Artwork Description

Title: Return at Dusk
Artist: Li Xiaoqi (李晓琪)
Date: 2012
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 39.4 x 78.7 in. (100 x 200 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Return at Dusk is a commanding diptych by Li Xiaoqi, executed in oil on canvas and measuring two meters in width. Rendered in a restrained monochromatic palette of sepia tones and black, the work presents a surreal composition in which human figures and animal forms merge into a unified narrative structure. A large ox dominates the left panel, yoked to a load of ladders, while the torsos of faceless, mask-like figures intertwine with the animal’s flank in the right panel. The scene is imbued with enigmatic motion and symbolic unease, invoking the cyclical burdens of labor and memory.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Li Xiaoqi’s visual language lies at the intersection of surrealism and psychological allegory. The spectral palette, expressive brushwork, and distorted forms evoke influences from Francis Bacon and Zhang Xiaogang, yet retain a singular emotional charge. The painter’s use of blurred transitions and stark contrasts imbues the work with a dreamlike dissonance, reinforcing themes of subconscious entanglement and collective identity. His stylized, mask-like visages and ambiguous spaces further echo the strategies of modernist existential painting.

3. Historical Context
Completed in 2012, Return at Dusk reflects a post-socialist China grappling with identity, collectivism, and the residue of ideological transformation. Li’s generation of artists, emerging in the wake of rapid urbanization and shifting cultural paradigms, often explores the tensions between the past and present, tradition and alienation. In this work, the ox becomes both a literal and symbolic beast of burden—an emblem of generational toil—and the faceless figures appear entrapped in a shared yet anonymous journey.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition. The canvas structure is sound, with no visible signs of cracking, pigment loss, or surface abrasion. The tonal integrity of the oil layers has been well preserved, and there are no noted conservation interventions or treatments.

6. Artistic Significance
Return at Dusk exemplifies Li Xiaoqi’s mature style and his exploration of the human condition through visual metaphor. The piece offers profound insight into the psychological dimensions of modern existence, particularly within the context of Chinese socio-cultural transformation. Its symbolic richness, compositional balance, and emotive starkness make it a standout example of 21st-century Chinese oil painting. As a rare large-format work, it holds considerable value for collectors interested in contemporary Asian art, introspective surrealism, and politically resonant visual narratives.