Asian collectors are displaying an increasing diversification in their collecting activity, seeking works by distinguished Chinese artists, and at the same time demonstrating a growing appreciation of Western art. Fine Art Asia 2012 is privileged to offer an unprecedented opportunity for dealers, collectors and connoisseurs to view and acquire masterpieces of Impressionist and Modern Art from both East and West.
Gladwell & Company, London, will display a stunning selection of Impressionist and Modern paintings, including works by Monet, Picasso and Sisley. Pommiers en Fleurs (Apple Trees in Blossom) by Claude Monet (1840-1926) is a quintessential Impressionist work which demonstrates the artist’s mastery in capturing the transient effects of light and colour. It was painted in 1878 after Monet and his family moved from Argenteuil to the ancient town of Vétheuil, 60 km north of Paris. This area was less industrialized than Argenteuil, and Monet was delighted by the rich, unspoilt nature offered by his new surroundings. The verdant fields, orchards and rolling hills all became subjects for his canvases. The first owner of this painting was the wealthy banker and collector Charles Ephrussi (1849-1905).
Another highlight is Nature Morte aux Cerises (Still Life with Cherries) by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) dating from 1945. Picasso painted throughout the war in Paris and from 1943 cherries began to feature in his still-lifes. It was at this time that Picasso began his relationship with Françoise Gilot, who later recalled that the artist offered her a bowl of cherries upon first meeting her at a café. The painting displays a spontaneity and vibrancy with the bright red cherries and lively strokes of brilliant blue pigment.
Robert Bowman Gallery, London will present works by the great French sculptor, Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). Rodin combined Michelangelo’s mastery of the human form with his own sense of human nature, and expressed emotion through art. A highlight is a maquette for The Burghers of Calais, one of Rodin’s most famous sculptures, completed in 1889. It commemorates an incident in 1347 when the French port of Calais was under siege by the English. King Edward III offered to spare the people of the city if six burghers sacrificed themselves. He demanded they walk out almost naked, wearing nooses around their necks, and carrying the keys to the city and castle. Rodin captured this moment with its poignant mixture of resignation, heroic self- sacrifice and willingness to face death.
Another highlight is Rodin’s beautifully sensuous sculpture La Danaïde. According to Greek legend, the Danaïdes were the 50 daughters of the ancient Greek king Danaus, who ordered them to murder their husbands on their wedding night. As a result of their crimes, the women were condemned to spend eternity in Hell, endlessly trying to fill leaking jugs with water. In his sculpture, Rodin depicted one of the Danaïdes in despair, water streaming from her broken jar, her graceful figure echoing the contours of the rock over which she crouches. His model for this work may have been his pupil and lover, the sculptress Camille Claudel (1864-1943).
Galerie Pierre Dumonteil, Paris specializes in the best figurative artists, in particular those who have dedicated their work to animal themes. Highlights include A Seated Orangutan with Spread Arms by George-Lucien Guyot (1885-1973), one of the great wildlife sculptors of the 20th century; Antelope by Alfred-Auguste Janniot (1889-1969); Seated Rabbit, Walking Panther and Three Ibis by Charles Artus (1897-1978); Big Rhinoceros by Armand Petersen (1891-1969); and Polar Bear by Francois Pompon (1885-1933). Among the human sculptures in the exhibition are works by Pierre Christophe (1880-1971), Anna Quinquaud (1890-1984), Camille Claudel (1864-1943), and Emile
Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929). Also featured are three works by the masters, brothers Diego Giacometti (1902-1985) and Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966).
The gallery also represents the renowned contemporary artist Daniel Daviau (b.1962) whose animal sculptures are inspired by the threat of extinction of some species; and Jean- Marie Fiori (b. 1952) who works in polychrome stone and bronze and displays the purity of childhood. Also presented is the rising star Jacques Owczarek (b. 1962) who has inherited Cubism and Futurism but stayed true to originality and spontaneity; and the Chinese sculptor Wang Keping (b. 1949).
Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong, founded in 1981, is dedicated to presenting the work of major Chinese artists living all over the world. The gallery will present a solo exhibition of the 20th century Chinese artist Fang Zhaoling (1914-2006) at Fine Art Asia 2012. Fang was a student of Zhao Shao’ang, a leading proponent of the second generation of the Lingnan School which advocated that painting should reflect reality and not be bound by traditional formulae. From 1953-54, Fang also studied with the renowned master Zhang Daqian, from whom she learned the “splashed ink and colour” techniques. Another influence was Qi Baishi (1863-1957), whose bold and free style in painting flowers, rich colours and calligraphic brushwork appealed to her greatly. She travelled to majestic landscapes in China, seeking out the raw beauty and vitality of nature. Fang Zhaoling was truly a pioneer woman artist of her time, persevering in a long artistic career despite hardships including bringing up 8 children after her husband died. The strength of her compositions and vigour of her paintings make it hard to believe they were done by a frail woman artist.
FEAST Projects, Hong Kong will present an exhibition of “Chinese artists in France” including the contemporary master Zao Wou-Ki (b. 1921), whose works are sought after by collectors and museums worldwide. Zao Wou- Ki studied Chinese painting at the National Art Academy in Hangzhou but in 1947 he left Shanghai for Paris where he has lived ever since. His friendships with Western writers, critics and artists such as Paul Klee, Franz Kline, Joan Miró and Henri Matisse had a crucial impact on his style. Zao Wou-Ki is nowadays one of the most important modern painters. At first he rejected the Chinese pictorial tradition which he felt had become fossilized in its own conventions. He wondered "how to represent the wind, how to paint emptiness or the clarity and purity of light". He gradually adopted the individualistic theory of Shitao, who envisioned painting as the "expression of the thoughts and feelings of its creator". He later found resonance in the creative journey of Paul C anne and his transition from an objective description of a moment in Nature to a subjective attitude of showing that moment as seen in the eye of the painter. His discovery of the works of Paul Klee accelerated and enriched his own path towards creative freedom. Like Paul Klee, Zao Wou-Ki invented symbols representing subconscious levels of experience, leading to a penetrating form of artistic expression that refined his own perception of the meaning of art.
Image: © Zao Wou-Ki
