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Lot Essay
During the 1970's, Zao Wou-Ki began to revisit his previous training in Chinese ink wash painting (shuimo). The organic and spontaneous nature of the ink wash led Zao to rethink the possibilities in his oil painting, and 03.06.73 (Lot 3309) best exemplifies the artist's dynamic form of expression and stylistic integration of Eastern and Western aesthetics.
In 03.06.73, Zao adopts a new approach to traditional Chinese landscape painting, breaking away from his earlier compositions inspired by monumental landscapes from the Northern Song period (960-1127). Zao dilutes his oil paint to lessen the thick viscosity of the medium which allows him to apply the paint with a less restrained manner. Here, Zao also selects and treats a small section from a large-scale landscape painting on its own, and gives equal importance where the fragmented landscape presents a peripheral vision (bian jiao zhi jing) of nature. The scene Zao chooses to depict in 03.06.73 is reminiscent of Southern Song painter Ma Yuan's Singing on the Road (Fig. 1). In Ma's Singing on the Road, the mountain on the far side has an imposing, impressive presence while the rock in the foreground appears to be more accessible to the viewer. The distinction between the foreground, middle ground and background in 03.06.73 is achieved through "black, white, thick, thin, dry and wet colours," the "six tonal variations" of ink in traditional Chinese colour theory. On the xuan paper-like white canvas, Zao playfully splashes different hues of grey on top of each other to create layered effects, allowing the colours to play off each other in a rhythmic manner. The subtle transition from dark to light is created through the piling up of layers which do not entirely cover the previous layer, in the same way water is still visible in ink.
Zao's command of his medium extends beyond the ink wash, to encompass the dark ochre pigment. In the middle plane, he makes varied sweeps and motions in all directions, recreating the rough "axe-hewn" strokes seen in Northern Song landscape paintings. The agile brushstrokes lend the painting a sense of visual urgency and power, and also reveal Zao's deep-rooted foundation in calligraphy. In 03.06.73, the emphasis on empty space calls to mind a river valley extending into the distance, and Zao's brushstrokes produce geological, earthy textures which stand in sharp contrast to the surrounding negative space, evoking a feeling of balance and serenity. This work presents a harmonious, other-worldly vision sought after by early literati painters, yet it marks a clear departure from traditional monumental Chinese landscape paintings.
In 03.06.73, Zao adopts a new approach to traditional Chinese landscape painting, breaking away from his earlier compositions inspired by monumental landscapes from the Northern Song period (960-1127). Zao dilutes his oil paint to lessen the thick viscosity of the medium which allows him to apply the paint with a less restrained manner. Here, Zao also selects and treats a small section from a large-scale landscape painting on its own, and gives equal importance where the fragmented landscape presents a peripheral vision (bian jiao zhi jing) of nature. The scene Zao chooses to depict in 03.06.73 is reminiscent of Southern Song painter Ma Yuan's Singing on the Road (Fig. 1). In Ma's Singing on the Road, the mountain on the far side has an imposing, impressive presence while the rock in the foreground appears to be more accessible to the viewer. The distinction between the foreground, middle ground and background in 03.06.73 is achieved through "black, white, thick, thin, dry and wet colours," the "six tonal variations" of ink in traditional Chinese colour theory. On the xuan paper-like white canvas, Zao playfully splashes different hues of grey on top of each other to create layered effects, allowing the colours to play off each other in a rhythmic manner. The subtle transition from dark to light is created through the piling up of layers which do not entirely cover the previous layer, in the same way water is still visible in ink.
Zao's command of his medium extends beyond the ink wash, to encompass the dark ochre pigment. In the middle plane, he makes varied sweeps and motions in all directions, recreating the rough "axe-hewn" strokes seen in Northern Song landscape paintings. The agile brushstrokes lend the painting a sense of visual urgency and power, and also reveal Zao's deep-rooted foundation in calligraphy. In 03.06.73, the emphasis on empty space calls to mind a river valley extending into the distance, and Zao's brushstrokes produce geological, earthy textures which stand in sharp contrast to the surrounding negative space, evoking a feeling of balance and serenity. This work presents a harmonious, other-worldly vision sought after by early literati painters, yet it marks a clear departure from traditional monumental Chinese landscape paintings.