Solar Eclipse

LIU KUO-SUNG (LIU GUOSUNG, B. 1932) Solar Eclipse A pair of hanging scrolls Ink and colour on paper Each scroll measures 183.5 x 46.5 cm. (72 1/4 x 18 1/4 in.) Executed in 1973 Solar Eclipse (Lot 714), a superbly preserved work painted in 1973, is a remarkable example of Liu’s Space series, begun in 1968. Inspired by astronaut William Anders’ photograph ‘Earthrise’, taken on the Apollo 8 Mission, Liu attempts to capture the passing of time, indicated by the various phases of a solar eclipse painted in brilliantly coloured pigments. His broad, abstract brushstrokes represent the landmasses and oceans of the Earth as they are transformed through the phases of an eclipse.