Artwork Description

Title: Fish – City
Artist: Yue Ma
Date: Undated
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 47.24 × 35.43 in (120 × 90 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Fish – City is an evocative oil on canvas by Yue Ma, measuring 120 by 90 centimeters. The composition centers on two male figures—one shirtless and the other dressed in a light green shirt—engaged in an act of weighing or inspecting a fresh catch of fish or produce. Additional figures and architectural hints populate the background, suggesting a bustling urban marketplace or riverside trading post. The painting’s vigorous brushwork and earthy palette imbue the scene with immediacy and vitality.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
The work reflects a figurative realist approach enriched with expressive tonalities, recalling elements of Social Realism and modern Chinese figurative painting of the late 20th century. Yue Ma employs a painterly surface and dynamic composition to capture the labor, camaraderie, and transient rhythms of daily life. The naturalistic portrayal of human forms, contrasted against loosely rendered surroundings, suggests both observation and interpretation—akin to post-impressionist sensibilities infused with contemporary Chinese cultural narratives.

3. Historical Context
Scenes of communal labor and marketplaces have a long-standing presence in Chinese art, historically embodying themes of social harmony and collective endeavor. In a contemporary context, Fish – City can be read as a reflection on urban transformation and the persistence of traditional livelihoods, offering a visual record of a cultural milieu negotiating between modernity and heritage. Such works emerged during a period when Chinese artists sought to reassert figurative traditions amid the global rise of conceptual art.

4. Provenance and Authenticity
For complete provenance information and a certificate of authenticity, please contact the gallery directly.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in excellent condition, with a well-preserved surface and no evidence of restoration. Minor variations in pigment application are characteristic of the artist’s working process.

6. Artistic Significance
Fish – City exemplifies Yue Ma’s ability to translate quotidian moments into painterly narratives that resonate with social and cultural nuance. Its robust figuration and documentary undertone make it a compelling acquisition for collectors seeking works that bridge realism, history, and human experience in the context of contemporary Chinese art.