China Guardian spring auction totals 2.57b yuan

Wu Zuoren's The Yellow Blooms on the Battlefield Smell Sweeter

Sales of Chinese oil paintings and sculptures gathered a total of 199 million yuan.

Oil paintings from the early 20th century have turned into a major driver of market, while contemporary pieces by internationally established painters gain even more attention.

The top lots included The Yellow Blooms on the Battlefield Smell Sweeter by Wu Zuoren (1908-1997), which sold for 80.5 million yuan, a record high price for a single work by the modern artist. The Beginner's Mind, a portrait by Fan Tchunpi (1898-1986), sold for a record 6.785 million yuan; Xu Bin's installation art Background Story-7 fetched 7.47 million yuan, and Liu Wei's Revolutionary Family acquired 7.82 million yuan.