這家小拍今春有望打破英國成交紀錄！

位於多徹斯特（Dorchester）的Duke』s拍賣行，即將迎來一場振奮人心的拍賣，5月18日，兩幅在常規鑒定工作中發現的珍貴畫作將進行拍賣，預計成交價格將高於100萬英鎊。

Two highly important Chinese paintings spotted on a routine valuation are set to sell for more than £1,000,000 when they go under the auctioneers hammer in Duke』s of Dorchester on the 18th May.

這兩幅畫作均出自於吳冠中(1919-2010)之手，被譽為20世紀最偉大的藝術家，由收藏者於香港居住時購買，購買時吳冠中作品價格還沒有飛躍式增長。在2012年，吳冠中的一幅大型油畫以高於2000萬英鎊的價格在拍賣會上成交。

The paintings are by Wu Guanzhong (1919-2010), who is regarded as the greatest Chinese artist of the 20th century. The paintings were purchased by the owner whilst living in Hong Kong, before prices for works by the artist hit stratospheric levels. In 2012 a large oil painting by Wu Guanzhong sold at auction in China for more than £20,000,000.

Duke』s公司的蓋·施文治先生在認識該收藏者並為其進行的一次常規鑒定工作中發現了這兩幅畫。他說「吳冠中在20世紀藝術發展的重要地位無法估量，他的作品為傳統和現代藝術搭建了橋樑，完美地融合了中西方藝術。」

Guy Schwinge of Duke』s came across the paintings on a routine valuation after a chance meeting with the owner. He commented: 「Wu Guanzhong』s importance to the development of Chinese art in the 20th century cannot be overstated. His works bridge the gap between the past and the present and they perfectly articulate the fusion of Chinese and Western Art.」

Gemma Meek with Wu Guanzhong』s painting of birch trees, to be sold at Duke』s onMay 18th, where it is estimated to sell for up to £1,000,000

Gemma Meek在吳冠中的白樺樹畫作前，該畫將於5月18日進行拍賣，預計價格將達到100萬英鎊

吳冠中的藝術地位受到普遍推崇，他的作品在全世界各主要博物館和畫廊都有展出，包括紐約大都會藝術博物館和倫敦大英博物館。

Wu Guanzhong』s importance as an artist is further underlined by the fact his works are represented in major museums andart galleries worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the British Museum in London.

1992年大英博物館破例為吳冠中舉辦的一次名為「吳冠中—— 20世紀的畫家」的個人作品展奠定了他的國際聲譽。該展所展出的作品集中體現了他將豐富的古代水彩繪畫傳統與現代西方藝術生動活力的表達融合在一起的能力。即將在Duke』s公司進行拍賣的兩幅畫也是在吳冠中的所有作品中的難得之作，展現出了他將大膽的技術風格創新與其長期受人讚譽的書法筆墨相結合的能力。

Wu』s international reputation was cemented by a pioneering exhibition at the British Museum in 1992, entitled 「Wu Guanzhong – A 20th Century Chinese Painter」. The paintings included in the exhibition exemplified his ability to fuse the rich and ancient tradition of Chinese painting in ink and colour with the most vigorous expression of modern Western Art.

The paintings coming up for auction at Duke』s are important within the artist』s oeuvre and demonstrate Wu』s ability to combine adventurous, technical and stylistic innovations with the time-honoured skills of the calligrapher』s brush.

預展時間(英國時間)：

2017年5月15日 09:00am - 5:00pm

2017年5月16日 09:00am - 5:00pm

2017年5月17日 09:00am - 5:00pm

拍賣時間(英國時間)：

2017年5月18日10:30am（北京時間 5:30pm）

預展及拍賣地址：

英國 多徹斯特

Dukes,

Brewery Square,

Dorchester, Dorset

DT1 1GA UK

精彩拍品

「長白山上的白樺樹」是一幅立軸紙本水彩畫作品，上面兩枚印章說明此畫創作於19世紀80年代，尺寸為136cm x67½cm。Duke』s預計其成交價格將達到100萬英鎊。這幅畫非常接近於1992年在大英博物館展出的名為「白樺 1986」的一幅畫作。藝術家如此描述該作品：「「白樺樹高挑，潔白，樹榦上常有像眼睛一樣的疤結。這些眼睛像是靜靜地窺探著人們。他們像是一個美麗女人的眼睛，她溫柔地注視不願讓你離開。白樺樹在寒冷的地方生長，我曾畫過幾幅關於它們的畫，並且曾經寫道：『當天氣寒冷，大地冰凍，沒有花開之時，在長白山前我看著白樺樹。』」

『White Birches on Mount Chang Bai 』 is a hanging scroll painting in ink and colour on paper, bearing two seals of the artist indicating that it was painted in the 1980』s. It measures 136cm x 67½cm and Duke』s are estimating that it will sell for up to £1,000,000. The painting is very similar to a painting in the British Museum Exhibition staged in 1992, entitled「White Birch 1986」.

The artist describes this work: 「The white birch is tall and slender, plainwhite, and on the trunk there are often marks which look like eyes. These eyes all give the impression of peeping quietly at people. They are like the eyes of a fair woman, whose tender gaze is reluctant to let you go. The white birch trees grow in the cold regions. I have painted several pictures of them, and once wrote the lines: 「When the weather is cold, the ground is frozen and no flowers are in bloom, in front of Changbai Mountain I look at the white birch trees」.

Wu Guanzhong 吳冠中 (1919-2010)

『White Birches on Mount Chang Bai』

《長白山上的白樺樹》

Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper

立軸紙本 水彩

Two seals of the Artist

蓋有藝術家兩枚印章

136cm x 67½cm

估價： £500,000-£1,000,000

Provenance: Christie』s Swire Hong, 7th October 1990, Lot 205

Acquired from Plum Blossom (Intl.) Ltd., Hong Kong, 2nd February 1991

Private Collection, Hong Kong and London

將於Duke』s拍賣的第二幅畫所描繪的是一個江南水鎮，吳冠中曾描述另外一幅類似作品：「蘇州甪直小鎮人家密集，前、后、左、右房屋相擠碰，房檐與房檐幾乎相接吻，門窗參差錯落......」他還繼續寫道：「彩色鑲嵌如畫里珠寶，人間衣衫」，這也同樣是Duke』s的這幅畫作的完美描述。該幅作品的拍賣將輕鬆達到其售前估價30萬-50萬英鎊。

The second painting to be sold by Duke』s is of a water village in the Jiangnan region. Describing a comparable painting Wu stated 「The neighbourhood in the small market town of Luzhi, near Suzhou is compact. Infront, behind, to the left and right, the buildings are squeezed together, the eaves almost touch, the doors and windows are all over the place…..」 The artist goes on 「the inlaying of colour is like jewellery in the painting, it is the people』s clothes」; this perfectly describes the painting on offer at Duke』s, which could easily trounce it』s pre-sale estimate of £300,000-£500,000.

Wu Guanzhong 吳冠中 (1919-2010)

『Water Village, Jiangnan』 《江南水鎮》

Ink and colour on paper 水彩

Signed 『1989, Wu Guanzhong』, Two seals of the Artist

簽名「1989，吳冠中」，並蓋有藝術家兩枚印章

67½cm x 136cm

估價： £300,000-£600,000

Provenance: Acquired from Plum Blossom (Intl.) Ltd., Hong Kong, c.1990

Private Collection, Hong Kong and London

兩幅作品將於5月18日在多徹斯特（Dorchester）的Duke』s公司進行拍賣，屆時有望創下在英國拍賣20世紀畫作的新紀錄。讓我們共同祝福並拭目以待！

Both paintings will be sold at Duke』s of Dorchester on the 18th May, when they are expected to set a record for 20th century Chinese paintings sold in the United Kingdom.