On The Authentication And Market Value Of"Haishang School" Paintings

After the Opium War in1840, the foreign capital and merchandises flocked in Shanghai as it was provided as a trading port; the private capitals also poured into this city under the influence of Taiping Rebellion, that led to the urban expansion. Shanghai then became the most important industrial and commercial city and one heartland of painting art in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, as the enormous need for art works attracted painters from all over China to settle down there, who were collectively called the "Haishang School" painters. Except the ones adhered to the traditional painting, in order to cater to the aesthetic taste of the new industrialists, businessmen and civilians, more other painters of "Haishang School" featured their creative artistic style that appealing to all, and among them the most outstanding were Zhao Zhiqian, Ren Yi, Xugu, Wu Changshuo and so on. As a historical phenomenon of painting art,"Haishang School" exerted tremendous impact on the modern and contemporary Chinese painting."Haishang School" paintings gain hot concerns from the investors and collectors in today’s art market for their tremendous influence. For the sake of economic benefits, many people have numerous counterfeits pouring into the market and there is no lack of high-quality ones, what results in the harder authentication. Accordingly, accurate authentication deserves a necessity and required quality to the investors and collectors.The paper aimed to give a comprehensive analysis on the art and market of "Haishang School" paintings, through concluding and comparing the aspects of art style, painter’s life, authentication and current market value etc.. Besides referring to the characteristics and trend of the market, the paper as well explores the methodology of authenticating the "Haishang School" paintings. Especially, some highlighted painters like Ren Bonian and Wu Changshuo are selected as case study with relative details, hoping to provide some practical suggestions and directions.