 erhaps the biggest auction in the history of Chinese contemporary art, took place in Hong Kong on April 9. The auction raised a record $51.7 million for Sotheby's. With Chinese contemporary art sizzling hot, Sotheby's and Acquavella Galleries acquired something called the Estella Collection from a group of collectors and investors, including the Invus Group chairman. They put the majority of those works up for auction, about 200 pieces, which are expected to fetch more than $25 million after a follow up sale in New York of the rest of the collection. Sotheby's calls it "the most important collection of contemporary Chinese art ever to come to market."
This ground-breaking auction is not just important for the works it contains, but because it comes after the most spectacular year in the history of Chinese contemporary art. Artprice.com has said that last year, Chinese artists dominated the auction market, taking 36 of the top 100 spots and selling 75 works for over $1 million. Three years, not a single Chinese artist had sold at auction for anything near $1 million. Zhang Xiaogang -- a major part of the Estella Collection -- was the second most tradeable artist last year, only behind Gerhard Richter, the German painter who had a tremendous influence on Zhang. Jeff Koons was No. 3.
Below are a selection of works being auctioned, including works from Zhang Xiaogang's Bloodlines Series. Bloodlines Big Family sold for $6.7 million, the highest price ever paid for a painting by a Chinese contemporary artist. Also, there were important works by Lian Tianmiao, Xu Bing, Zeng Fanzhi, Fang Lijun, Huang Yong Ping, Sui Jianguo, Liu Xiaodong, Yu Hong, Cui Xiuwen and just about every other major artist in China. Below are some of the works being put up for auction. In an auction of Chinese contemporary art later in the day on April 9, a Liu Xiaodong set of nine pieces sold for $7.9 million.
Zhang Xiaogang, The big family No.3, Oil on canvas, 179 x 229 cm，1995
Auctioned Price: US$ 6,766,785
Yu Hong, She - Tibetan Woman Zhuo Ma, Acrylic on canvas, 150 x 300 cm，2004
Estimate: US$ 83,500 -103,000
Auctioned Price: US$ 163,928
Guo Wei, Mosquito and moth No.14, Acrylic on canvas, 198.5 x 179 cm，2001
Estimate: US$ 41,100 -51,500
Auctioned Price: US$ 14,678
Zeng Fanzhi, Chairman Mao with us, Oil on canvas, 145.5 x 220 cm，2005
Estimate: US$ 347,000 -555,000
Auctioned Price: US$ 1,166,785
Li Zhen, Pure Land, Bronze, 89 x 157，1998
Estimate: US$ 41,100 -64,500
Auctioned Price: US$ 223,928
He Sen, Cigarettes and Alcohol, Oil on canvas, 250 x 200 cm，2006
Estimate: US$ 41,100 -64,500
Auctioned Price: US$ 241,070
Wang Jinsong, Market, Oil on canvas, 50 x 150 cm，1995
Estimate: US$ 30,700 -44,900
Auctioned Price: US$ 49,071
Feng Luobo, MIII06, Acrylic and Veejet on canvas, 200 x 180 cm，1996
Estimate: US$ 21,000 -32,100
Auctioned Price: US$ 49,070
Sui Jianguo, Legacy Mantle, Painted Aluminium, 140 x 110 x 90 cm，1997
Estimate: US$ 103,000 -139,000
Auctioned Price: US$ 292,500
Xu Bing, The living word, Carved acrylic characters, paint,collage the sketches, 2001
Auctioned Price: US$ 326,785
Huang Yongping, The pole of the east liverpool biennial, Watercolour and pencil on paper, 76 x 56 cm，2004
Estimate: US$ 8,300 -11,500
Auctioned Price: US$ 31,928
Yang Jiecang, Another turn of the screw (set of five), Acrylic on canvas, each 300 x 137 cm，1998 -2004
Estimate: US$ 205,000 -307,700
Auctioned Price: US$ 275,357
Chen Wenbo, Combustible No.6, Oil on canvas, 100 x 140 cm，2005
Estimate: US$ 20,600 -25,700
Auctioned Price: US$ 28,500
Zhang Huan, Twelve Square Meters, 1994
Auctioned Price: US$ 83,357
Ma Liuming, Baby No.2, Oil on canvas, 00 x 150 cm，2003
Estimate: US$ 25,700 -38,500
Auctioned Price: US$ 103,928
Chou Deshu, Fissuring No.5, Ink and arcylic on xuan paper and canvas, 339 x 175 cm，2001
Estimate: US$ 10,300 -15,400
Auctioned Price: US$ 25,000
Liu Wei, Flowers and decorative elements, Oil on canvas, 80 x 245 cm，2004
Estimate: US$ 205,100 -320,500
Auctioned Price: US$ 446,785
Liang Juhui, Baggage, Mixed-media installation, 60 x 40 x 25 cm，2004
Estimate: US$ 10,300 -19,200
Auctioned Price: US$ 10,714
Wang Tiande, Digital Series (Set of three), Ink on paper and cigarette burns, 183 x 36 cm，2006
Estimate: 30,800 -51,500
Auctioned Price: US$ 16,071
Liu Xiaodong, Prostitiutes No.9, Acrylic on canvas, 152 x 137 cm，2001
Auctioned Price: US$ 412,500
Zhang Dali, Demolition, Ping'an Avenue, Beijing, Colour Photography, 150 x 100 cm，1998
Estimate: US$ 15,400 -19,200
Auctioned Price: US$ 21,428
Zheng Guogu, 2000 AD, rust for another two thousand years (set of thirty-three), Steel, Brass and Copper, 1999
Estimate: 41,100 -51,500
Auctioned Price: US$ 95,357
Zhang Huan, My New York#4, 2002
Estimate: US$ 32,100 - 44,800
Zhan Wang, Artificial Rock Series,#29, Strainless Steel, 220 x 129 x 70 cm, 2004
Estimate: US$ 122,000 - 154,000
Auctioned Price: US$ 275,357
Yue Minjun, Vermeer - The Milk Maid, Oil on Canvas, 143 x122 cm, 2002
Estimate: US$ 41,100 - 64,500
Auctioned Price: US$ 78,214
Yin Xiuzhen, Portable City: Shanghai, Mixed - Media Installation, 26 x 80 x 132 cm, 2002
Estimate: US$ 30,800 - 41,000
Xue Song, Flying High No.3, Mixed Media on Canvas, 184 x 134 cm, 2004
Estimate: US$ 30,800 - 40,000
Auctioned Price: US$ 78,217
Liu Wei, The Trees, Oil on Canvas, 142 x 130 cm, 2004
Estimate: US$ 128，200 - 192，300
Auctioned Price: US$ 206,785
Lin Miaotian, Initiator, Friber Glass and Silk, 47 x 54 x 56 cm, 2004
Estimate: US$ 71,000 - 90,000
Auctioned Price: US$ 138,214
Gu Wenda, Mythos of Lost Dynasties E - 3, 287 x 178 cm, 1998
Estimate: US$ 62,000 - 77,000
Auctioned Price: US$ 95,357
Gu Gan, Heart of China, Ink on Paper, 103 x102 cm, 1988
Estimate: US$ 20,500 - 30,800
Auctioned Price: US$ 42,200
Gu Gan, The Love of Lake, Ink and Colour on Paper, 88 x 87 cm, 2005
Estimate: US$ 15,400 - 20,500
Auctioned Price: US$ 23,214
Cai Jin, Beauty Banana #182, Oil on canvas, 121 x 111 cm, 2002
Estimate: US$ 25,000 x 32,100
Auctioned Price: US$ 26,785
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