Artwork Description

Title: So Beautiful
Artist: Wu You (吴悠)
Date: 2017
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 110 x 72 cm (43.3 x 28.3 in)

Artwork Identification
This contemporary reinterpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s "Mona Lisa" infuses the classical portrait with an East Asian sensibility, transforming the subject into a youthful, modern figure with delicate features. Vertical red paint drips cascade across the surface, creating a visually striking effect that both obscures and accentuates the image, suggesting temporality and reinterpretation.

Artistic Style and Influences
Wu You masterfully blends classical Western portraiture with contemporary Chinese painting techniques, using tonal gradients and bold drips to juxtapose tradition with innovation. The vertical lines evoke a sense of digital pixelation or rain, linking timeless beauty to contemporary media aesthetics.

Historical Context
Created in 2017, this painting reflects a broader trend in Chinese contemporary art of reinterpreting canonical Western images through a local, modern lens. The work invites dialogue between East and West, past and present, offering a fresh perspective on beauty and identity in an increasingly globalized cultural landscape.

Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition, with no visible damage or restoration noted.

Artistic Significance
"So Beautiful" challenges viewers to reassess what is considered universally iconic. Wu You’s innovative use of distortion and cultural re-contextualization engages in a nuanced commentary on the nature of visual heritage and feminine ideals. This work is a compelling example of postmodern play with historical imagery in the context of Chinese contemporary art.