Page 32 - Christie's Hong Kong May 30, 2017 Zhang Daqian
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THE BIRTH OF A MASTERPIECE
Dawning Light in Autumn Gorges (Fig. 7) is another fine
example of such brilliant achievement, which, with
strong chiaroscuro and an unconventional composition,
appears perhaps more modern. In contrast, exuding an
unequalled sense of grandeur, Ancient Temples Amidst
Clouds bears witness to the great heights that Zhang
Daqian reached in his life-long quest to challenge the
past, to internalise the finest peaks and mountains that
he saw, and to express a free landscape of the mind. It is
this unique quality that positions the artist as a singular
force in Chinese modern painting for his grand synthesis
of abstraction, making Zhang Daqian one of the greatest
painters of the twentieth century.
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