"Au petit jour" exemplifies Zao Wou-ki's mature abstract style, which synthesized Western modernism with the calligraphic traditions of his Chinese heritage. The composition features a luminous palette of soft yellows, pinks, and blues that suggest the atmospheric qualities of early morning light, while gestural brushstrokes and dynamic spatial relationships create a sense of poetic movement across the canvas. Created during the period when the artist had established himself as a leading figure in the Paris School, the work demonstrates his distinctive ability to evoke mood and landscape through pure abstraction rather than representation.