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拍品專文
A prominent figure of the Lingnan School, Zhao Shao'ang was a master of 20th Century Chinese paintings, who internalized the diverse artistic concepts of the East and West to formulate his unique style.
According to a letter written and signed by the artist addressed to Chaoshu and with the seal 'Precious collection of Nanhai Fushan Wu Chaoshu' on the painting, A Tiger's Roar was commissioned by Wu Chaoshu, a renowned diplomat in Southeast-Asia during the Republic era and the Ambassador of China in Malaysia. Wu was acquainted with the Chinese artists' circle that included painters like Yang Shanshen and Zhao Shao'ang, and was particularly close to Xu Beihong.
A Tiger's Roar exemplifies Zhao's ability to grasp the most enchanting and exceptional posture and colour of the animal, bringing it to life with dynamism on paper and transcends it into an art form. His tigers are always captivating, testified in the writing of Malcolm McDonald, the British Commissioner General for Southeast Asia in 1952 who hosted the openings of Zhao's exhibitions in Singapore:
"He paintsKthe regal glance in the eyes of a tiger with an exactness which makes his paintings almost as intensely alive as those very creatures."
Painted in 1964, A Tiger's Roar embraces characteristics of Zhao's monumental paintings of his middle period, i.e. the first two decades of his residence in Hong Kong. First, the composition is quite simple, with a stylised waterfall at the top right corner and a roaring tiger amidst reeds on the lower one-third of the painting. In fact, the diagonal composition accentuates the energy and motion of the tiger, reflecting Zhao's mindful choice and distribution of painting elements. Second, the tiger is meticulously painted with an array of brush techniques, bringing out not only its physical likeness but also its energy, spirit and kindness, as conveyed through its pair of bright piercing eyes with the glint of mercy. Colours are applied in layers of washes so that they are light and transparent, making the tiger glow in the picture. Finally, the waterfall and reeds are depicted deftly whilst the tonal changes of ink generates rhythms of the waterfall and a layering effect of the reedy marsh.
Zhao's paintings of tigers are relatively rare in the market. A crouching tiger amidst grassy marsh painted in 1939 was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, Fine Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings (I), 27 November 2005, Lot 562. Also compare a roaring tiger squatted down on the ground against a moonlit sky painted in 1968 and inscribed with the same poem as this lot, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, Fine Modern Chinese Paintings, 27 November 2006, Lot 898. A Tiger's Roar is unique not only because of the tiger's form but also the powerful expression as a result of the witty composition and the choice of waterfall as a background element.
According to a letter written and signed by the artist addressed to Chaoshu and with the seal 'Precious collection of Nanhai Fushan Wu Chaoshu' on the painting, A Tiger's Roar was commissioned by Wu Chaoshu, a renowned diplomat in Southeast-Asia during the Republic era and the Ambassador of China in Malaysia. Wu was acquainted with the Chinese artists' circle that included painters like Yang Shanshen and Zhao Shao'ang, and was particularly close to Xu Beihong.
A Tiger's Roar exemplifies Zhao's ability to grasp the most enchanting and exceptional posture and colour of the animal, bringing it to life with dynamism on paper and transcends it into an art form. His tigers are always captivating, testified in the writing of Malcolm McDonald, the British Commissioner General for Southeast Asia in 1952 who hosted the openings of Zhao's exhibitions in Singapore:
"He paintsKthe regal glance in the eyes of a tiger with an exactness which makes his paintings almost as intensely alive as those very creatures."
Painted in 1964, A Tiger's Roar embraces characteristics of Zhao's monumental paintings of his middle period, i.e. the first two decades of his residence in Hong Kong. First, the composition is quite simple, with a stylised waterfall at the top right corner and a roaring tiger amidst reeds on the lower one-third of the painting. In fact, the diagonal composition accentuates the energy and motion of the tiger, reflecting Zhao's mindful choice and distribution of painting elements. Second, the tiger is meticulously painted with an array of brush techniques, bringing out not only its physical likeness but also its energy, spirit and kindness, as conveyed through its pair of bright piercing eyes with the glint of mercy. Colours are applied in layers of washes so that they are light and transparent, making the tiger glow in the picture. Finally, the waterfall and reeds are depicted deftly whilst the tonal changes of ink generates rhythms of the waterfall and a layering effect of the reedy marsh.
Zhao's paintings of tigers are relatively rare in the market. A crouching tiger amidst grassy marsh painted in 1939 was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, Fine Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings (I), 27 November 2005, Lot 562. Also compare a roaring tiger squatted down on the ground against a moonlit sky painted in 1968 and inscribed with the same poem as this lot, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, Fine Modern Chinese Paintings, 27 November 2006, Lot 898. A Tiger's Roar is unique not only because of the tiger's form but also the powerful expression as a result of the witty composition and the choice of waterfall as a background element.