ZAO WOU-KI - The Deer (Signed and Framed), 1952

ZAO WOU-KI

(1921-2013)

The Deer (Signed and Framed), 1952

Lithograph printed in 4 colours on Arches paper

Signed by the artist (lower left), inscribed “mes amitiés” (lower right)

Executed in 1952, this work is an artist proof from an edition of 250 + 25 A.P.

33.2 x 49 cm. (13 1/16 x 19 5/16 in.)

Framed size: 53 x 68.8 x 2.5 cm (20 7/8 x 27 1/16 x 1 in.)

趙無極

b. 1921

鹿

石版畫

1952年作，此作共250版，另加25幅藝術家自留版

款識：無極ZAO (左下),  mes amitiés（右下）。

《鹿》創作於1952年，是趙無極於「克利時期」（1948-1953年）所作的石版畫作品。於1948年，趙無極遠赴法國巴黎深造，當時正值抽象表現主義風靡歐美的高峰時期，他在探索個人風格初期深受西方抽象大師保羅·克利（PAUL KLEE）影響，形成一種簡約抽象的風格，開展了其抽象創作生涯的首個重要階段。從此作可見，趙無極引用了克利輕柔的筆觸和表現手法，描繪出他所崇尚的古代詩人王維、米芾等所描寫的傳統文人意境，以簡潔優雅的線條勾勒出主角——「鹿」，營造出一種平面透視的空間感，反映他從克利的作品中所汲取的抽象藝術的精髓。

The Deer was a lithograph by Zao Wou-ki in 1952 during the "Klee Period" (1948-1953). In 1948, Zao went to Paris, France for further study, which was when Abstract Expressionism was taking over Europe and the United States. At the beginning of his exploration of his personal style, he was deeply influenced by the Western abstract master Paul Klee and gradually formed a minimalistic abstract style of his own, founding the first important milestone of his artistic journey of abstract art. From this work, it can be seen that Zao adopts Klee’s gentle brushstrokes and expressive techniques to depict the traditional literati artistic conception described by the Chinese poets Wang Wei and Mi Fu who he admires, and also outlines the protagonist-"deer" with simple and elegant lines. It creates a sense of space in the two-dimensional medium, reflecting the essence of abstract art he has learned from Klee's works.