PRESS RELEASE

2007 Evening Sales: Wang Yidong, Cold Spell in Spring

2007-05-09 13:00:08

Wang Yidong graduated from Central Academy of Fine Arts early in 80s and has been a teacher there since then. He is one of the representatives of ¡®Neo-Classic¡¯ oil painting in contemporary China. He has combined the skills of western classical oil painting with the skills of traditional Chinese painting, and has found a new art language for himself. Born in Yi Meng Mountains of Shan Dong province, Wang Yidong is interested in depicting the landscapes and individuals of his hometown. He takes peasants from Yimeng Mountains as the protagonists of his paintings. These are humble persons and Wang Yidong does never want to depict them in a ¡®noble¡¯ way. The Cold Spell in Spring depicts a peasant girl who is standing on a grass land. It is early in spring and the snow has not yet melted completely. The grass land is dominated by dark-brown roots. However, the winter has passed and everything looks fresh and hopeful. The girl is in colorful clothes and wears a scarf. She is not at all beautiful, nor is her graceful. She is merely a peasant girl from a poor family. But her innocence makes her lovely. After all, she is in the most precious ¡®spring¡¯ of her life and she is as hopeful as the early spring itself in this innocent age. The painting is simple. There are neither splendid skills nor sophisticated meanings in the painting. But it is powerful because what it depicts is not merely a peasant girl, but the dreams and hopes of ourselves.