Artwork Description

Title: Pine (15)
Artist: Zhang Dali
Date: 2016
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 157.5 x 96.5 in (400 x 245 cm)

Artwork Identification
Pine (15) is a monumental oil painting by Zhang Dali, measuring an expansive 400 by 245 cm. The composition features a lone pine tree, rendered with solemn clarity against a subdued background. Its trunk and boughs rise vertically, stretching beyond the bounds of the canvas, commanding both attention and reverence. Executed with refined brushwork and an austere palette, the work possesses a quiet gravitas, inviting the viewer to contemplate nature, solitude, and spiritual endurance. It is among the most visually commanding entries in Zhang's Pine series.

Artistic Style and Influences
In Pine (15), Zhang Dali blends the expressive weight of oil painting with the philosophical cadence of Chinese literati traditions. The pine, historically symbolic of resilience and upright character, is treated with minimalist restraint and psychological intensity. While grounded in the classical Chinese affinity for symbolic flora, Zhang's approach is rooted in contemporary conceptualism—eschewing decorative detail in favor of a bold, essentialized form. His controlled brushwork and compositional purity resonate with both traditional Chinese aesthetics and postwar Western abstraction.

Historical Context
Zhang Dali’s Pine series reflects a period of introspective exploration following decades of politically charged and urban interventionist art. Emerging from the landscape of post-Mao China and the accelerated forces of urban transformation, these paintings articulate a quieter resistance. The solitary pine becomes a meditative presence—standing firm against the tides of erasure, demolition, and cultural amnesia. Where his earlier work responded to the external social fabric, the Pine paintings contemplate internal resolve and continuity, offering a spiritual counterpoint to the political instability of modern China.

Provenance and Authenticity
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation
The work is in excellent condition. The canvas is taut and unlined, with no signs of structural compromise. The painted surface is stable and shows no evidence of restoration, overpainting, or surface abrasions.

Artistic Significance
Pine (15) is a major work in Zhang Dali’s contemplative Pine series and exemplifies the artist’s transition from confrontational urban narrative to philosophical minimalism. While the subject remains deeply rooted in Chinese cultural symbolism, the painting speaks to global themes of endurance, solitude, and cultural memory. Its commanding presence, paired with intellectual restraint, makes it a museum-worthy exemplar of Zhang’s evolving visual language—uniting classical thought with the conceptual rigor of contemporary art.