions of Fuchun River are horizontal paintings, Morning Scene of Fuchun River adopts a vertical perspective and depth layout more familiar in traditional Chinese ink painting, creating a broad and remote view that appears simultaneously “close but seemingly a thousand li distant.”

In the year before painting Morning Scene of Fuchun River, Wu Guanzhong wrote an article titled On Landscape Painting in Art Magazine in which he affirmed the importance of painting from real life: “I find that the feelings run deeper when I directly face what I paint, which is invaluable when seeking to capture the sensitivity of colour or the effect of brushwork.” In terms of composition, he also followed the “half water, half mountain” approach of Ma Yuan (1160-1225) and Xia Gui (1195-1224) from the Northern Song Dynasty and the “two banks” focus of Ni Zan (1301-1374) in the Yuan Dynasty, in this instance depicting a corner of the river where the natural topography of Fuchun River shows sandbanks in between the two riverbanks. The combination of green river banks, angular trees, sandbanks, white sails, buildings and the poetic blank space-like blue-grey colour, creates a powerful sense of spatial layering and perspective that allows the space to evolve from the trees in the foreground to the landscape and horizon in the distance.

At the same time, Wu Guanzhong also emphasizes the innovative consciousness of free composition and the expression of light by colours imbued with sentiment. As such, the organization of the scenery is in no way limited by the need to rigidly portray reality. Indeed, Wu chooses to ingeniously intersperse the work with the changing relationship between horizontal and vertical, hidden and shown, rising and falling, bright and dark elements. In the painting the wide expanse of the river together with the arc of the embankment and its length and breadth introduce the atmosphere and expansiveness of traditional Chinese landscape depictions. However, if we look at the river bank, the lush grass and sideways growing trees, together with the flowing interplay of rich colours -- bright indigo, light yellow, emerald green, ocher and olive green -- contrasts with the green-blue water of the river. In this way, Wu adopts the textural feel of Western painting to construct the lush flora and harmonious sky and water painted the same colour. The eye-line of the viewer gravitates to the distance as the white walls and black tiled roofs of southern Chinese buildings appear on the other bank among the ethereal mountains in the distance, a testament to the depth of feeling the artist feels for his homeland. Moreover, through the intricate shaping of scenery and colours, Wu Guanzhong takes the creative perception that comes with painting from real life and takes it in the direction of a broader freehand expression of heartfelt sentiment.

Riches of Diligence: The Morning Is the Most Valuable Time, Imbued with the Immutable Taste of Life

Huang Gongwong(1269-1354) painted the classic work Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains more than six centuries ago. In it he depicted the true essence of man and nature united while forever denoting Fuchun River as a “place of spiritual seclusion.” However, Wu Guanzhong's Morning Scene of Fuchun River is more than a mere literati landscape. In the 1994 exhibition catalogue he wrote: “Among the mist and spring shade, there are shadows of sails in the distance and fishing boats on Fuchun River.” The framing “morning” in the title of the painting depicts the “early spring” when living things burst back into life, and in the early morning mist the artist presents a microcosm of life: housewives getting up to wash clothes, the fishing boats in the distance, sailboats and white-walled, black-tiled roof Hui style buildings reflect life of southern China, while also underscoring a life informed by the riches of diligence and vitality. Among the mountains, sunny sky and clear water, Wu Guanzhong uses the idea of “the unbroken string of the kite” to tie together an artistic philosophy informed by life scenarios. Indeed, the local scenes played out along Fuchun River in the morning are a testament to the immutable ancient aphorism that “spring is the most important part of the year, the morning the most important time of the day.” Moreover, in the scene of “connected houses on the river banks in the early morning mist, sun and cloud,” viewers can experience for themselves the timelessness of Heaven and Earth, the boundlessness of time.

Price estimate:
HKD: 8,000,000 – 15,000,000
USD: 1,019,100 – 1,910,800

Auction Result:
HKD: 15,360,000