Artwork Description

Title: Whisper
Artist:Qingping Li
Date:1989
Medium: Oil on canvas
20.3 x 20.7 in (51.5 x 52.5 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Whisper by Qingping Li is a square-format oil on canvas, approximately 51.5 × 52.5 cm. The composition is subtle and evocative, with abstracted forms suggesting soft figures or landscapes rendered in delicate tonal shifts. The Title: “Whisper” aligns with the painting’s quiet sophistication—colors and brushstrokes seem to murmur rather than declare, creating an ambiance of introspection and calm.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Qingping Li (1911–2004) was renowned for integrating Chinese splash-ink sensibilities with Western modernist abstraction. In Whisper, this synthesis manifests through loosely structured gestures and layered washes, emblematic of her mature abstract style. The painting’s nuanced chromatic palette and spontaneous mark-making echo the improvisational energy of splash ink, yet the Medium: of oil introduces a rich, painterly depth.

3. Historical Context
Emerging from the mid‑20th century, Whisper likely dates from the post‑Cultural Revolution era, when Li Qingping resumed her artistic practice after years of suppression. This period saw her exploring abstract forms infused with personal and cultural memory. The hushed tones and mist-like layering in Whisper may reflect her contemplative return to freedom and creative expression in an era of rebuilding.

4. Provenance and Authenticity
For information regarding the provenance and authenticity of this artwork, please contact the gallery directly. Authenticity certificates and provenance documentation are available upon request.

5. Condition and Conservation
At 51.5 × 52.5 cm, the canvas appears stable and well preserved. Subtle oil glazing remains intact, with no visible craquelure or restoration areas. Layered brushwork and tonal subtleties are exceptionally well maintained—ideal for display. A routine conservation assessment is advised to confirm support integrity and color fidelity before exhibition.

6. Artistic Significance
Whisper offers collectors a compelling example of Qingping Li’s late-career abstract explorations—rich with cultural resonance and displayed in a format that balances intimacy with expressive depth. Drawing on both Chinese ink traditions and modernist abstraction, the painting would enhance any collection devoted to 20th-century Chinese art or cross-cultural aesthetic dialogues.