DUSHANBE, November 20, 2013, Asia-Plus — “Tajik Bride” by known Chinese painter Jin Shangyi has been sold at the China Guardian Autumn 2013 Auction for 14 million U.S. dollars.
BLOUIN ATINFO reports that the five-day auction that began at the Beijing International Hotel on November 16 is a massive event featuring more than 5,100 pieces of calligraphy, oil painting, sculpture, furniture, handicrafts, porcelain, antique books, snuff bottles, watches, jadeite, and inscriptions.
China Guardian is reportedly celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year.
On the first day of the auction, Jin Shangyi’s “Tajik Bride” was the undisputed highlight of the Chinese Oil Painting and Sculpture section. The auctioneer began the bidding at 9 million RMB, and there were many interested bidders in the room and on the phone. After the price passed the 30 million RMB mark, only one buyer in the room and one phone bidder remained. After intense competition, the hammer fell at 85,100,000 RMB ($14 million) including commission, far exceeding its 16-20 million RMB estimate. The persistent bidder in the room was the victor, welcoming the “bride” to a new home. This astonishing price tag is not only a new auction record for Jin’s oil paintings, it is also a new record for any piece in Guardian’s oil painting and sculpture section.
Jin Shangyi is an important figure in Chinese oil painting, and once served as the president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). “Tajik Bride” was one of the first neoclassical paintings to be recognized by China’s academic community. In the early 1980s, he rejected the gloom and coarseness of “native soil” painting, and presented work that had a significant impact on the Chinese painting world. Jin used indirect lighting to capture the rich layers of structure and color. Strong contrasts between light and shadow emphasize the full volume of the figure. The simple red garment slowly merges with the dark background and highlights the pale beauty of the girl’s face.
