Rating and value of paintings by Zeng Yilu

If you own a work by or after Zeng Yilu, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services.

Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with an accurate estimate of its value on the current market.

Then, should you wish to sell your work, we will direct you to the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and value of the artist Zeng Yilu

The artist Zeng Yilu leaves behind a distinctive body of work, composed mainly of drawings and paintings. He is Franco-Chinese. Now, the prices of his works are rising under the auctioneers' hammer.

The price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €200 to €96,240, a significant gapbut one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Zeng Yilu's works. He is especially prized by buyers from Hong Kong, China and France.

In 2013, an oil on canvas entitled Qing jing hua cheng towers in huang temple

was sold for €96,240, a world record to date for the artist. His stock has been exploding in recent years.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique of artist Zeng Yilu    

Zeng Yilu's style and technique are characterized primarily by a fusion of Eastern and Western influences. A Chinese artist who studied in France, he incorporates Western techniques into his works - among others, those derived from Impressionism, but retaining themes and aesthetics specific to Chinese culture.

His color palette is quite luminous : he uses light, bright colors to depict traditional Chinese subjects, giving his works a rather serene and poetic atmosphere.

His compositions are quite balanced, his paintings display a rather harmonious organization, reflecting an influence of traditional Chinese art, the artist pays particular attention to the arrangement of elements in the pictorial space.

The techniques used by the artist are mixed : Zeng Yilu employs Western techniques - such as oil on canvas - to depict Chinese subjects, thus creating a unique artistic synthesis.

Through his works, the artist expresses a national revival, and conveys his quest for a cultural renaissance, using art as a means of reflecting the identity and aspirations of modern China.

The life of Zeng Yilu   

Zeng Yilu (1896 - 1989) was a modern artist born in China, who trained at the Beaux-Arts in China, before continuing his artistic training in France. This career path enabled him to acquire a dual artistic influence, blending Chinese tradition and Western modernity.

Zeng Yilu is attached to Chinese cultural identity. Indeed, from his earliest works, he was interested in depicting landscapes and scenes from everyday Chinese life - while incorporating techniques from Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.

He received a certain amount of recognition in China and abroad. His work was quickly noticed for its originality and its ability to synthesize two artistic worlds. The artist regularly exhibits at fairs in China and Europe, and attracts the attention of collectors and critics alike.

He plays a fairly important role in the Chinese artistic revival : through his commitment to teaching combined with his artistic research, he participates in the development of a modern Chinese art, which seeks to preserve traditions while renewing them.

Zeng Yilu leaves a legacy between tradition and modernity, his work marked by a quest for balance between past and present, he influences several generations of artists who are keen to evolve Chinese painting without denying its essence.

Focus on Moonlight Landscape, Zeng Yilu

 In Moonlight Landscape, Zeng Yuli depicts a poetic subject and atmosphere. This Moonlit Landscape depicts a mountainous landscape bathed in soft, silvery light.

The artist thus captures the serene atmosphere of nocturnal nature - evoking both Chinese pictorial tradition and Impressionist sensibility.

The composition is balanced and the space fluid : the organization of the canvas follows the aesthetic principles of classical Chinese painting, with an arrangement of successive planes that suggests an airy depth.

The artist creates an effect of mystery and calm, depicting mountains that seem to emerge from the fog. His palette and treatment of light are intended to be quite subtle, favoring bluish, silvery and soft green tones ; which lend the whole a delicate harmony.

The moonlight is reflected quite discreetly on the water and foliage, in an approach reminiscent of Impressionist light play.

His technique is mixed and his touch expressive. Although he remains faithful to traditional Chinese ink and washes, Zeng Yilu uses more sustained strokes of color and a freer brushwork - which is inspired by Western experimentation.
This technical fusion enriches the texture and gives movement to the image.

With this work, he echoes tradition and imposes his modern vision : the work dialogues with the landscape paintings of Chinese literati, integrating a more contemporary plastic research. Thanks to this approach, Zeng Yilu renews the landscape genre while retaining its spiritual and meditative essence.

Zeng Yilu's place in Chinese painting

At the heart of Chinese painting, Zeng Yilu builds a bridge between tradition and modernity : he occupies a pivotal position in Chinese painting by blending ink and wash techniques with Western influences, notably Impressionism.

His work is thus part of a dialogue between ancestral heritage and stylistic renewal. He is a representative of the artistic revival : at a time when Chinese painting is seeking to reinvent itself in the face of outside influences, Zeng Yilu is an active participant in this evolution.

He incorporates bolder compositions and color palettes, while remaining faithful to traditional Chinese aesthetic principles.

The artist's influence on subsequent generations is enduring: through his ability to combine spontaneity of gesture and rigor of composition, he inspires many modern Chinese artists, especially in the field of poetic and landscape painting.

His recognition is both national and international. Thanks to his singular approach, he succeeds in reaching out to both the Chinese public and Western art lovers, helping to raise the profile of Chinese painting on the international scene.

His work is thus positioned between contemplation and experimentation, he inscribes his art in the continuity of the Chinese masters - while exploring new expressive avenues, enabling him to retain an essential place in his country's pictorial history.

The context of Chinese painting in the 20th century

In China, painting in the 20th century is marked by a period of transition and rupture : it marks a profound transformation of Chinese painting, which is confronted with the country's modernization and the various artistic influences coming from the West.

Standing between tradition and renewal, artists explored new avenues without denying the heritage of the great masters. Artists introduced Western techniques: with the gradual opening up of China, many painters were introduced to oil painting, perspective and the play of light inspired by Impressionism, but also by European realism - seeking to adapt them to the specificities of Chinese culture.

National institutions such as the Hangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and schools in Shanghai and Beijing became hotbeds of experimentation, where traditional calligraphy and ink painting were combined.

This period also witnessed ideological commitment and propaganda painting : under the influence of socialist realism, Chinese painting became politicized and put forward subjects that glorified work, the people and revolutionary ideals, while retaining references to traditional formats.

Many artists such as Chu Teh Chun, Zao Wu Ki or Thuong Lan Nguyen participate.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Zeng Yilu his works most of the time, in French and Chinese, and marks his watercolors with a seal. However, it is essential to have your work appraised to be sure of its originality. What's more ; there are naturally many copies.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by or after Zeng Yilu, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using our form on our website.

A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as ad hoc information about it.

If you wish to sell your work, you will also be accompanied by our specialists in order to benefit from alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account the inclinations of the market.