Five centuries of art

An auction plans to sell works by master painters spanning half a millennium, tapping into a string of classical Chinese art exhibitions at the Palace Museum. Lin Qi reports.

The Palace Museum in Beijing has mounted several blockbuster exhibitions of classical Chinese paintings and calligraphy over the past two years. Thanks to successful publicity campaigns, word about these shows went viral on social media, making it the most effective means for drawing visitors.

At the same time, works by classical painters featured in these exhibitions have become highly sought after among collectors, and auction houses have duly responded.