30.12.76
1976
"30.12.76" by Zao Wou-Ki is an oil on canvas work that exemplifies the artist's mature abstract style, which synthesizes Eastern calligraphic sensibilities with Western modernist abstraction. The composition features dynamic gestural marks and layered forms rendered in characteristic earth tones and deeper hues, demonstrating Wou-Ki's ability to balance spontaneity with formal structure. Dating to 1976, this work reflects the artist's continued exploration of space and movement through non representational means.
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Location
- Sotheby's, New York, NY
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Sotheby'sView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Modernités
October 18, 2024
Estimate: $350,000 to $550,000
Lot 134
Artists in conversation
Hans Hartung
French-German · b. 1904
Hartung similarly merged gestural calligraphic mark making with Western abstract expressionism, producing dynamic layered compositions in deep earth tones that share the same balance of spontaneity and formal structure seen in this 1976 Zao Wou-Ki work.
Pierre Soulages
French · b. 1919
Soulages pursued a deeply contemplative lyrical abstraction using bold gestural brushwork on canvas, creating works with similar spatial depth and non representational compositional tension that resonate closely with the moody atmospheric layering in this piece.
Franz Kline
American · b. 1910
Kline's abstract expressionist canvases feature powerful gestural strokes that echo the calligraphic energy and dynamic movement found in this Zao Wou-Ki work, with both artists channeling a sense of controlled spontaneity through bold marks against layered painterly grounds.
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion