Agence France Presse reports the record $65m sale of a Qi Baishi painting over the weekend at China Guardian in Beijing:

The 1946 painting of an eagle perched on the branch of a pine tree, surrounded by two calligraphy scrolls, measures 100 by 266 centimetres (three by 8.5 feet), the China Guardian auction house said.

Sunday’s sale marked the second-highest amount ever paid for an artwork at auction in China, after the 436.8 million yuan paid in 2009 for a work by Song dynasty calligrapher Huang Tingjian, who lived during the 11th century.

Qi, who died in 1957, was one of the most prolific Chinese artists of the 20th century, and his works have recently become sought after.

China Painting Nets Record $65m at Auction (AFP)