In February of 1948, Zhao Wou-ki and his beloved wife Xie Jinlan set course for the faraway city of Paris on the other end of the Eurasian continent, embarking on a three-month journey across seas that appeared to extend infinitely into the horizon. To Zhao Wou-ki, Paris was the artistic haven he longed for, the City of Flowers in which the myriad schools of modern art bloomed and prospered. It was moreover the city that had inspired two individuals whom he deeply respected to converge the essences of Eastern and Western art, one of whom was Lin Fengmian, principal of the Hangzhou School of Art (now the China Academy of Art), and Wu Da-yu, a teacher of his who had previously studied abroad in Paris. The very afternoon Zhao Wou-ki arrived in Paris, he rushed straight to the Louvre to experience the treasures of European art history for himself. Without a doubt, that experience left him filled to the brim with surging emotions and vivid excitement. During his first year in Paris, Zhao Wou-ki was like a sponge that constantly absorbed the nutrients in his environment; be it through frequent visits to art museums, browsing through art galleries, attending concerts, or acquainting himself with other fellow artists, these experiences represent important changes in both his perspective toward life and understanding of art. During this crucial year of broadening horizons, Zhao Wou-ki seldom truly worked with paint and canvas. Nevertheless, this particular piece, “Sans Titre,” was create in that very year of 1948; an extremely rare oil painting, it is the condensation and epitome of the artist’s year of discoveries, a single work of art into which is instilled all of the artist’s emerging thoughts and sensibilities, an iconic milestone of the artist’s life journey so rare and precious that one can only hope to chance upon such an opportunity.

“Sans Titre” portrays the charms of mountain scenery. The artist used just a few simple layers of colors and lines to delineate a fresh and enchanting image embedded with a wealth of hope, perfectly reflecting his state of mind back when he first set foot into Paris. Zhao Wou-ki employed a crisp green as the base for the lines that outline the peaks of mountains and trees so simplistically it verges on the edge of rusticity. A cozy little cottage sits on the plains in the foreground with a narrow path hugging the slopes as it winds up into the mountain. The mountain trail is lightly dabbed with vermilion while distant peaks are dyed in gray. The artist’s composition is carefully laid out to lead our eyes through the trees all the way to the top of the mountain. At the foot of a faraway mountain sits a pagoda, revealing ties to the artist’s Chinese heritage. By having the sun and the moon coexist in the same skies, the artist utilizes the simplest yet most iconic symbols to construct an abnormal phenomenon that engenders an air of both elegance and mystery.

This small painting is a concentrated version of the colorful experiences and rapid changes that Zhao Wou-ki underwent upon arriving to Europe. He made a conscious effort to break free from the Western painting methodologies that he had already been long familiar with and boldly decided to throw the laws of perspective out the window, thereby ridding himself of portrayals of spatial dimensions as well as depictions of mass and weight. The transformation of abstract visuals into tangible symbols and replacement of visual depth with layered colors clearly demonstrate how the artist viewed impressionistic interpretations as his top priority. Not only does “Sans Titre” exemplify how Zhao Wou-ki has long since begun to explore new directions in his artistic vocabulary by attempting to harness the charm of lines and symbols, it also displays his inclination towards excellency as an artist. This piece also hints at the artist’s eventual international fame in the realm of in abstract art. Created primarily with elements such as scenic visuals, poetic characterizations and symbolism, this piece is representative of a key period in the artistic lifetime of Zhao Wou-ki.