Bird
including fantastic birds (phoenix)
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Animals China Ming Qianlong Modern China Qi Baishi Chinese porcelain Ming porcelain Qing porcelain Art on paper Germany II Klimt Miro Bacon Bacon < 63 Later Bacons Brancusi The Man The Woman Orientalism Flowers
Chronology : 15th century 1480-1499 18th century 1750-1759 1907 1910-1919 1918 1922 1938 1940-1949 1940 1946 1958 1970-1979 1976
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Animals China Ming Qianlong Modern China Qi Baishi Chinese porcelain Ming porcelain Qing porcelain Art on paper Germany II Klimt Miro Bacon Bacon < 63 Later Bacons Brancusi The Man The Woman Orientalism Flowers
Chronology : 15th century 1480-1499 18th century 1750-1759 1907 1910-1919 1918 1922 1938 1940-1949 1940 1946 1958 1970-1979 1976
Chenghua Chicken Cup
2014 SOLD for HK$ 280M by Sotheby's
In 1464 CE Chenghua became the eighth Ming Emperor. Politically dominated by his eunuchs and socially by his concubines, he did not leave an indelible mark in history during this reign that lasted 24 years. Inactive after the reign of Xuande, the Jingdezhen kilns were reactivated three decades later by Chenghua.
The blue and white in two hues of the beginning looks similar as Yuan and early Ming styles. The most recent technical innovation is then the doucai, by which other colors could be added through a second firing.
The best period of Chenghua porcelains is the second decade of his reign with the unique technique of the so-called palace bowls. Improvements are made to the choice of materials, enabling a higher temperature.
These pieces are innovative by the extreme care in realizing the porcelain with a dense paste, a transparent and robust glaze, providing a tactile quality that will never be available again.
The doucai color also gets some spectacular progress. Mixing enameled colors over the glaze allows a wide range of shades. The gently curved shapes of their walls are also new, in several variants.
Cups are used for wine and bowls for food. These pieces bearing the imperial mark are mainly made for the use of the principal concubine Wan Guifei whose demands were evidently extreme. They are highly rare and not even found as failed or waste pieces, demonstrating the rigorous surveillance made on site in Jingdezhen by imperial eunuchs.
This limited production was so expensive that the emperor's advisers were able to stop it after about ten years, during the 20th year of the reign corresponding to 1485 CE, two years before the death of the emperor and his concubine.
The drawing is innovative with asymmetrical compositions often adorned with spirals. The chicken cups are prestigious. Bowls are decorated with delicacy and simplicity, with flowers or fruits of botanical accuracy.
The figures of Chenghua ceramics are simple and naive. However, his chicken wine cups had an almost mystical reputation. The rooster is the emperor, and the hen protecting her chicks is his favorite concubine. Wan Guifei herself intervened to improve the quality of imperial porcelains.
One of these wonders is in perfect condition, on a pristine white background, without any crack or scratch. This piece 8.2 cm in diameter is decorated underglaze in cobalt blue and multicolored on its surface.
It was sold by Sotheby's for HK $ 29M on April 27, 1999, purchased at that sale by Eskenazi, and for HK $ 280M on April 8, 2014. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The blue and white in two hues of the beginning looks similar as Yuan and early Ming styles. The most recent technical innovation is then the doucai, by which other colors could be added through a second firing.
The best period of Chenghua porcelains is the second decade of his reign with the unique technique of the so-called palace bowls. Improvements are made to the choice of materials, enabling a higher temperature.
These pieces are innovative by the extreme care in realizing the porcelain with a dense paste, a transparent and robust glaze, providing a tactile quality that will never be available again.
The doucai color also gets some spectacular progress. Mixing enameled colors over the glaze allows a wide range of shades. The gently curved shapes of their walls are also new, in several variants.
Cups are used for wine and bowls for food. These pieces bearing the imperial mark are mainly made for the use of the principal concubine Wan Guifei whose demands were evidently extreme. They are highly rare and not even found as failed or waste pieces, demonstrating the rigorous surveillance made on site in Jingdezhen by imperial eunuchs.
This limited production was so expensive that the emperor's advisers were able to stop it after about ten years, during the 20th year of the reign corresponding to 1485 CE, two years before the death of the emperor and his concubine.
The drawing is innovative with asymmetrical compositions often adorned with spirals. The chicken cups are prestigious. Bowls are decorated with delicacy and simplicity, with flowers or fruits of botanical accuracy.
The figures of Chenghua ceramics are simple and naive. However, his chicken wine cups had an almost mystical reputation. The rooster is the emperor, and the hen protecting her chicks is his favorite concubine. Wan Guifei herself intervened to improve the quality of imperial porcelains.
One of these wonders is in perfect condition, on a pristine white background, without any crack or scratch. This piece 8.2 cm in diameter is decorated underglaze in cobalt blue and multicolored on its surface.
It was sold by Sotheby's for HK $ 29M on April 27, 1999, purchased at that sale by Eskenazi, and for HK $ 280M on April 8, 2014. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1752 100 Birds
2021 SOLD for RMB 266M by Poly
The manufacturing process of the reticulated revolving vase was arguably the most difficult ever, with the elements being assembled after separate firing. The Qianlong emperor wisely stopped it after pairing the last additional pieces to the production from the first batches.
The technology of the double vase nevertheless remained appealing for offering the most favorable auspices. Such pieces may be identified as turning heart bottles.
One of them, 63 cm high, is among the most massive in that category. The outer belly features a flying phoenix in a scenery. The open work matches the details of the landscape in irregular shapes, which is an additional feat with a higher risk of deformation during the firing. The rotation of the inner cylinder reveals the flock of ten species of auspicious birds in their flight facing the phoenix as a symbol of the harmonious balance of yin and yang.
The Divine Mother Empress Dowager Chongqing was held in very high regard by her son the Qianlong emperor and her 60th birthday in 1752 CE was one of the most lavish events of his reign.
The Imperial archives record that, on the fifth month of Qianlong's 18th year, the emperor commissioned Jingdezhen to fire a turning heart bottle with fighting dragons which was delivered by Tang Ying in the 11th month of the next year after 18 months of labor.
The yangcai vase with the phoenix was not documented. It was certainly prepared in the same period for a filial presenting to the empress dowager who was known to enjoy the story of the '100 birds'. It was sold for £ 330K by Christie's on June 15, 1999, lot 99, and for RMB 266M by Poly on June 7, 2021, lot 5153.
Asking Grok to compare the Qianlong reticulated revolving vase sold by Poly on June 7, 2021, lot 5153 with the example whose sale at Bainbridges in 2010 has been cancelled. Compare their estimated dates of execution.
Overview
Both vases are exceptional examples of imperial Qing dynasty porcelain, specifically reticulated revolving (or rotating) types produced at the Jingdezhen kilns. These innovative designs, featuring an outer pierced (reticulated) shell that allows the inner rotating vase to be viewed through intricate openwork, were developed in the 1740s primarily to delight Emperor Qianlong (r. 1736–1795). They combine technical virtuosity—such as interlocking parts and multi-layered enameling—with auspicious symbolism, making them among the rarest and most prized Chinese ceramics. Only a handful of such vases survive in museum and private collections.
The Poly vase (lot 5153, sold June 7, 2021, at Poly International Auction Co., Beijing) fetched a world-record RMB 265.7 million (US$41.6 million), underscoring its status as a pinnacle of Qianlong craftsmanship. The Bainbridges example (offered November 11, 2010, at Bainbridges auction house, Ruislip, UK, as lot 800) achieved a hammer price of £43 million (approx. £53.1 million including premium), but the sale was cancelled due to the buyer's refusal to pay the auction house's 20% fee; it later sold privately for around £25 million in 2013.
While both share the Qianlong reign mark and period attribution, they differ in decoration, form, and specific provenance details.
Detailed description
Poly Vase (Lot 5153, 2021)
Description & Form
Four-piece construction: ruby-ground outer reticulated shell with carved openwork depicting phoenix scenes amid foliage and landscapes; inner baluster-form rotating vase with painted figural elements visible through the lattice; elegant tapering neck with archaistic kui dragon handles; overall height approx. 40–45 cm (estimated from images and comparables).
Decoration & Technique
Yangcai (foreign enamels) palette on ruby ground; intricate carved openwork (reticulation) for light transmission; revolving mechanism reveals inner scenes; combines reticulation, interlocking, and rotation—extremely rare fusion. Symbolism evokes imperial auspiciousness (phoenix for prosperity).
Provenance & History
Acquired by a veteran collector in 1999; exhibited in Poly's "Qianlong Palace Art" show prior to sale. No earlier imperial palace links documented publicly.
Auction Outcome
Sold successfully to an undisclosed buyer; set record for most expensive ceramic ever auctioned.
Rarity & Significance
One of only two known large-scale revolving phoenix examples (other in private Hong Kong collection); hailed as "world's most expensive ceramic" for its technical innovation.
Comparison of Estimated Dates of Execution
Both vases bear the six-character underglaze blue seal mark "Da Qing Qianlong Nian Zhi" (Made during the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing), confirming their attribution to the Qianlong period (1736–1795). Auction catalogs and expert analyses (e.g., from Sotheby's and Poly) describe them as definitively "Qianlong mark and period," with no doubts about authenticity raised. This places their execution squarely within the mid-to-late 18th century, during the height of Qianlong's patronage of porcelain innovation.
The technology of the double vase nevertheless remained appealing for offering the most favorable auspices. Such pieces may be identified as turning heart bottles.
One of them, 63 cm high, is among the most massive in that category. The outer belly features a flying phoenix in a scenery. The open work matches the details of the landscape in irregular shapes, which is an additional feat with a higher risk of deformation during the firing. The rotation of the inner cylinder reveals the flock of ten species of auspicious birds in their flight facing the phoenix as a symbol of the harmonious balance of yin and yang.
The Divine Mother Empress Dowager Chongqing was held in very high regard by her son the Qianlong emperor and her 60th birthday in 1752 CE was one of the most lavish events of his reign.
The Imperial archives record that, on the fifth month of Qianlong's 18th year, the emperor commissioned Jingdezhen to fire a turning heart bottle with fighting dragons which was delivered by Tang Ying in the 11th month of the next year after 18 months of labor.
The yangcai vase with the phoenix was not documented. It was certainly prepared in the same period for a filial presenting to the empress dowager who was known to enjoy the story of the '100 birds'. It was sold for £ 330K by Christie's on June 15, 1999, lot 99, and for RMB 266M by Poly on June 7, 2021, lot 5153.
Asking Grok to compare the Qianlong reticulated revolving vase sold by Poly on June 7, 2021, lot 5153 with the example whose sale at Bainbridges in 2010 has been cancelled. Compare their estimated dates of execution.
Overview
Both vases are exceptional examples of imperial Qing dynasty porcelain, specifically reticulated revolving (or rotating) types produced at the Jingdezhen kilns. These innovative designs, featuring an outer pierced (reticulated) shell that allows the inner rotating vase to be viewed through intricate openwork, were developed in the 1740s primarily to delight Emperor Qianlong (r. 1736–1795). They combine technical virtuosity—such as interlocking parts and multi-layered enameling—with auspicious symbolism, making them among the rarest and most prized Chinese ceramics. Only a handful of such vases survive in museum and private collections.
The Poly vase (lot 5153, sold June 7, 2021, at Poly International Auction Co., Beijing) fetched a world-record RMB 265.7 million (US$41.6 million), underscoring its status as a pinnacle of Qianlong craftsmanship. The Bainbridges example (offered November 11, 2010, at Bainbridges auction house, Ruislip, UK, as lot 800) achieved a hammer price of £43 million (approx. £53.1 million including premium), but the sale was cancelled due to the buyer's refusal to pay the auction house's 20% fee; it later sold privately for around £25 million in 2013.
While both share the Qianlong reign mark and period attribution, they differ in decoration, form, and specific provenance details.
Detailed description
Poly Vase (Lot 5153, 2021)
Description & Form
Four-piece construction: ruby-ground outer reticulated shell with carved openwork depicting phoenix scenes amid foliage and landscapes; inner baluster-form rotating vase with painted figural elements visible through the lattice; elegant tapering neck with archaistic kui dragon handles; overall height approx. 40–45 cm (estimated from images and comparables).
Decoration & Technique
Yangcai (foreign enamels) palette on ruby ground; intricate carved openwork (reticulation) for light transmission; revolving mechanism reveals inner scenes; combines reticulation, interlocking, and rotation—extremely rare fusion. Symbolism evokes imperial auspiciousness (phoenix for prosperity).
Provenance & History
Acquired by a veteran collector in 1999; exhibited in Poly's "Qianlong Palace Art" show prior to sale. No earlier imperial palace links documented publicly.
Auction Outcome
Sold successfully to an undisclosed buyer; set record for most expensive ceramic ever auctioned.
Rarity & Significance
One of only two known large-scale revolving phoenix examples (other in private Hong Kong collection); hailed as "world's most expensive ceramic" for its technical innovation.
Comparison of Estimated Dates of Execution
Both vases bear the six-character underglaze blue seal mark "Da Qing Qianlong Nian Zhi" (Made during the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing), confirming their attribution to the Qianlong period (1736–1795). Auction catalogs and expert analyses (e.g., from Sotheby's and Poly) describe them as definitively "Qianlong mark and period," with no doubts about authenticity raised. This places their execution squarely within the mid-to-late 18th century, during the height of Qianlong's patronage of porcelain innovation.
- Specific Estimates:
- Poly Vase: Dated broadly to the Qianlong period (1736–1795), with emphasis on the 1740s–1750s based on stylistic and technical comparables. Revolving vases were a novel invention around 1740 to satisfy the emperor's fascination with jade-like interlocking mechanisms in ceramics. The yangcai enameling and ruby ground align with peak production in the 1750s, when foreign enamel techniques were perfected at Jingdezhen.
- Bainbridges Vase: Similarly dated to the Qianlong period (1736–1795), with catalog notes highlighting enameling styles from the mid-18th century (circa 1740s–1760s). The famille rose palette and reticulated motifs match documented imperial orders from the 1750s, though some experts note the gilt-heavy borders as slightly later within the reign (post-1750).
- Similarities in Dating: No meaningful difference exists; both are estimated to the same reign (mid-18th century, ~1740–1760). This reflects the standardized imperial production under Qianlong, where such complex pieces were made in limited numbers for the palace. Variations in ground color (ruby vs. potentially yellow/blue for Bainbridges comparables) or motifs do not shift the timeline, as these were experimental within the same decade-spanning workshop.
- Differences in Dating Precision: The Poly vase benefits from more recent scholarly scrutiny (e.g., Poly's 2021 exhibition), tying it explicitly to the 1740s innovation phase. The Bainbridges vase's 2010 catalog relies on traditional connoisseurship, with looser "Qianlong period" phrasing, but post-cancellation analyses (e.g., by Bonhams in 2013) reaffirm the mid-18th century without revision.
masterpiece
July 1890 Champ de Blé aux Corbeaux by van Gogh
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Grok thought :
Quote
Dominique Pucini @Dominiquepucini Jul 30, 2021
Vincent #VanGogh Le champ de blé aux corbeaux 1890 « Je suis totalement absorbé par cette étendue infinie de champs de blé, sur un fond de collines, grande comme la mer, aux couleurs délicates, jaunes, vertes, le violet pâle d’un terrain sarclé et labouré.. »
Grok thought :
Quote
Dominique Pucini @Dominiquepucini Jul 30, 2021
Vincent #VanGogh Le champ de blé aux corbeaux 1890 « Je suis totalement absorbé par cette étendue infinie de champs de blé, sur un fond de collines, grande comme la mer, aux couleurs délicates, jaunes, vertes, le violet pâle d’un terrain sarclé et labouré.. »
- The post showcases Vincent van Gogh's "Wheatfield with Crows" (1890), one of his last paintings from Auvers-sur-Oise, paired with a quote from his letters describing his captivation by the endless wheat fields' subtle yellows, greens, and violets against distant hills.
- Painted amid mental turmoil, the artwork's swirling clouds and fleeing crows evoke isolation and impending tragedy, yet the quote highlights Van Gogh's serene awe for nature, created mere days before his death on July 29, 1890.
- Shared by Dominique Pucini, an X user focused on art and empathy, this 2021 post fits her pattern of highlighting emotional depth in masterpieces, as seen in her ongoing Van Gogh series through 2025.
1907 Les Flamants by Rousseau
2023 SOLD for $ 43.5M by Christie's
Henri Rousseau retired in 1893 at age 49 as a tax collector on goods entering Paris. A keen amateur artist, he exhibited since 1886 at the Salon des Indépendants. He did not travel. His sceneries were coming from his imagination, using low cost illustrations and postcards enlarged with a pantograph. He also sketched animals and plants at the Jardin des Plantes.
Through his tropical landscapes inhabited by terrible beasts, he created an unprecedented theme and style. He could not have known the bestiary of Aloys Zötl which did not surface before 1956.
The Parisian art circles were increasingly appealed with that new art, not without mocking his self trained author. He was nicknamed Le Douanier by Jarry who was the immediate precursor of surrealism in literature.
Les Flamants, oil on canvas 114 x 162 cm, is a Jungle painting by Le Douanier Rousseau. It features an idyllic pond or river with a background of palm trees, in the usual naive drawing style of the artist. Four flamingos stand on the shore. Stylized oversized waterlilies on stems at various heights populate the pond while three dwarfed natives in loincloth wait for fish on a sandbank.
It was sold for $ 43.5M from a lower estimate of $ 20M by Christie's on May 11, 2023, lot 34A.
The image is shared by Wikimedia and dated 1907 by Wikipedia and Wikimedia. This work is consistently dated 1907 or ca 1907 in the Literature and Exhibition sections of Christie's catalogue. It is nevertheless dated 1910 by the auction house which does not provide a rationale for this change in the online catalogue and the feature article.
Through his tropical landscapes inhabited by terrible beasts, he created an unprecedented theme and style. He could not have known the bestiary of Aloys Zötl which did not surface before 1956.
The Parisian art circles were increasingly appealed with that new art, not without mocking his self trained author. He was nicknamed Le Douanier by Jarry who was the immediate precursor of surrealism in literature.
Les Flamants, oil on canvas 114 x 162 cm, is a Jungle painting by Le Douanier Rousseau. It features an idyllic pond or river with a background of palm trees, in the usual naive drawing style of the artist. Four flamingos stand on the shore. Stylized oversized waterlilies on stems at various heights populate the pond while three dwarfed natives in loincloth wait for fish on a sandbank.
It was sold for $ 43.5M from a lower estimate of $ 20M by Christie's on May 11, 2023, lot 34A.
The image is shared by Wikimedia and dated 1907 by Wikipedia and Wikimedia. This work is consistently dated 1907 or ca 1907 in the Literature and Exhibition sections of Christie's catalogue. It is nevertheless dated 1910 by the auction house which does not provide a rationale for this change in the online catalogue and the feature article.
1918 Dame mit Fächer by Klimt
2023 SOLD for £ 85M by Sotheby's
The lifelong artistic quest of Gustav Klimt was the representation of the ideal woman, in conjunction with his project to revolutionize clothing and fabrics in partnership with his life companion the fashion designer Emilie Flöge.
The artist suddenly died on February 6, 1918 of a stroke and pneumonia brought by the Spanish flu, aged 55. Entering his studio, his friends found a masterpiece, just finished and still on the easel, his ultimate iteration of his preferred theme.
The lady with the fan is a beautiful woman in three quarter length with a sharply painted head in a richly decorated surrounding. Such a style follows early masterpieces such as Adele Bloch-Bauer I and The Kiss of 1907-1908, excepted that the application of the golden leaf is now superseded by motifs of the brightest colors : turquoise, yellow, pink, purple, orange.
The composition is now resolutely Orientalist, inspired by the Japanese prints and Asian robes which Klimt and Flöge eagerly collected. The new Austrian geisha wears a kimono that widely unveils the bare shoulder. The fan covers the breast. The yellow background is covered by a pattern of lotus blossoms of various shapes and colors plus a pheasant, a crane and a Chinese phoenix in flight, emblems of good fortune.
The woman is straight and confident, with a distant gaze ignoring the background and a small smile. She is charming with her curling hair around the ear. She is not identified : certainly not coming from the bourgeoisie of Vienna with her risqué kimono, this beauty was probably a professional model or a fashion mannequin.
This Dame mit Fächer, oil on canvas in the squared format 100 x 100 cm favored by the artist, was sold by Sotheby's for $ 11.6M (before fees ?) on May 11, 1994, lot 44, and for £ 85M on June 27, 2023, lot 125. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys Jun 27, 2023
#AuctionUpdate Gustav Klimt’s last great masterpiece ‘Dame mit Fächer’ (1917-18) soars to $108.4m / £85.3m at #SothebysLondon, setting a new auction record for the most valuable painting ever sold at auction in Europe. #SothebysModern
The artist suddenly died on February 6, 1918 of a stroke and pneumonia brought by the Spanish flu, aged 55. Entering his studio, his friends found a masterpiece, just finished and still on the easel, his ultimate iteration of his preferred theme.
The lady with the fan is a beautiful woman in three quarter length with a sharply painted head in a richly decorated surrounding. Such a style follows early masterpieces such as Adele Bloch-Bauer I and The Kiss of 1907-1908, excepted that the application of the golden leaf is now superseded by motifs of the brightest colors : turquoise, yellow, pink, purple, orange.
The composition is now resolutely Orientalist, inspired by the Japanese prints and Asian robes which Klimt and Flöge eagerly collected. The new Austrian geisha wears a kimono that widely unveils the bare shoulder. The fan covers the breast. The yellow background is covered by a pattern of lotus blossoms of various shapes and colors plus a pheasant, a crane and a Chinese phoenix in flight, emblems of good fortune.
The woman is straight and confident, with a distant gaze ignoring the background and a small smile. She is charming with her curling hair around the ear. She is not identified : certainly not coming from the bourgeoisie of Vienna with her risqué kimono, this beauty was probably a professional model or a fashion mannequin.
This Dame mit Fächer, oil on canvas in the squared format 100 x 100 cm favored by the artist, was sold by Sotheby's for $ 11.6M (before fees ?) on May 11, 1994, lot 44, and for £ 85M on June 27, 2023, lot 125. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys Jun 27, 2023
#AuctionUpdate Gustav Klimt’s last great masterpiece ‘Dame mit Fächer’ (1917-18) soars to $108.4m / £85.3m at #SothebysLondon, setting a new auction record for the most valuable painting ever sold at auction in Europe. #SothebysModern
- The painting "Dame mit Fächer" (Lady with a Fan) by Gustav Klimt, sold for $108.4 million at Sotheby’s London in 2023, reflects his late fascination with East Asian art, notably Japanese ukiyo-e prints, which influenced its vibrant patterns and composition, as evidenced by the Belvedere’s 2025 exhibition tracing these cultural exchanges.
- This sale set a European auction record, highlighting a surge in demand for Klimt’s works, with Artnet data showing his pieces averaging a 15% annual value increase since 2010.
- Created in 1917-1918, the artwork was one of Klimt’s final pieces before his death, photographed unfinished in his studio alongside "The Bride," offering a rare glimpse into his evolving style amid Vienna’s post-WWI cultural upheaval.
1922 Oiseau dans l'Espace by Brancusi
2005 SOLD for $ 27.5M by Christie's
Brancusi has no desire for a figurative representation of nature. The theme of the bird appeals him because the flight is an ascending link from earth to sky. The ultimate outcome is the Oiseau dans l'Espace, designed in the 1920s in the continuation of the Colonnes sans fin. The abstraction is total, except that if the bird was placed on its side it would look like a later childish fish by Calder.
A previously unknown example came out of its crate, where it had been installed by its owner Léonie Ricou preparing a move to Brussels. A protector of artists and poets, Mme Ricou had been the designated model of the abstract wooden figure titled Portrait de Madame L.R. sculpted by Brancusi between 1914 and 1917.
This newly surfaced Oiseau in a gray-blue marble with white veins on a limestone socle and pedestal is one of the smallest, with 85 cm high for the marble and 122 cm overall. Its proportions are remarkably balanced, with a superb polished stone which has been perfectly preserved by its long-term storage. It is possibly the very first Oiseau dans l'Espace, even before the 137 cm Etude, already closer to the sky, dated 1922.
This seminal piece was sold for $ 27.5M by Christie's on May 4, 2005 from a lower estimate of $ 8M, lot 7.
Brancusi and his Birds were ahead of their time. An anecdote is famous in the history of art. In 1926 a bronze sent to the United States for an exhibition was intercepted by customs officials, refusing to qualify it as a work of art which would have exempted it from import tax. It was reclassified in the category of kitchen utensils while awaiting the final decision, which will fortunately be favorable to the artist and will set a precedent for the legal recognition of abstract sculpture.
A previously unknown example came out of its crate, where it had been installed by its owner Léonie Ricou preparing a move to Brussels. A protector of artists and poets, Mme Ricou had been the designated model of the abstract wooden figure titled Portrait de Madame L.R. sculpted by Brancusi between 1914 and 1917.
This newly surfaced Oiseau in a gray-blue marble with white veins on a limestone socle and pedestal is one of the smallest, with 85 cm high for the marble and 122 cm overall. Its proportions are remarkably balanced, with a superb polished stone which has been perfectly preserved by its long-term storage. It is possibly the very first Oiseau dans l'Espace, even before the 137 cm Etude, already closer to the sky, dated 1922.
This seminal piece was sold for $ 27.5M by Christie's on May 4, 2005 from a lower estimate of $ 8M, lot 7.
Brancusi and his Birds were ahead of their time. An anecdote is famous in the history of art. In 1926 a bronze sent to the United States for an exhibition was intercepted by customs officials, refusing to qualify it as a work of art which would have exempted it from import tax. It was reclassified in the category of kitchen utensils while awaiting the final decision, which will fortunately be favorable to the artist and will set a precedent for the legal recognition of abstract sculpture.
1938 Hölle der Vögel by Beckmann
2017 SOLD for £ 36M by Christie's
After the First World War, German artists like Max Beckmann, Max Ernst, George Grosz and Otto Dix brought social criticism to the level of a major art far beyond caricature. Of course the Nazi regime does not agree. Beckmann is one of the targets of Hitler's furious attacks on degenerate art.
Beckmann precipitately left Germany in 1937 and settled in Amsterdam. Like Miro at the same time in Spain, he could not manage to stay away from politics. He immediately conceived a great composition, first entitled Der Land des Wahnsinningen (the country of the insane) which would express his horror of the collectivisms.
Completed at the end of the summer of 1938, Hölle der Vögel (hell of birds) is the achievement of that project. This oil on canvas 120 x 160 cm was sold for £ 36M by Christie's on June 27, 2017, lot 11. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
This scene mixes the medieval and the modern to better express the permanent threat of abject persecution. Tortures are inflicted by hooded birds. In a claustrophobic atmosphere with black lines and garish colors, the victim chained on an Inquisition bed is a light spot. A bird plows his back to the blood with a large knife.
This lugubrious ceremony is presided by a harpy standing out of her broken egg with a monstrous breast. The crowd of secondary characters is made up of screaming nudes who perform the Hitler Grüss, removing any possible doubt about the interpretation of this allegory in the modern world.
The narrative abundance in that work is inspired by medieval imagery. The choice of the bird as a symbol of blind fury reminds the man-swallowing bird in Bosch's Hell.
The political violence in Hölle der Vögel may be compared to Picasso's Guernica, also conceived in 1937. Beckmann's painting, cautiously preserved in a private apartment in Paris until the end of the Second World War, would have deserved a similar notoriety.
Beckmann precipitately left Germany in 1937 and settled in Amsterdam. Like Miro at the same time in Spain, he could not manage to stay away from politics. He immediately conceived a great composition, first entitled Der Land des Wahnsinningen (the country of the insane) which would express his horror of the collectivisms.
Completed at the end of the summer of 1938, Hölle der Vögel (hell of birds) is the achievement of that project. This oil on canvas 120 x 160 cm was sold for £ 36M by Christie's on June 27, 2017, lot 11. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
This scene mixes the medieval and the modern to better express the permanent threat of abject persecution. Tortures are inflicted by hooded birds. In a claustrophobic atmosphere with black lines and garish colors, the victim chained on an Inquisition bed is a light spot. A bird plows his back to the blood with a large knife.
This lugubrious ceremony is presided by a harpy standing out of her broken egg with a monstrous breast. The crowd of secondary characters is made up of screaming nudes who perform the Hitler Grüss, removing any possible doubt about the interpretation of this allegory in the modern world.
The narrative abundance in that work is inspired by medieval imagery. The choice of the bird as a symbol of blind fury reminds the man-swallowing bird in Bosch's Hell.
The political violence in Hölle der Vögel may be compared to Picasso's Guernica, also conceived in 1937. Beckmann's painting, cautiously preserved in a private apartment in Paris until the end of the Second World War, would have deserved a similar notoriety.
Hölle der Vögel (Birds’ Hell) by Max Beckmann (1937–1938)
Max Beckmann’s Hölle der Vögel (oil on canvas, 119.7 × 160.4 cm) is a nightmarish allegorical scene depicting anthropomorphic birds torturing human figures in a candle-lit, cave-like chamber. The composition features vivid, garish colors, distorted forms, and symbolic elements: a bound naked man being slashed across the back, a multi-breasted female bird emerging from an egg with a raised arm (evoking the Hitler salute), monstrous bird-creatures presiding over piles of gold, and background figures saluting in conformity.
Significance in Beckmann’s Career
Painted during Beckmann’s early exile in Amsterdam (begun in 1937 after fleeing Nazi Germany the day after Hitler’s 1937 speech on “degenerate art,” completed in 1938), Hölle der Vögel marks a rare overtly political statement in his oeuvre. Unlike his more cryptic triptychs or mythological works of the exile period (1937–1947), it is a direct, searing indictment of Nazism—often compared to Picasso’s Guernica (1937) as the “Guernica of German Expressionism.” It represents one of Beckmann’s clearest anti-Nazi works, produced amid personal trauma: over 500 of his artworks were confiscated, and he was branded “degenerate.” Art historians note it as a pivotal exile piece, bridging his Weimar-era social critiques with the intense, allegorical intensity of his later Amsterdam works. In 2017, it sold at Christie’s London (June 27, lot 11) for £36 million ($45.8 million), setting a record for Beckmann and German Expressionism, underscoring its canonical status.
Meaning and Interpretation
The painting is widely interpreted as an allegory of Nazi Germany: the grotesque birds symbolize Nazi officials (derisively called “gold pheasants” for their ornate uniforms), infesting society like a plague and perpetrating cruelty. The tortured naked man represents innocent victims or the oppressed individual; the saluting figures evoke mass conformity and the Hitlergruss; the multi-breasted bird may parody fascist fertility cults or the regime itself. Drawing on Northern Renaissance traditions (Bosch, Brueghel), it portrays a medieval hell as a timeless vision of human descent into terror, oppression, and madness—an early sketch was titled Land der Wahnsinnigen (Land of the Insane).
While rooted in 1930s fascism, Beckmann intended broader resonance: a warning against periodic societal “infestations” of irrationality and brutality, applicable “to all times.” It critiques the inversion of order—brutality “taking wing”—and the seductive allure of conformity amid chaos.
Psychological Analysis
Psychologically, the work channels Beckmann’s anguish and trauma from exile, loss of homeland, and the Nazi assault on individuality (to which he, as a “degenerate” artist, belonged). The crowded, claustrophobic space reflects inner turmoil and existential dread, echoing his philosophy of transcending life’s “illusion” toward essential truths (as in his triptychs). The contrast between the garish, festive colors of the “diabolical feast” and the horror suggests the seductive danger of mass hysteria—appealing yet destructive to the independent spirit. It embodies the individual (tortured victim) versus the collective (conforming, instinct-driven masses), highlighting themes of imprisonment, freedom, intellect versus primal impulse, and the suffering of those who resist conformity. Critics describe it as a “cry of anguish,” a personal J’accuse against forces destroying civilization, while universalizing human tendencies toward self-destruction.
Max Beckmann’s Hölle der Vögel (oil on canvas, 119.7 × 160.4 cm) is a nightmarish allegorical scene depicting anthropomorphic birds torturing human figures in a candle-lit, cave-like chamber. The composition features vivid, garish colors, distorted forms, and symbolic elements: a bound naked man being slashed across the back, a multi-breasted female bird emerging from an egg with a raised arm (evoking the Hitler salute), monstrous bird-creatures presiding over piles of gold, and background figures saluting in conformity.
Significance in Beckmann’s Career
Painted during Beckmann’s early exile in Amsterdam (begun in 1937 after fleeing Nazi Germany the day after Hitler’s 1937 speech on “degenerate art,” completed in 1938), Hölle der Vögel marks a rare overtly political statement in his oeuvre. Unlike his more cryptic triptychs or mythological works of the exile period (1937–1947), it is a direct, searing indictment of Nazism—often compared to Picasso’s Guernica (1937) as the “Guernica of German Expressionism.” It represents one of Beckmann’s clearest anti-Nazi works, produced amid personal trauma: over 500 of his artworks were confiscated, and he was branded “degenerate.” Art historians note it as a pivotal exile piece, bridging his Weimar-era social critiques with the intense, allegorical intensity of his later Amsterdam works. In 2017, it sold at Christie’s London (June 27, lot 11) for £36 million ($45.8 million), setting a record for Beckmann and German Expressionism, underscoring its canonical status.
Meaning and Interpretation
The painting is widely interpreted as an allegory of Nazi Germany: the grotesque birds symbolize Nazi officials (derisively called “gold pheasants” for their ornate uniforms), infesting society like a plague and perpetrating cruelty. The tortured naked man represents innocent victims or the oppressed individual; the saluting figures evoke mass conformity and the Hitlergruss; the multi-breasted bird may parody fascist fertility cults or the regime itself. Drawing on Northern Renaissance traditions (Bosch, Brueghel), it portrays a medieval hell as a timeless vision of human descent into terror, oppression, and madness—an early sketch was titled Land der Wahnsinnigen (Land of the Insane).
While rooted in 1930s fascism, Beckmann intended broader resonance: a warning against periodic societal “infestations” of irrationality and brutality, applicable “to all times.” It critiques the inversion of order—brutality “taking wing”—and the seductive allure of conformity amid chaos.
Psychological Analysis
Psychologically, the work channels Beckmann’s anguish and trauma from exile, loss of homeland, and the Nazi assault on individuality (to which he, as a “degenerate” artist, belonged). The crowded, claustrophobic space reflects inner turmoil and existential dread, echoing his philosophy of transcending life’s “illusion” toward essential truths (as in his triptychs). The contrast between the garish, festive colors of the “diabolical feast” and the horror suggests the seductive danger of mass hysteria—appealing yet destructive to the independent spirit. It embodies the individual (tortured victim) versus the collective (conforming, instinct-driven masses), highlighting themes of imprisonment, freedom, intellect versus primal impulse, and the suffering of those who resist conformity. Critics describe it as a “cry of anguish,” a personal J’accuse against forces destroying civilization, while universalizing human tendencies toward self-destruction.
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1940 Constellations by Miro
2017 SOLD for £ 24.5M by Sotheby's
Joan Miro did not want to engage in politics but the tragic events forced his hand. His participation in the pavilion of the Spanish Republic at the 1937 Paris Exhibition did not go unnoticed. He feared retaliation and moved to Varengeville-sur-Mer in 1939.
Varengeville is one of the prettiest villages on the Normandy coast. Braque has his workshop and spends summers there. Calder is a frequent visitor. In this small land's end Miro calms his anxieties by contemplating the immensity of the night sky.
The personalization of the groupings of stars is one of the oldest poetic themes of our civilizations. Miro is not an astrologer but he is a poet. With the exceptional freedom of his imagination he superimposes on the sky the images of his fantasy.
In January 1940 Miro begins a series of artworks on the theme of the Constellations. They will all be on paper in the same size, 38 x 46 cm. The background is prepared by splashes of gouache and oil paint, more or less dark. The crescent moon and a few stars are the spectacular elements in bright colors accompanied by floating symbolic or abstract forms. The constellation, woman or bird, is a figure in thin lines surrounded by scrolls, scarcely more visible than a watermark.
The artist conceived from the outset this series as a coherent whole. The use of a a small and light format was premonitory. When he fled France to return to Spain in May 1940 he could take in his luggage the entire set : ten finished works and the pieces of paper that he will be use for the thirteen subsequent works.
The series of Constellations was completed in September 1941. Miro kept the secret until an exhibition in New York in 1945. Pollock was convinced by a possible non-figurative artistic transposition of an observable reality. With the Constellations of Miro modern art has just crossed the Atlantic.
The eighth opus of Miro's Constellations is dated 13 April 1940. Its unusually simple title, Femme et Oiseaux, prefigures the favorite themes of the artist for the rest of his career. In this sky that calls for peace, Joan Miro is not calmed : the woman howls. It was sold for £ 24.5M by Sotheby's on June 21, 2017, lot 45. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys Jun 21, 2017
#AuctionUpdate Mesmerising painting from #Miró’s legendary Constellation series, Femme et oiseaux sells for £24.57m / $30.98m
Varengeville is one of the prettiest villages on the Normandy coast. Braque has his workshop and spends summers there. Calder is a frequent visitor. In this small land's end Miro calms his anxieties by contemplating the immensity of the night sky.
The personalization of the groupings of stars is one of the oldest poetic themes of our civilizations. Miro is not an astrologer but he is a poet. With the exceptional freedom of his imagination he superimposes on the sky the images of his fantasy.
In January 1940 Miro begins a series of artworks on the theme of the Constellations. They will all be on paper in the same size, 38 x 46 cm. The background is prepared by splashes of gouache and oil paint, more or less dark. The crescent moon and a few stars are the spectacular elements in bright colors accompanied by floating symbolic or abstract forms. The constellation, woman or bird, is a figure in thin lines surrounded by scrolls, scarcely more visible than a watermark.
The artist conceived from the outset this series as a coherent whole. The use of a a small and light format was premonitory. When he fled France to return to Spain in May 1940 he could take in his luggage the entire set : ten finished works and the pieces of paper that he will be use for the thirteen subsequent works.
The series of Constellations was completed in September 1941. Miro kept the secret until an exhibition in New York in 1945. Pollock was convinced by a possible non-figurative artistic transposition of an observable reality. With the Constellations of Miro modern art has just crossed the Atlantic.
The eighth opus of Miro's Constellations is dated 13 April 1940. Its unusually simple title, Femme et Oiseaux, prefigures the favorite themes of the artist for the rest of his career. In this sky that calls for peace, Joan Miro is not calmed : the woman howls. It was sold for £ 24.5M by Sotheby's on June 21, 2017, lot 45. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys Jun 21, 2017
#AuctionUpdate Mesmerising painting from #Miró’s legendary Constellation series, Femme et oiseaux sells for £24.57m / $30.98m
- This 2017 Sotheby's post announces the £24.57 million sale of Joan Miró's "Femme et oiseaux," an abstract gouache from his iconic Constellations series, capturing ethereal figures and birds amid wartime exile in Normandy.
- Created in 1941 as the eighth of 23 intimate works on paper, the series reflects Miró's Surrealist symbolism of hope and renewal during World War II, with each piece measuring roughly 38x46 cm for portability and intimacy.
- The auction price, surpassing $30 million, marked a high for Miró's Constellations at the time, driven by its pristine provenance from the artist's estate and global collector interest in modernist masterpieces.
1946 Eagle by Qi Baishi
2011 SOLD for RMB 425M by China Guardian (unpaid)
A drawing by Qi Baishi had been auctioned for RMB 425M by China Guardian on May 22, 2011, lot 1192. It features an eagle standing in a pine tree.
The composition is bold : the bird is completely surrounded by branches, but its proud look makes it the focal point of this image of 266 x 100 cm, flanked by two stripes 66 cm wide. Each stripe includes a poem in four huge calligrams.
It is a political symbol. This eagle was made in 1946 to celebrate the birthday of Jiang Jieshi (pinyin for Chiang Kai-shek) after the defeat of Japan.
Two years after the sale by Chinese Antiques : the winning bidder has refused to pay for the piece since doubts were raised about its authenticity.
Grok thought from an ArtHitParade tweet :
Asking Grok to compare Eagle standing in a pine tree by Qi Baishi (1946), sold by China Guardian on May 22, 2011, lot 1192, cancelled after sale for authenticity doubts, with Eagle on Rock, sold by China Guardian on December 18, 2017, lot 286. Find the estimated execution date for Eagle on Rock.
Comparison of the Two Works
Subject
In Tree : An eagle perched on a pine tree branch, flanked by two scrolls of calligraphy in seal script with the couplet "Life Longevity, World Peace" (寓意 longevity and peace, celebrating Chiang Kai-shek's birthday post-WWII). Symbolizes strength, endurance, and national pride.
On Rock : An eagle perched on a rock (likely with accompanying flora or landscape elements, typical of Qi's eagle motifs symbolizing heroism and steadfastness). Represents isolation, resilience, and the artist's signature bold, whimsical style.
Medium and Format
In Tree : Ink on paper, hanging scroll (266 × 100 cm); accompanied by two calligraphy scrolls (each 264.5 × 65.8 cm). Large-scale, triptych-like presentation emphasizing grandeur.
On Rock : Ink on paper, hanging scroll (dimensions not publicly detailed in available records, but Qi's eagle works are typically 180–250 cm in height, vertical format). Single or paired with inscription, focusing on dynamic composition.
Style and Technique
In Tree : Bold, wet ink washes for branches; eagle rendered with precise, hooked lines for claws and feathers. Mature "decline-year transformation" (衰年变法) style: red accents on scrolls contrast black ink, creating dramatic tension. Whimsical yet heroic, with dense pine enclosure highlighting the eagle's proud gaze.
On Rock : Characteristic Qi Baishi big-splashes (大写意): heavy ink for rock texture, lighter washes for feathers; eagle's form simplified yet vital, with eye dots (点睛) bringing life. Less ornate than the 1946 work, emphasizing raw power over celebratory flourish.
Estimated Execution Date
In Tree : 1946 (explicitly dated and contextualized as a wartime tribute).
On Rock : 1949 (inferred from similar Qi Baishi eagle compositions sold around the same period; Qi's late works often bear cyclical dates like gengyin year, aligning with his post-1949 Beijing phase).
Auction Details
In Tree : China Guardian, Beijing Spring Sale, May 22, 2011, Lot 1192. Hammer price: RMB 425.5 million (~USD 65.4 million, record for modern Chinese art at the time).
On Rock : China Guardian, Beijing Autumn Sale, December 18, 2017, Lot 286. Sale price not publicly detailed in records, but part of a session totaling RMB 3.039 billion; mid-tier lot in a Qi-focused sale emphasizing verified authenticity.
Post-Sale Outcome
In Tree : Cancelled due to authenticity doubts raised post-auction; buyer refused payment. Piece remains in warehouse, highlighting 2011 market "bidder's remorse" and forgery concerns in Qi attributions (over 5,600 works offered that year alone).
On Rock : Successfully sold and paid for, reflecting improved authentication protocols at China Guardian by 2017. No reported disputes, underscoring market maturation.
Cultural/Market Context
In Tree : Peak of Chinese art boom (total sales >USD 11 billion in 2011); emblematic of inflated prices and fakes. Marketed as "masterpiece" but scrutinized for over-attribution.
On Rock : Post-2011 correction; Qi works fetched records (e.g., Twelve Landscape Screens at RMB 931.5 million same sale), but with stricter vetting. Emphasizes Qi's prolific output (8,000–15,000 works lifetime) and enduring appeal for nature motifs.
Significance
In Tree : Controversial benchmark for Qi eagle paintings; questions provenance amid WWII-era creation claims. Now a cautionary tale in art fraud discussions.
On Rock : Authentic counterpart, reinforcing Qi's late-period mastery. Contributes to his auction dominance (top 100 sales all in China).
Estimated Execution Date for Eagle on Rock
Based on Qi Baishi's oeuvre and comparable eagle compositions (e.g., a 1950-dated Eagle on Pine Tree at Christie's), the estimated execution date is 1949. This aligns with the gengyin cyclical year (common in Qi's inscriptions) and his relocation to Beijing, where he produced many rock-perched eagle works symbolizing post-war stability. No exact inscription is recorded for Lot 286, but stylistic analysis places it in his 1940s late maturity, distinct from the 1946 pine tree's celebratory tone.
The composition is bold : the bird is completely surrounded by branches, but its proud look makes it the focal point of this image of 266 x 100 cm, flanked by two stripes 66 cm wide. Each stripe includes a poem in four huge calligrams.
It is a political symbol. This eagle was made in 1946 to celebrate the birthday of Jiang Jieshi (pinyin for Chiang Kai-shek) after the defeat of Japan.
Two years after the sale by Chinese Antiques : the winning bidder has refused to pay for the piece since doubts were raised about its authenticity.
Grok thought from an ArtHitParade tweet :
- This 2011 post announces the apparent record $65 million sale of Qi Baishi's 1946 ink painting "Eagle Standing on a Pine Tree" at China Guardian in Beijing, capturing the peak of China's art market boom when auction totals hit $4.3 billion.
- Qi Baishi, a prolific 20th-century master of ink wash depicting shrimp, flowers, and birds, created an estimated 10,000-15,000 works, yet auction catalogs list over 27,000 attributions since 1993, with experts like Liu Xilin estimating half as forgeries based on stylistic inconsistencies.
- The celebrated sale collapsed when the buyer defaulted amid critic Mou Jianping's authenticity doubts, stranding the artwork in a Beijing warehouse for over 14 years as nonpayment rates for high-value Chinese lots hovered around 17%.
Asking Grok to compare Eagle standing in a pine tree by Qi Baishi (1946), sold by China Guardian on May 22, 2011, lot 1192, cancelled after sale for authenticity doubts, with Eagle on Rock, sold by China Guardian on December 18, 2017, lot 286. Find the estimated execution date for Eagle on Rock.
Comparison of the Two Works
Subject
In Tree : An eagle perched on a pine tree branch, flanked by two scrolls of calligraphy in seal script with the couplet "Life Longevity, World Peace" (寓意 longevity and peace, celebrating Chiang Kai-shek's birthday post-WWII). Symbolizes strength, endurance, and national pride.
On Rock : An eagle perched on a rock (likely with accompanying flora or landscape elements, typical of Qi's eagle motifs symbolizing heroism and steadfastness). Represents isolation, resilience, and the artist's signature bold, whimsical style.
Medium and Format
In Tree : Ink on paper, hanging scroll (266 × 100 cm); accompanied by two calligraphy scrolls (each 264.5 × 65.8 cm). Large-scale, triptych-like presentation emphasizing grandeur.
On Rock : Ink on paper, hanging scroll (dimensions not publicly detailed in available records, but Qi's eagle works are typically 180–250 cm in height, vertical format). Single or paired with inscription, focusing on dynamic composition.
Style and Technique
In Tree : Bold, wet ink washes for branches; eagle rendered with precise, hooked lines for claws and feathers. Mature "decline-year transformation" (衰年变法) style: red accents on scrolls contrast black ink, creating dramatic tension. Whimsical yet heroic, with dense pine enclosure highlighting the eagle's proud gaze.
On Rock : Characteristic Qi Baishi big-splashes (大写意): heavy ink for rock texture, lighter washes for feathers; eagle's form simplified yet vital, with eye dots (点睛) bringing life. Less ornate than the 1946 work, emphasizing raw power over celebratory flourish.
Estimated Execution Date
In Tree : 1946 (explicitly dated and contextualized as a wartime tribute).
On Rock : 1949 (inferred from similar Qi Baishi eagle compositions sold around the same period; Qi's late works often bear cyclical dates like gengyin year, aligning with his post-1949 Beijing phase).
Auction Details
In Tree : China Guardian, Beijing Spring Sale, May 22, 2011, Lot 1192. Hammer price: RMB 425.5 million (~USD 65.4 million, record for modern Chinese art at the time).
On Rock : China Guardian, Beijing Autumn Sale, December 18, 2017, Lot 286. Sale price not publicly detailed in records, but part of a session totaling RMB 3.039 billion; mid-tier lot in a Qi-focused sale emphasizing verified authenticity.
Post-Sale Outcome
In Tree : Cancelled due to authenticity doubts raised post-auction; buyer refused payment. Piece remains in warehouse, highlighting 2011 market "bidder's remorse" and forgery concerns in Qi attributions (over 5,600 works offered that year alone).
On Rock : Successfully sold and paid for, reflecting improved authentication protocols at China Guardian by 2017. No reported disputes, underscoring market maturation.
Cultural/Market Context
In Tree : Peak of Chinese art boom (total sales >USD 11 billion in 2011); emblematic of inflated prices and fakes. Marketed as "masterpiece" but scrutinized for over-attribution.
On Rock : Post-2011 correction; Qi works fetched records (e.g., Twelve Landscape Screens at RMB 931.5 million same sale), but with stricter vetting. Emphasizes Qi's prolific output (8,000–15,000 works lifetime) and enduring appeal for nature motifs.
Significance
In Tree : Controversial benchmark for Qi eagle paintings; questions provenance amid WWII-era creation claims. Now a cautionary tale in art fraud discussions.
On Rock : Authentic counterpart, reinforcing Qi's late-period mastery. Contributes to his auction dominance (top 100 sales all in China).
Estimated Execution Date for Eagle on Rock
Based on Qi Baishi's oeuvre and comparable eagle compositions (e.g., a 1950-dated Eagle on Pine Tree at Christie's), the estimated execution date is 1949. This aligns with the gengyin cyclical year (common in Qi's inscriptions) and his relocation to Beijing, where he produced many rock-perched eagle works symbolizing post-war stability. No exact inscription is recorded for Lot 286, but stylistic analysis places it in his 1940s late maturity, distinct from the 1946 pine tree's celebratory tone.
BACON
1
1958 Pope with Owls
2021 SOLD for $ 33M by Phillips
Since 1952 Francis Bacon is madly in love with Peter Lacy. Europe is not favorable to homosexuality and Peter settles in Tangier. From 1956 Francis visits him frequently. He works a lot despite the sadistic violence of his lover. Disillusioned by these increasingly insupportable conditions and by Peter's lack of interest in his art, Francis breaks up in 1959 and destroys almost all his Tangier paintings.
Throughout this period, his two major themes are the portraits of the ordinary man and the reinterpretations of the Velazquez pope. The two series match together over the great question of the meaning of life in a hostile world, nourished by the Freudian horror of the abusive authority of the father,
The popes of the Moroccan period have a very limited resemblance with Innocent X and lost the scream of the Potemkin. The mouth is open on a sharp set of teeth ready to bite, some of them missing in the jaw. The cheeks are emaciated. The face is painted in a thick impasto that reveals the violence of the gesture of the artist.
Pope with owls, oil on canvas 145 x 110 cm painted ca 1958, was acquired by its first owner directly from the artist in Tangier in 1959.
The papal figure in a dark staging of deep purple and dark red is haunting. His laughter reveals his craziness and indirectly the dead end of Francis's relation with Peter. The arms of the chair are closing onto him, canceling any hope to escape.
A pair of night birds perched as finials over the seat are watching straight forward, questioning the viewer from their cold gaze.
Pope with Owls was sold for $ 33M by Phillips on November 17, 2021, lot 16.
Throughout this period, his two major themes are the portraits of the ordinary man and the reinterpretations of the Velazquez pope. The two series match together over the great question of the meaning of life in a hostile world, nourished by the Freudian horror of the abusive authority of the father,
The popes of the Moroccan period have a very limited resemblance with Innocent X and lost the scream of the Potemkin. The mouth is open on a sharp set of teeth ready to bite, some of them missing in the jaw. The cheeks are emaciated. The face is painted in a thick impasto that reveals the violence of the gesture of the artist.
Pope with owls, oil on canvas 145 x 110 cm painted ca 1958, was acquired by its first owner directly from the artist in Tangier in 1959.
The papal figure in a dark staging of deep purple and dark red is haunting. His laughter reveals his craziness and indirectly the dead end of Francis's relation with Peter. The arms of the chair are closing onto him, canceling any hope to escape.
A pair of night birds perched as finials over the seat are watching straight forward, questioning the viewer from their cold gaze.
Pope with Owls was sold for $ 33M by Phillips on November 17, 2021, lot 16.
2
1976 Triptych
2008 SOLD for $ 86M by Sotheby's
In 1976 Francis Bacon prepares an exhibition of new works at the Galerie Claude Bernard in Paris. The highlight is a triptych in oil and pastel on canvas, 198 x 148 cm for each element. It was sold for $ 86M by Sotheby's on May 14, 2008, lot 33.
This triptych brings together a synthesis of Francis' career, as Picasso had done twenty years earlier with his series of Les Femmes d'Alger.
Five years after the suicide of George Dyer, Francis confirms that the major inspirations of his art and of his life are suffering, guilt and punishment. The main figure in the central panel is a headless Prometheus tortured by the eagle, in a composition similar to 'Painting 1946'. Other symbols on this panel include the Furies disguised as pelicans and a chalice dripping with blood.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the young artist was gradually destroying his own work. This phase of creative dissatisfaction ended after the revelation to him of the two most tragic characters in the Greek theater, Prometheus and Orestes by Aeschylus.
The very first work he considered completed, Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, in 1944, a triptych of elements 94 x 74 cm, is an interpretation of the mourners inspired by the Furies of Orestes. 'Painting 1946', 198 x 132 cm, was commented by Bacon : he had started painting a figure of a monkey, the alter ego of mankind, when the punishing eagle arrived in his subconscious.
The triptychs of 198 x 148 cm panels are the format chosen by Bacon in his later career for works he could consider as his masterpieces.
Response by Grok 4 :
Francis Bacon's "Triptych, 1976" (also known as "Triptych 1976") was sold at Sotheby's New York contemporary art auction on May 14, 2008, for $86,281,000, setting a record at the time for the most expensive work of contemporary art ever sold at auction.
This large-scale oil on canvas work (each panel measuring about 78 x 58 inches) depicts distorted, fleshy figures in Bacon's signature raw and existential style, inspired by his relationship with George Dyer, who had died in 1971.
The buyer was reportedly Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire.This record held until 2013, when another Bacon triptych, "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" (1969), sold for $142.4 million at Christie's, surpassing it as the artist's most expensive work at auction. As of 2025, Bacon's works continue to command high prices, with several exceeding $50 million in recent sales, though none have topped the 2013 record.
This triptych brings together a synthesis of Francis' career, as Picasso had done twenty years earlier with his series of Les Femmes d'Alger.
Five years after the suicide of George Dyer, Francis confirms that the major inspirations of his art and of his life are suffering, guilt and punishment. The main figure in the central panel is a headless Prometheus tortured by the eagle, in a composition similar to 'Painting 1946'. Other symbols on this panel include the Furies disguised as pelicans and a chalice dripping with blood.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the young artist was gradually destroying his own work. This phase of creative dissatisfaction ended after the revelation to him of the two most tragic characters in the Greek theater, Prometheus and Orestes by Aeschylus.
The very first work he considered completed, Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, in 1944, a triptych of elements 94 x 74 cm, is an interpretation of the mourners inspired by the Furies of Orestes. 'Painting 1946', 198 x 132 cm, was commented by Bacon : he had started painting a figure of a monkey, the alter ego of mankind, when the punishing eagle arrived in his subconscious.
The triptychs of 198 x 148 cm panels are the format chosen by Bacon in his later career for works he could consider as his masterpieces.
Response by Grok 4 :
Francis Bacon's "Triptych, 1976" (also known as "Triptych 1976") was sold at Sotheby's New York contemporary art auction on May 14, 2008, for $86,281,000, setting a record at the time for the most expensive work of contemporary art ever sold at auction.
This large-scale oil on canvas work (each panel measuring about 78 x 58 inches) depicts distorted, fleshy figures in Bacon's signature raw and existential style, inspired by his relationship with George Dyer, who had died in 1971.
The buyer was reportedly Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire.This record held until 2013, when another Bacon triptych, "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" (1969), sold for $142.4 million at Christie's, surpassing it as the artist's most expensive work at auction. As of 2025, Bacon's works continue to command high prices, with several exceeding $50 million in recent sales, though none have topped the 2013 record.
early 1960s Eagle, Rock and Mountain Flowers by Pan Tianshou
2015 SOLD for RMB 280M by China Guardian
Eagle, Rock and Mountain Flowers is a large size view 182 x 142 cm painted in the early 1960s by Pan Tianshou.
The painting depicts a proud eagle perched on a rugged rock partially obscured by vibrant flowers, symbolizing strength, resilience, and dominance—recurring themes in Pan's oeuvre that reflect his personal and artistic fortitude amid China's mid-20th-century socio-political turbulence.
From its position, the bird gazes at the landscape outside the field of view. With its closed wings and its neck tucked off in the shoulders, it looks endangered. A spectacular contrast is applied between the heavy inking of the foliage and the light line drawing of the background. The cliff is half hidden behind the pattern of flowers.
Produced during his tenure as director of the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (1957–1966), just before the onset of the Cultural Revolution that would later persecute him, this piece exemplifies his efforts to modernize Chinese painting while honoring traditional roots, such as the forceful heaviness of the Zhe School. It stands as a representative masterpiece that underscores his role as a leading educator and theorist who bridged scholarly traditions with contemporary expression, influencing generations of artists.
This undated work undeniably belongs to Pan's period of top artistic maturity just before the brutal termination of his career in 1966 by the Cultural Revolution. It surfaced in 1979, eight years after his vile death in custody.
It was sold for RMB 280M by China Guardian on May 17, 2015, lot 707.
Eagle, Rock and Mountain Flowers
The painting depicts a proud eagle perched on a rugged rock partially obscured by vibrant flowers, symbolizing strength, resilience, and dominance—recurring themes in Pan's oeuvre that reflect his personal and artistic fortitude amid China's mid-20th-century socio-political turbulence.
From its position, the bird gazes at the landscape outside the field of view. With its closed wings and its neck tucked off in the shoulders, it looks endangered. A spectacular contrast is applied between the heavy inking of the foliage and the light line drawing of the background. The cliff is half hidden behind the pattern of flowers.
Produced during his tenure as director of the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (1957–1966), just before the onset of the Cultural Revolution that would later persecute him, this piece exemplifies his efforts to modernize Chinese painting while honoring traditional roots, such as the forceful heaviness of the Zhe School. It stands as a representative masterpiece that underscores his role as a leading educator and theorist who bridged scholarly traditions with contemporary expression, influencing generations of artists.
This undated work undeniably belongs to Pan's period of top artistic maturity just before the brutal termination of his career in 1966 by the Cultural Revolution. It surfaced in 1979, eight years after his vile death in custody.
It was sold for RMB 280M by China Guardian on May 17, 2015, lot 707.
Eagle, Rock and Mountain Flowers
- Art Title and Details: 《鹰石山花图》 (Ying Shi Shan Hua Tu), also translated as Eagle, Rock and Flora or Eagle on Rock with Mountain Flowers. This is a large-scale ink and color on paper hanging scroll (mirror heart format), measuring approximately 182.3 × 141.8 cm (over 23 square feet). It features Pan Tianshou's signature motifs: a powerful eagle perched on a massive, angular rock, surrounded by vibrant wild mountain flowers and grasses, combining flower-and-bird elements with landscape composition.
- Execution Date: Created in the 1960s (precise year often cited as mid-to-late 1960s, during the artist's mature period).
- Significance in the Artist's Career: This is a museum-level masterpiece from Pan Tianshou's peak creative phase (mid-1950s to mid-1960s), embodying his famous theory of "pulling apart the distance between Chinese and Western painting" by emphasizing bold, dominant compositions, strong calligraphic lines, and a heroic, domineering ("ba han") style rooted in tradition. It innovates by integrating flower-and-bird subjects into a grand landscape-like scale, rejecting delicate literati elegance for a more primal, natural vitality. Previously sold in 2005 for 11.715 million RMB (setting a record then), its 2015 reappearance highlighted its rarity and academic importance.
- Auction Date and House: May 17, 2015 (China Guardian Spring Auction, "Grand View Night" – Modern Chinese Painting section), Beijing.
- Price: 279.45 million RMB (hammer price 243 million RMB + commission; often rounded to 279 million RMB in references).
