Fu Baoshi  傅抱石

 

 2011 Rank:7     Auction Revenue:US$183.63 million

2010 Rank:9     Auction Revenue:US$125.21 million

Fu Baoshi(1904-1965), born in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province, was one of the most important Chinese artists in the 20th century. He was best-known for his landscapes and waterscapes. Fu, once an apprentice in a china shop, traveled to Japan to study the History of Oriental Art at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1933. Later, he introduced Japanese visual elements into Chinese ink painting.

Fu's trend-setting spirit made him stand out as a leader of the New Chinese Painting Movement. He adapted the traditional landscape painting to reflect the changes of times. He was also one of the few pioneers to depict the foreign landscape in traditional brushwork. In addition, Fu was famed for his figure paintings, especially the ancient Chinese figures. His works, all executed in high quality, have made him one of the most expensive artists in the world.

In 2011, Fu's highest-selling lot was his "Chairman Mao's Poems Octavo Volumes (1964-1965)"( 33 cm × 46.5cm × 8), which fetched 230 million yuan (US$36.5 million) at Beijing Hanhai 2011 Autumn Auction in Nov. 2011. It was also his best-ever record.