Born in Zhongshan, Guangdong, David Wu Ject-Key immigrated to North America in 1902, making him one of the first Chinese artists to study in the West, preceding even Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian and Yun Gee. He studied at the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts in Montreal and later at the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League, and the Grand Central Art School in New York. He was exceptionally well-established as an artist in America, where he received numerous awards, exhibited widely, and his works are held in the permanent collections of several museums. While living in New York, Wu was active in the Chinatown scene, founding the Chung Shan Association for the New York Chinese community, maintaining a firm dedication to and pride in his Chinese roots throughout his life. He approached his artistic production with extreme discipline, even attending medical school briefly in order to gain a better understanding of the human anatomy. At the Art Students League, Wu was the assistant to George Bridgman, who taught Anatomy and Figure Drawing to numerous American artists including Norman Rockwell and Gifford Beal.

In the early 1900s, American art experienced a revival in Realism and Figurative painting. The Ashcan school led by Robert Henri, also a teacher at the Art Students League, pioneered a realist style that celebrated the everyday life of modern America with work life as an important theme. Wu was one of the artists that resisted trends towards abstraction. The Matador (Lot 286), The Boxer (Lot 287), and Woman in Purple Dress (Lot 285) offered in this sale showcase his ability to work in the Realist style while still reflecting the spirit of contemporary life. His energetic, loose brushwork and vivid use of colour create a sense of three-dimensionality reminiscent of the colour modulations in C?zanne's work. The emphasis on colour is particularly evident in Woman in Purple Dress, wherein different shades of purple loosely applied to the figure's dress and hat create a thick, nearly-tangible volume. The work emphasizes the dignity of the sitter-for Wu, the goal of depicting the spirit of the sitter was more important than physical likeness. In The Boxer, the vivacity of his painterly style evokes the energy and power of the figure that stands proudly with his hands on his belt, the complex skin tones and the dash of red on his scarf seemingly applied in rapid motions. Though executed in oil, the artist painted with the fluidity and transparency of watercolour, allowing the white of the background to create light and space, revealing Wu's inherent influences from the Chinese painting tradition. The calligraphic line is particularly evident in the figure's trousers, which are reduced to grey outlines. Boxers and bullfighters were popular subjects for modernists as the sports allowed for the depiction of heroism and drama in ordinary life. Wu's The Matador, painted in watercolour, exudes a nonchalant confidence that mirrors the expertise with which Wu handles the medium. The ornate yet gestural gold embroidery on the figure's costume stands out in relief against the cape. Each work is carefully signed in two languages and with a seal of the artist, and as in classical Chinese painting, the text is not subjugated by the image but rather acts as an integral formal element that balances the composition. Signed vertically in Chinese and horizontally in English, the signature forms two sides of a corner, signifying the artist's assertion of his own identity as both Eastern and Western, marking an important signpost in the history of East-West cultural exchange.