On May 11, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, the international auction of "Modern and Contemporary Art (I) and (II)" was held as scheduled in Beijing. Two sessions featured 176 lots.The total transaction amount reached 96.66 million yuan, of which

The first session generated a total transaction volume of 74.09 million yuan.Birth1 item worth tens of millions,17 million-level itemsThe auction items are concentrated in high-priced, mid-range works, which have high market recognition as hard currency.,

The second session saw a total turnover of 22.57 million yuan.Birth4 items worth millionsThe auction items mainly consist of works by mid-range established artists, catering to the general public's collecting needs.

inWu Dayu's "Blooming Flowers" sold for a dazzling 15.065 million yuan, becoming the top-selling item of the auction.

1. Contemporary Art Market: Moving Beyond General Price Increases to a Structural Market Trend
The high sell-through rate and differentiated premiums in this auction confirm the core trend in the current art market: prices of ordinary works are stabilizing, while high-quality and rare works continue to command premiums. The market is no longer experiencing a general price surge; funds are precisely flowing to masterpieces by renowned artists, works with academic backing, and well-documented provenance. Inferior works and those without endorsements are unlikely to fetch premiums, and the market's selection mechanism is becoming increasingly stringent.

The cover lot of the entire auction, Wu Dayu's "Blooming Flowers," sold for 15.065 million yuan, significantly exceeding the estimated price of 7 million to 9 million yuan, becoming the absolute core of the transaction.
2. Modern and contemporary classic sectors: solid foundation, serving as the ballast of the market.
The consistent high prices and significant premiums fetched by works by modern and contemporary artists such as Wu Dayu, Wei Tianlin, Pan Yuliang, and Sun Zongwei demonstrate that rare original works by established masters remain the core hard currency in the market. These works possess strong resilience against market fluctuations, enjoy consistent collector recognition, and form the foundation and cornerstone of the art auction market, exhibiting outstanding long-term value preservation attributes.
Special Event - Main FeatureHigh-priced, high-quality assets by renowned modern and contemporary mastersThe auction produced one lot that sold for over ten million yuan and 17 lots that sold for over one million yuan, demonstrating the outstanding premium pricing power of high-end and exquisite items; the second special session focused on...Young and middle-aged backbone of contemporary societyFour million-dollar lots were auctioned, mainly mid-range priced works, forming a perfect price structure of "high-end leading the way and mid-range offerings in large quantities", covering different levels of collector needs.
3. The contemporary sector of young and middle-aged professionals: becoming a new main force of capital, with strong growth momentum.
The second auction saw a significantly higher over-estimate sales rate, with several emerging and mid-career artists setting new personal records, sending a clear signal that market funds are increasingly focusing on younger and mid-career artists. Compared to established masters with high prices, contemporary works by established artists offering excellent value for money and distinctive styles have become the main investment focus for new collectors and institutional investors, indicating ample room for future growth.

At 2:00 PM on May 11, 2026, the international auction of "Modern and Contemporary Art (Part 1)" was held in Beijing as scheduled.The auction featured 60 lots, achieving a total sales volume of 73.7702 million yuan and a 92% sell-through rate. 27% of the lots sold above their estimates, while 65% sold within their estimates.Wu Dayu's "Blooming Flowers" sold for 15.065 million yuan, becoming the top-selling item at the auction.

New record:
Several artists, including Wei Tianlin, Yan Bingqing, and Wang Fanseng, broke their personal records.
Wang Yuping, Gao Yu, Chen Baoyi, Lu Yu and other artists have set new records for the second-highest prices ever paid by an artist;
 

One item sold for tens of millions of yuan.Among them, Wu Dayu's "Blooming Flowers" was sold for 15.065 million yuan.

A total of 17 items sold for over a million dollars each.Among the most notable sales were: Wei Tianlin's "Sunflowers" for 5.98 million yuan; Pan Yuliang's "Woman in a Flowery Dress" for 5.635 million yuan; Sun Zongwei's "Mongolian and Tibetan People's Song and Dance" for 4.6 million yuan; Yuan Yunsheng's "Early Spring" for 3.22 million yuan; Wang Yuping's "Sixty-Two Years Old" for 2.8175 million yuan; Zhang Enli's "Three Colors" for 2.53 million yuan; Gao Yu's "Zhong Kui Takes Office - Inspection Tour" for 2.323 million yuan; Li Tiefu's "Fathead Fish with Vegetables and Fruits" for 2.3 million yuan; and Lucas... Aruda's "Untitled" sold for 2.185 million yuan; Xu Bing's "Zen Poems Annotated (II)" sold for 2.07 million yuan; Lin Fengmian's "Autumn Scenery" sold for 2.07 million yuan; Chen Baoyi's "Fragrance of Flowers" sold for 1.932 million yuan; He Duoling's "Sleeping Mermaid and Begonia" sold for 1.725 million yuan; Zhou Chunya's "Flowers" sold for 1.61 million yuan; Sha Qi's "Spring Arrives at Qianhu" sold for 1.38 million yuan; Zhang Xiaogang's "Green Wall - Washbasin" sold for 1.38 million yuan; and Sha Qi's "Snow Scene at Qianhu" sold for 1.15 million yuan.

Top-selling item in this session:

Wu Dayu's "Blooming Flowers" was hammered down at 13.1 million yuan, and sold for 15.065 million yuan including commission.

Top 2 in sales this session:

Wei Tianlin's "Sunflower" was hammered down at 5.2 million yuan, and sold for 5.98 million yuan including commission.

Top 3 transactions in this session:

Pan Yuliang's "Woman in a Floral Dress" was hammered down at 4.9 million yuan, and sold for 5.635 million yuan including commission.

This work was created in 1955 by Pan Yuliang. "Woman in Floral Dress" 1955, ink and color on paper, 61×38 cm. Provenance: Collection of Doctors in Cannes, France. Note: The place of settlement for this auction item is Hong Kong, China.

Several artists broke auction records

Other items sold at auction:

Besides the top three most expensive lots, the auction also includes many excellent works by Chinese and Western artists, including outstanding pieces by Sun Zongwei, Yuan Yunsheng, Wang Yuping, Zhang Enli, Gao Yu, Li Tiefu, and Lucas Aruda.

Stay tuned to ArtPro for the latest updates on the global art market.

For more details on the auction items, please click to view the special session.

At 3:00 PM on May 11, 2026, the international auction of "Modern and Contemporary Art (II)" was held in Beijing as scheduled.The auction featured 116 lots, achieving a total sales volume of RMB 22,575,100 and a 94% sell-through rate. 41% of the lots sold above their estimates, while 52% sold within their estimates.

New record:
Artists including Wei Yixin, Ma Kelu, Zhang Hui, Wu Silin, Tang Dayao, Jiang Zheng, Hao Lang, Fu Si Te, Hu Jiebin, and Cai Jian broke their personal records.
Artists such as Zhan Qiao, Han Bing, Zhang Yunyao, Wang Yuanyuan, Liu Cong, Huang Liang, Wu Shan, and Xu Yongcheng have set new records for the third highest prices ever paid by an artist.
 

A total of 4 items were sold for over a million dollars.Among them, Wei Yixin's "The Watcher of Namtso" sold for 2,932,500 yuan, Chen Ke's "Nine-Story Pagoda" sold for 2,208,000 yuan, Zhan Qiao's "Meeting the Unknown Self Part VII" sold for 1,322,500 yuan, and Song Kun's "Half-Beast" sold for 1,104,000 yuan.

Top-selling item in this session:

Wei Yixin's "The Watcher of Namtso" was hammered down at 2.55 million yuan, and sold for 2.9325 million yuan including commission.

This work, "The Watcher of Namtso Lake," was created in [year missing] by Wei Yixin. It is an oil on canvas measuring 40 x 80 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, Asia.

Top 2 in sales this session:

Chen Ke's "Nine-Story Pagoda" was hammered down at 1.92 million yuan, and sold for 2.208 million yuan including commission.

This work was created in 2005 by Chen Ke, *Nine-Story Pagoda*, oil on canvas, 200×200 cm. Exhibitions: Yikatong, Taikang Top Floor Space, Star Gallery, Beijing, 2005. Publications: 1. *Chen Ke*, Köhler-Flag Publishing, Heidelberg, 2009, p. 55; 2. *Young Chinese Artists*, Prester Press, Munich, 2008, p. 59; 3. *Yikatong*, East 8th Time Zone, 2005, p. 16. Provenance: Private Asian Collection.

Top 3 transactions in this session:

Zhan Qiao's "Meeting the Unknown Self, Part 7" was hammered down at 1.15 million yuan, and sold for 1.3225 million yuan including commission.

This work was created in 2023, Zhan Qiao, Encountering the Unknown Self, No. 7, oil on canvas, 200×200 cm. Exhibition: Zhan Qiao Solo Oil Painting Exhibition, Zhan Qiao Art Museum, Shenyang, 2025. Provenance: Private Asian Collection.

Several artists broke auction records

Other items sold at auction:

Besides the top three most expensive lots, the auction also includes numerous masterpieces by Chinese and Western artists, including outstanding works by Song Kun, Wei Jia, Huang Yuxing, Tan Ping, Wang Chuan, Liu Wei, and Liu Guofu.

Stay tuned to ArtPro for the latest updates on the global art market.

For more details on the auction items, please click to view the special session.