paris franceconcept:era modern
01.03.73
Oil on canvas by Zao Wou-Ki (1973). A large-format lyrical abstraction dated 1 March 1973. From Zao's post-1970 phase, in which his atmospheric fields grow more expansive and the calligraphic gesture more confident — a synthesis of over two decades of development in Paris. Sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2019 for approximately $28 million USD.
Scholarly Significance
Second major Zao Wou-Ki auction result (Sotheby's HK 2019, ~$28M); extends Asian modern art market layer.
Notes
- ·1973 is within Zao's most acclaimed period: post-Cultural Revolution isolation of China had no direct impact on his Paris studio; his market was Western European and American.
- ·The 2019 Sotheby's Hong Kong sale (~$28M) followed the 2018 triptych record, confirming sustained demand at the top of the Asian modern art market.
- ·The 1970s canvases are distinguished from the 1960s by a warmer palette and slightly more resolved compositional architecture.