Dayu Wu Sold at Auction Prices

Painter, b. 1903 - d. 1988

(b Yixing, Jiangsu Province, China, 1903; d Shanghai, China, 1988) Chinese Painter. The infusion of western form and colour, with the naturalistic nuances of oriental rhyme, is the extension and augmentation of the artistic trail of expression that Wu Dayu has blazed for 20th century art. Wu Dayu was among the first generation of artists who were trained in oil painting in France in the early Republican era. The painting style of Cezanne was widely circulated, dominating the French art world and inevitably inspiring young Chinese artists who studied in France at the time. In addition to Cezanne's influence, Picasso and Matisse's techniques further nurtured Wu Dayu, who had studied and was greatly inspired by modern Western art. After returning to China, Wu Dayu, Lin Fengmian and other significant artists co-founded the Hangzhou National Art Institute. Appointed as the director of the Western Painting division, he actively participated in the introduction of Western art and reconstitution of Chinese art, hoping to balance and combine the two artistic traditions to produce modern Chinese art. (Credit: Christie’s, Hong Kong, Chinese 20th Century Art, May 24, 2008, lot 195)