Zhang Daqian  張大千

 2011 Rank:1     Auction Revenue:US$550 million

2010 Rank:4     Auction Revenue:US$304.30 million

Zhang Daqian(1899-1983), born in Neijiang, Sichuan Province, was the most legendary master in traditional Chinese painting in the 20th century. A prodigy, Zhang excelled himself in drawing, calligraphy, seal-cutting and classical poetry. He was most famed for his natural landscape paintings, with his innovative splashed-ink-and-color technique transforming modern Chinese painting. Zhang was also known for his ability to imitate various styles of the ancient masters.

According to Artprice, Zhang's 1947 "Lotus and Mandarin Ducks"(184.5cm × 95cm) sold HK$170 million (US$21.8 million) at Sotheby's in Hong Kong in May 2011, a record high for the artist whose annual auction turnover surged by about 13 times in the past two years. Zhang's total revenue of US$ 550 million from about 1,100 lots sold in 2011 set a best-ever record in the global art market. He outstood as the artist with the greatest number of million-dollar plus results, specifically, 111 lots, in 2011.