HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s, the first international fine arts business operating in China, is delighted to present Sotheby’s Beijing Art Week to be held from 28 November to 1 December at China World Summit Wing Beijing. Beijing Art Week, an ambitious series of arts events to be held by Sotheby’s in China, encompasses fine and decorative art, historic jewellery and diamonds with a total value of over RMB 1.3 billion / USD 212 million. The four-day series of arts events is set to offer a comprehensive, world-class art experience to Chinese collectors, which includes a major auction of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art, three selling exhibitions, namely Modern Masters: From Rembrandt to Picasso - Representation of the Figure in Western Art, Age of Elegance: European Paintings, Furniture and Works of Art From the 19th Century, and SOTHEBY’S DIAMONDS, as well as two exhibitions of European paintings and works of art – highlights from Sotheby’s New York Sale of Important Old Master Paintings and Antique Jewellery with Royal Provenance from S. J. Phillips Ltd., London. A series of educational programmes by Sotheby's Institute of Art will feature top scholars from China and Sotheby’s specialists.

Kevin Ching, Chief Executive Officer of Sotheby’s Asia, said: “Sotheby’s Beijing Art Week is an important cultural milestone both for Beijing and for Sotheby’s. Our company’s 300-year-old brand combined with our 40-years’ experience in the Asian marketplace position us well to bring world-class resources in art, exemplary client service and operational excellence to further enhance the already vibrant arts scene in China’s capital of culture. Sotheby’s Beijing Art Week is the largest art event that we have held in China since the Company’s official entrance to the China market last year. The four-day series of arts events has been specially tailored for both new and established Chinese collectors to offer Chinese art auction pieces and European paintings and works of art available for sale through our capabilities as a multi-channel arts business. Sourced worldwide by our global team of experts it is our hope that our selection of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art and Western art will educate an ever wider audience of Chinese collectors as well as encourage potential collectors. We are very honoured to host Sotheby’s Beijing Art Week and thank our partner, Beijing GeHua Art Company, for their support and contribution.”

Wen Guihua, President, Sotheby’s (Beijing) Auction Co. Ltd., said: “Sotheby’s Beijing Art Week auction of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art auction on 1 December 2013, estimated at around RMB130 million / USD 21 million, brings to sale more than 140 works by eminent artists, which have been sourced by Sotheby’s global network. Four specially-curated sections, namely 20th Century Chinese Art, New Wave 80’s - 90’s: Art of Transformation in China, Contemporary Chinese Art, and Contemporary Chinese Ink, will focus on both Chinese artistic development in the Modern era and Chinese Contemporary Art practice since the Cultural Revolution. Highlighting the Modern works in the 20th Century Chinese Art section is the rare Abstraction by Zao Wou-ki from the collection of the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago. Together with a stellar line-up of specially-curated selling exhibitions and arts events to be held during the vibrant fine art season in Beijing’s art calendar, we look forward to offering collectors from around the country superlative art experiences and assisting them in their collecting needs.”

AUCTION (1 December)
AN AUCTION OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY CHINESE ART OFFERING AN OVERVIEW OF CHINESE ART PRACTICE OF THE LAST FIVE DECADES
Sotheby’s Beijing’s auction of Modern & Contemporary Chinese Art on 1 December comprises four specially-curated sections, namely 20th Century Chinese Art, New Wave 80’s - 90’s: Art of Transformation in China, Contemporary Chinese Art and Contemporary Chinese Ink. Together they encompass significant works from important periods of the Chinese modern art history, many of which are museum quality works, fresh to the market. The auction will offer a total of over 140 lots estimated in excess of RMB123 million*.

Section One: 20th Century Chinese Art
A number of Zao Wou-ki’s masterpieces from across his artistic career will be presented in this section, of which the top lot Abstraction is an extremely rare piece from the artist’s Oracle Bone period.

From the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, Abstraction (1958) is a seminal work from Zao Wou-ki’s iconic Oracle Bone period, an important phase of the artist’s career from the mid-1950s. Embracing symbolism, Zao drew heavily from abstract Chinese oracle bone inscriptions to produce powerful compositions primarily featuring red and black - two fundamental and auspicious colours found in traditional Chinese culture. Abstraction demonstrates the artist’s command of his unique technique of employing bold brushstrokes to create contrasts of light and space, energy and calm. The vibrant colours and large-scale format (measuring 130 x 162 cm), which is exceptional for works from this period, make it exceedingly appealing. The distinguished provenance of Abstraction, together with its exhibition and publication history, adds to the significance of the work. In 1958, Zao Wou-ki was represented at the legendary Galerie Charpentier’s École de Paris exhibition by the present painting, which was shown alongside works by other well-known artists of the time, including Hans Hartung and John Levee. A highlight of the exhibition, Abstraction was then acquired by Myriam Prévot, the owner of the world-renowned Galerie de France, and later purchased by the Art Institute of Chicago in 1961 through the support of noted American collectors, Mary and Leigh B. Block.

Section Two: New Wave 80’s - 90’s: Art of Transformation in China
New Wave 80’s - 90’s: Art of Transformation in China features significant works from important periods of the Chinese modern art history since the economic reform of China, including exemplars from avant-garde art movements such as Stars Group, 85 New Wave and Chinese Neo-Classicism, many of which are museum-quality works fresh to the market. Highlights include Li Guijun’s 140 Art Studio making its first appearance at auction and Yang Feiyun’s Little Actress.

Section Three: Contemporary Chinese Art
Specially curated with an academic focus, the Contemporary Chinese Art section will spotlight important works by established artists such as Fang Lijun, Yue Minjun, Liu Ye, Liu Wei, Zeng Fanzhi and Zhou Chunya, while presenting trends and artists that have recently captured the imagination of the academic and collecting communities. These include works by advocates of expressionist painting such as Zhang Enli, Wang Xingwei, Tan Ping, Wang Yin, Zhao Gang and Zhu Jinshe, as well as the post-1975 generation of artists creating with an international language of painting, namely Gao Yu, Wang Guangle, Wei Jia, Chou Xiaofei, Chen Ke and Song Kun.

Section Four: Contemporary Chinese Ink
The Contemporary Chinese Ink section focuses on the inheritance and representation of traditional Chinese ink painting and humanism in the context of contemporary art. Remarkable works by some of the most iconic artists in the field have been chosen to demonstrate this traditional yet forward-looking category of art, including works by Liu Guosong, Li Jin and Gu Wenda, as well as The Peony Pavilion by Xu Lei, which was inspired by Tang Xianzu’s play of the same title.

SELLING EXHIBITIONS (28 November – 1 December)
Modern Masters:
From Rembrandt to Picasso - Representation of the Figure in Western Art
Following the success of the first two selling exhibitions of Modern Masters in 2010 and 2012 in Hong Kong, Sotheby’s is delighted to present the third edition of this series in Beijing. While past exhibitions of Modern Masters focused on Impressionist and Modern art from the 1890s to the 1960s, as well as the evolution of modern landscape paintings, the latest edition features works from a broader art historical context and focuses on depictions of the figure, which has been the most highly-prized and considered the most significant genre in Western art. Over the generations, depictions of the figure were used to represent individuals in their daily lives, or varying social classes and in some cases, as with two important works by Gustave Moreau in this exhibition, symbolise fantasies. With works ranging from one of the greatest 17th-century portraits by Rembrandt van Rijn remaining in private hands - Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, and the Rembrandt-inspired painting of a Musketeer, Le Peintre, by Pablo Picasso from the 1960s, to La Femme accroupie, a powerfully expressive bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin, this selling exhibition presents some excellent examples of this subject by some of the critical artists in the history of Western art.

Age of Elegance:
European Paintings, Furniture And Works Of Art From The 19th Century
This unique selling exhibition will present an exceptional selection of European paintings, furniture and works of art from the 19th century, and marks the first occasion Sotheby’s will offer European decorative arts for sale in Beijing. Each work has been selected to represent the pinnacle of the era’s European achievements in fine and decorative arts.

SOTHEBY’S DIAMONDS
Sotheby’s will bring to Beijing for the first time a selling exhibition of important diamonds and stunning contemporary diamond jewellery from SOTHEBY’S DIAMONDS. SOTHEBY’S DIAMONDS is a unique partnership between the world’s oldest international auction house and the Steinmetz Diamond Group, renowned experts in cutting in polishing extraordinary diamonds for over seven decades. SOTHEBY’S DIAMONDS presents rare and important diamonds both loose and in dramatic settings, resulting in a true marriage of art and jewellery. The one-of-a-kind jewels are meticulously hand-crafted by European-trained artisans at one of the few remaining world-class jewellery ateliers. The Collection is available for purchase at the SOTHEBY’S DIAMONDS salons in New York and Hong Kong as well as through exclusive exhibitions worldwide.

EXHIBITIONS OF PROPERTIES FROM ABROAD (28 November – 1 December)
Highlights of The New York Sale of Important Old Master Paintings
(* Exhibition through to 30 November)
Sotheby’s will present for the first time in Beijing highlights from the upcoming Important Old Master Paintings sales in New York to take place on 30 January 2014. On view will be a number of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, as well as courtly pictures from 18th century France, including a beautiful pair of paintings by Jean-Honoré Fragonard.

Antique Jewellery With Royal Provenance From S. J. Phillips Ltd., London
Sotheby's will present in Beijing for the first time an exhibition of rare antique jewellery with royal provenance from S.J. Phillips Ltd., London. Founded in 1869, S. J. Phillips Ltd. is the oldest surviving jeweller in London’s famous Bond Street. The company is managed by the Norton family (great-grandson of the original S. J.) and, together with a loyal and dedicated staff, provides a service which is second to none.

The exhibition will offer the audience in China a rare viewing opportunity of five of the most important pieces from S. J. Phillips Ltd.’s highly prized collection of antique jewels from Europe with royal provenance, among them a regal pearl and diamond pendant cluster brooch formerly belonging to Empress Eugénie of France, Russian Crown Jewels and Spanish Habsburg jewels.