THREE Chinese painting masters, including Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi and Zao Wou-ki, are listed among the Top 10 Highest Selling Artists of 2013, which was released recently by world-renowned New York-based online art-dealing service provider ArtNet.

    The best-selling artist of 2013 is Andy Warhol, the well-known U.S. artist, with an annual sales of US$427.1 million. Warhol is followed by Pablo Picasso at US$422 million.

    According to the ArtNet, a total of 113 works of art were each sold for more than US$10 million worldwide in 2013. Their total sales reached US$2.6 billion, accounting for 18 percent in the auction market and increasing by 5 percent compared to 2012.

    However, the transaction volume was still lower than that in 2011, which reached US$16.2 billion. Among these, the volumes in China and Britain have declined by 3 and 4 percent, respectively.

    Three Chinese masters

    Zhang ranked third on the year’s top 10 list as the total sales of his works reached US$320.6 million in 2013. Qi and Zao were listed as No. 5 at US$265.6 million and No. 9 at US$158.3 million by ArtNet.

    “The three are the most important masters in the Chinese painting industry, leading the auctions for Chinese calligraphies and paintings,” said Lin Guoxiong, president of Beijing Huaxiachuancheng Auction Co.

    “According to the figures given by China Guardian Auction, the leading auction company on the Chinese mainland, the transaction volume of Chinese calligraphies and paintings reached 1.64 billion yuan (US$258 million) in its autumn auctions, accounting for more than half of the total volume. It shows that Chinese calligraphies and paintings are playing a very important role in art auctions.”

    There are now six painting masters, including Fu Baoshi, Li Keran, Xu Beihong, Qi, Zhang and Huang Zhou, whose works can be sold at more than 100 million yuan a piece, said Zhang Zhengxin, a leading art consultant of Huaxiachuancheng and vice chairman of the Guangzhou Chamber of Commerce for artwork. “An average work of Zhang or Qi is now sold at about 200,000 to 1 million yuan per 11 x 11 square centimeters, almost the same as some outstanding painters who are still alive. I think that their prices will go up to 1 million to 2 million yuan per 11 x 11 square centimeters in about three or four years,” Zhang said.

    Benchmark of Chinese paintings

    Zhang is said to be the most influential Chinese painter in the 20th century, and his value has continued to rise in the 21st century, said Ba Dong, researcher at the National Museum of History in Taipei. “He wins such a high reputation because of his legendary life experience and his unique painting styles,” Ba said.

    Zhang’s works often have very different styles and themes. Some are strict and magnificent, and some are fresh and neat. “His works have so many different styles, which are appealing to different tastes. That’s why he is so popular around the world,” Ba said.

    Ba thought that it is hard to find anyone who can compete with Zhang in terms of quantity and style. “He is excellent at using lines and colors, so it is not surprising that his works can be sold at such high prices. With his increasing international reputation, prices of his works will continue to rise,” he said.

    At present, prices for Zhang’s early works are not very high, mostly at about 3 million to 5 million yuan. However, the prices of his works during the period of the Republic of China are very high. Nearly all of his works during that period are sold at more than 10 million yuan now, said Yan Yan, president of Shenzhen Wangye Museum.

    Styles determine prices

    Unlike Zhang, Qi’s traditional Chinese paintings are light-hearted and fun, which represent the spirit of the masses in the 20th century, said Ba. “Qi is a traditional Chinese ink painter. His painting style is very traditional and very ‘Chinese,’ but he is very good at presenting reality in his work, which makes him quite unique,” Ba said.

    “He is an outstanding observer of nature, people and society. Meanwhile, his works perfectly combine both strength and tenderness, which make him a master of Chinese painting,” Ba said.

    Prices of Qi’s works are varied. For example, portraits are often more expensive than regular flower paintings. The lowest price of his work is sold at over 100,000 yuan per 11 x 11 square centimeter. “Prices of his works are mainly determined by styles, sizes and themes,” said Zhang Jing, general manager at Shenzhen Rongfeng Auction Company.

    Meanwhile, a total of 35 paintings of Zao were each sold at more than US$1 million in 2013. “Zao inherits the Western contemporary abstraction style, but his paintings express the beauty and philosophy of the East. This is very rarely seen in Western contemporary art circles,” Yan said.

    The potential market

    These three masters with their own unique styles and achievements have already been acknowledged by art collection institutes around the world and approved by the art market, said Yan.

    “It is very difficult to tell who is better. Painting is not a competition. As long as an artist expresses their thoughts with heart and skill, it is difficult to say who is better,” Yan said.

    However, Yan is very optimistic about the future of the three masters’ works.

    “Zhang’s portrait paintings, Zao’s abstract paintings and Qi’s flowers and insects are surely classic masterpieces and should be noted by art collectors and investors,” Yan said.

    (Wang Yuanyuan)