I remember that in 2010, China Guardian launched Zhang Daqian's splashed color "Love Traces" with 100.8 million yuan, which caused a sensation at home and abroad, which not only opened up the rising space of modern calligraphy and painting, but also opened the era of modern calligraphy and painting of 100 million yuan.
In 2011, the global sales of Zhang Daqian's works surpassed Picasso for the first time, breaking Picasso's international monopoly position for more than 10 years and becoming the new hegemon of the world. After that, all kinds of famous artists in China competed for beauty, and repeatedly hit new highs, Qi Baishi, Fu Baoshi, Wu Changshuo, Li Keran, Xu Beihong, Pan Tianshou, Huang Binhong, Huang Zhou, Wu Guanzhong, and a number of famous artists have joined the ranks of the 100 million yuan club. As of today, the highest price is Qi Baishi's 1925 Twelve Screens of Landscape, which sold for 931.5 million yuan in the 2017 Poly Autumn Auction in Beijing, and was once ranked eighth in the top ten art auctions in the world.
However, since the beginning of this year, due to the impact of the economic environment, the art market has lost its former 100 million yuan scenery. Judging from the data of this year's spring auction, not to mention the transaction of 100 million yuan, even if 5 million yuan is already a high price, there are very few transactions of tens of millions of works.
Zhang Daqian, Stacked Peaks of the Yanjiang River, 129.5×67 cm, sold for 34.5 million yuan, China Guardian 2024 Spring Auction
Zhang Daqian, The Lady of Basho, 66×43.5 cm
Transaction price: 11.04 million yuan
Huayi International (Guangzhou) 2024 Spring Auction
Taking stock of the auctions of modern and contemporary paintings and calligraphy that have completed the spring auctions of Sotheby's, Christie's, Guardian Hong Kong, Poly Hong Kong, China Guardian, Beijing Poly, China Trade Shengjia, Beijing Yongle, Shanghai Golden Harvest, Huayi International (Guangzhou), and Guangzhou Chongzheng, there are more than 10 million Zhang Daqian, as many as 9 works, far ahead of other famous artists, which shows the popularity of Zhang Daqian's works by collectors at home and abroad.
Closely followed by Zhang Daqian are Fu Baoshi 5 pieces (over 10 million transactions), Qi Baishi 4 pieces, Huang Binhong 2 pieces, Li Keran, Wu Guanzhong, Shen Yinmo, Cui Ruzhuo 1 piece each.
There are only 3 pieces with a price of more than 50 million yuan, including 2 pieces of Fu Baoshi, 1 piece of Zhang Daqian, the highest price is Fu Baoshi's "Xiyue Majestic", the size is about 47 square feet (144×363cm), this work was sold at 82.8 million yuan in China Guardian Night Market, this work was sold at 63.25 million yuan in 2012 Beijing Goethe, if you do not calculate the 12-year interest and transaction commission, only from the transaction book, the price is nearly 20 million yuan higher than before. Another landmark masterpiece of Fu Baoshi, "So Many Delicate Rivers and Mountains", which originated from the Fu family's collection, set off a climax at the Beijing Poly auction. Although there is no money and the size is less than 2 square feet, this small manuscript has been published 9 times, recorded 40 times, and exhibited 5 times, and was chased by many collectors at the auction site, and finally sold for 63.825 million yuan, as high as 35 million yuan per square foot. In the current market environment, it is not easy to achieve such results, which shows that the price of Fu bouldering products is very strong.
Fu Baoshi, "Xiyue Majestic", mirror heart, 144×363cm
Transaction price: 82.8 million yuan
China Guardian 2024 Spring Auction
Fu Baoshi, "The Mountains and the Rivers Are So Beautiful", 36.5×56.5cm
Transaction price: 63.825 million yuan
Beijing Poly 2024 Spring Auction
The overall performance of Qi Baishi's works is still very stable, one of which is a 94-year-old Qi Baishi's "Pastoral Fun" created by Christie's Hong Kong and presented to "Comrade Lin Feng", which is worth a book with a size of 34×34cm, with wonderful sheets and many pages, and the transaction price is only 14.29 million Hong Kong dollars. If this work is placed in a good market, the transaction price of 50 million or even hundreds of millions can be expected, and now this price can only show that the market is very cold now.
Qi Baishi inscribed "Comrade Lin Feng" to "Pastoral Fun" twenty-four volumes
Price realised: HK$14.29 million
Christie's Hong Kong Spring Auction 2024
Huang Binhong's works have been tepid, and this time there are two works of more than 10 million yuan, which is indeed unexpected and remarkable. These two works are rare masterpieces of Huang Binhong in his later years, and they are the first time they appeared at auction, and they are the collections of the great collector Xu Baizhai Liu Zuochou, so they are very favored and sought after by many collectors. Among them, Huang Binhong's 1948 work "On the Road of Streams and Mountains" was sold for 18.4 million yuan; Another piece, Huang Binhong's 1949 "Small Peaks of the North and South", sold for 14.03 million yuan, both of which far exceeded the high estimate and set off a big climax at the China Guardian Night Market. It is worth paying attention to whether there will be such a high price in the future.
黄宾虹《溪山论道》31.2×153cm
Transaction price: 18.4 million yuan
China Guardian 2024 Spring Auction
Huang Binhong, "Small Peaks of North and South", handscroll, 25.8×130.7cm
Transaction price: 14.03 million yuan
China Guardian 2024 Spring Auction
Li Keran's works have created many records of 100 million yuan, second only to Zhang Daqian in number. However, Li Keran's works have not been ideal in auctions in recent years, especially this year, there are no works by Li Keran in the China Guardian Night Market, and there are not many works in other auctions that cost more than 5 million yuan. This Beijing Yongle Spring Auction may be the auction house that has launched the most Li Keran boutiques, but only one piece exceeded 10 million.
This work is Li Keran's 1962 work "Lijiang Autumn Mountain", which is Li Keran's masterpiece in his prime, with a size of 69.5×46cm and a transaction price of 13.34 million yuan. If you look at its previous 4 transaction resumes, it is really hard to say. In 2011, Christie's sold for HK$13.54 million; In 2012, it was sold for 34.5 million yuan; In 2015, it was sold for 20.7 million yuan in Rongbaozhai (Jinan); In 2016, Beijing Poly sold for 20.7 million yuan. From the highest price to the present, the transaction price has been discounted in half and then discounted by 8%, which is enough to make people think deeply.
李可染《漓江秋山》69.5×46cm
Transaction price: 13.34 million yuan
Yongle Auction 2024 Spring Auction
Li Keran's 1988 work "People by the Water" launched by the Yongle Auction Night Auction is stamped with Li Keran's 6-square seal, which can be seen to be a work that the painter is very satisfied with in his later years. His works have also been published 9 times, and he has participated in the endorsement of Chinese and foreign exhibitions 3 times. The painting is estimated at 11.5 million to 13.5 million yuan, which is not a high estimate, but the market is very cruel, and the bid has failed.
Li Keran, "People by the Water", 84×52.5cm
Flowing Pulse
Yongle Auction 2024 Spring Auction
Shen Yinmo's calligraphy shines in this China Guardian Spring Auction. In 1947, "Nantong Zhu Mingshan and the 70th Birthday of Mrs. Yuan" was finally sold for 15.985 million yuan after fierce bidding. This work was auctioned at Shanghai Jinghua for 9.89 million yuan in 2017, and the price has increased by 6 million yuan in 7 years, which is very rare, and the market for Shen Yinmo's works has also hit a new high.
Shen Yinmo's "Nantong Zhu Mingshan and Debei Mrs. Yuan's 70th Birthday Preface" 10-screen vertical scroll Transaction price: 15.985 million yuan China Guardian 2024 Spring Auction
It should be pointed out that among the tens of millions of yuan works, there are still many masters who cannot be seen, such as Wu Changshuo, Pan Tianshou, Xu Beihong, Huang Zhou, Lu Yanshao, etc., as the saying goes: "Only when the tide is low, do you know who is swimming naked." For example, Christie's Hong Kong's 1944 Pan Tianshou's "Qiu Song Coats" was a masterpiece of Pan Tianshou's heyday, with an estimate of 24 million to 35 million Hong Kong dollars.
Pan Tianshou, Qiu Song Coats, 244.5×61cm, unsold Christie's Hong Kong 2024 Spring Auction
It can be seen from the above that it is an indisputable fact that the current heavyweight auctions of calligraphy and painting have dropped from 100 million yuan to 10 million yuan. The main reason is that the economic environment is not ideal, in this context, collectors as long as the funds are not short, can bear, generally will not easily throw out the master-level boutique, which also leads to the major auction houses now more and more difficult to collect heavyweight lots, whether there can be a turnaround and strength in the future I am afraid to depend on the performance of the macroeconomy, especially whether the stock market can be strong is very important.
The author has always believed that the quality of the stock market can affect or even influence the art market the most, but the art market cannot affect the stock market, because the size of the art market and the number of people involved are far smaller than the stock market. If the stock market can get out of the bull market or a wave of more than 1,000 points in the second half of this year, it will undoubtedly inject a boost into the revitalization of the art market. How the market will perform in the future, we sit and wait and see.
Edited | Reprinted by Zhou Zhangsheng|Artron Art Network