Van Gogh’s most expensive still life set for exhibition in Hong Kong

Hong Kong residents will have the opportunity to see the most expensive still life work by Vincent van Gogh for free today and tomorrow. It was bought by mainland media mogul Wang Zhongjun for a record US$61.8 million last December.

The masterpiece by the Dutch artist, Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies, will be on display at an exhibition called “What’s Art”, along with Pablo Picasso’s prized portrait Femme au chignon dans un fauteuil, which is also owned by Wang.

“I want to share with the public [the two masterpieces]. Many people know that I bid fot the two artworks and they asked when I’ll show them to the public,” said Wang, chairman and co-founder of Huayi Brothers, China’s largest private film and television production company.

The exhibition also features 18 oil paintings by Wang and ink paintings by several up-and-coming Chinese artists like Liu Qi and Sun Hao. They will be on display until October 8.

Wang bought the 124-year-old van Gogh masterpiece at a Sotheby’s auction in New York last November.

He bought the Picasso painting for US$29.9 million at another Sotheby’s auction in May. The two masterpieces have been kept in the mogul’s home in Hong Kong.