Zao Wou-Ki The Great Bathers

Lithograph, 1953

Limited edition of 95 (26/95)

Publisher: L'Oeuvre Gravée (Zurich)

Printer: Desjobert (Paris)

Catalogue: Agerup 83, p.59

50.00 cm × 65.00 cm (sheet size)

44.00 cm × 58.50 cm (image size)

Signed in pencil

Certificate of authenticity included

Condition: Excellent

BFK Rives paper

This work is currently held by our affiliated gallery in France. While the condition is considered good by local (French) standards, please note that evaluation criteria for vintage items may differ between France and Japan. Please consider purchasing only after acknowledging any signs of age-related wear (stains, discoloration, creases, wrinkles, tanning, etc.) typical of a vintage item. We have not personally inspected the artwork. The work is currently stored in France, and delivery may take over 2 weeks after your order. Due to the nature of the artwork, returns after purchase are not accepted.

Work Description

The Great Bathers is an important lithograph created in the early 1950s, before Zao Wou-Ki fully transitioned to abstract expression.

During this period, Zao Wou-Ki, while still retaining traces of figures and landscapes, was already moving towards simplifying forms and depicting space itself.

This work depicts two figures by the water.

However, their forms are not realistically depicted; their outlines are simply organized, and a quiet poetic sensibility pervades the entire composition.

In the expansive scene, which could be a seaside or lakeside, the figures exist as if溶け込む (dissolving) into the landscape, already conveying the "stillness of space" that would be characteristic of his later abstract works.

After moving to France in 1948, Zao Wou-Ki studied printmaking techniques in Paris and actively explored the possibilities of lithography and etching.

The nuances of black and the rhythm of lines in his prints, in particular, became important elements that deepened his painterly world.

In this work, too, a serene atmosphere is skillfully expressed through soft shading and delicate lines.

Furthermore, an interest in ancient Chinese art can be seen in the depiction of figures.

The elongated and simplified human figures evoke a spiritual sensibility connected to ancient Chinese bronzes and traditional forms, naturally blending the composition of Western modern prints with an Eastern aesthetic.

In the 1950s, Zao Wou-Ki developed his own visual language by absorbing:

• Traditional Chinese art
• Post-war Parisian avant-garde
• Lyrical abstraction
• Printmaking art

As a work situated in this crucial transitional period, The Great Bathers is a piece that evokes the starting point of his later magnificent abstract world.

Title Explanation

The Great Bathers

Means "The Great Bathers"

In art history, "Bathers" is a very classical theme, with Paul Cézanne's The Large Bathers being particularly famous.

It is believed that Zao Wou-Ki also reinterpreted this traditional subject of Western painting through his own Eastern sensibility.