Film mogul Wang Zhongjun’s purchase of Vincent Van Gogh masterwork for $61.8 million has set off an Internet debate about lavish spending, with experts saying China’s high-profile art buying has only just begun.
电影巨头王中军6180万美元买下梵高名画，引起了网友们关于奢侈消费的讨论。有专家称，中国的世界级艺术品收藏才刚刚开始。
The 1890 painting, Nature Morte, Vase aux Marguerites et Coquelicots, was estimated to be worth as much as $50 million, according to the Shanghai news site The Paper, but fierce bidding and Wang’s determination forced the auction price even higher。
据澎湃新闻网报道，这幅1890年的作品《静物，插满雏菊和罂粟花的花瓶》拍前估价高达5000万美元。但激烈的竞争和王中军的决心使得拍卖价格抬得更高。
Created one month before the artist’s death, the vibrant painting is considered both a rare masterpiece and a savvy investment. Experts say the purchase also says something about the discerning taste of Chinese art buyers. Art dealer Huang Liaoyuan told the Beijing Times the trend of Chinese tycoons snapping up famous Western art started just two years ago.
这幅充满生命力的作品画于梵高去世一个月之前，被誉为近年拍场上屈指可数的卓越的梵高作品，值得投资。有专家称，这次拍卖也说明一些中国艺术品买家的挑剔口味。艺术商黄燎原告诉京华时报，中国富豪抢购西方知名艺术品开始于两年前。
"The phenomenon of Chinese people buying more and more foreign and domestic artworks is a reflection of the improvement of Chinese artists’ art connoisseurship and purchasing power," Huang Zongxian, dean of the college of art in Sichuan University, was quoted as saying by the Chengdu Commercial Daily. Huang added: "Collecting famous works from well-recognized artists only benefits and will not lose, as they are so rare. It takes much more risk to collect contemporary arts, which requires that collectors have good judgment."
成都商报引述四川大学艺术学院院长黄宗贤的话说，“中国人越来越多的购买国内外艺术作品的现象反映了中国艺术家的艺术鉴赏力和购买力的提高”。他还说：“收藏公认的艺术家作品只会赚不会赔，因为它们太罕见了。收藏当代艺术品风险更大，这就要求收藏者有良好的判断力。”
Art dealer Li Suqiao said the focus of the new breed of Chinese collectors is on iconic Western artists like Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin and Van Gogh. Li said that despite the price, the purchase shows Wang’s artistic leanings and his respect for art。
艺术品商黎苏缲说，新兴的中国收藏家的收藏重点是标志性的西方艺术家如莫奈，毕加索，塞尚，高更和梵高。尽管价格比较高，但从这次拍卖我们可以看到王中军的艺术倾向和他对艺术的尊重。
In fact, Wang, the chairman of China’s Huayi Brothers film studio, is said to be an astute art collector. The Modern Express reported that he has antique furniture from France and has collected hundreds of sculptures and oil paintings in his villa in Beijing。
事实上，华谊董事长王中军据说是一个精明的艺术品收藏家。据江苏《现代快报》报道，他拥有法国的古董家具，并在北京的别墅收藏了几百件雕塑和油画。
The costly purchase also sparked a hot discussion on China’s social media platforms about Wang and Huayi Brothers. Some netizens described Wang as Tuhao, the Mandarin term for a new class of the lavishly rich and tasteless. Wang’s supporters tend to disagree with the label. According to The Paper, Wang has held a solo painting exhibition in Beijing last December. He was quoted as saying, "My paintings have powerful visual impact, and are collected in many of my friends’ home. Famous people like Chinese entrepreneurs Ma Yun and Shi Yuzhu, singer Wang Feng and actress Song Dandan all have my paintings."
这次天价拍卖社交媒体引发了网友们对王中军和华谊兄弟的热议。有网友说王中军是“土豪”，指超级有钱但没有品位的新兴阶级。王中军的支持者不同意给他贴上这个标签。根据澎湃新闻报道，王中军曾在去年十二月在北京举办个人画展。他曾说，“我的画有很强的视觉冲击力，我的很多朋友家里都有收藏我的画，名人里面马云、史玉柱，汪峰和宋丹丹都有我的作品。”
Wang has claimed that all revenue from selling paintings, an estimated $1.6 million has all been donated to the charitable foundation of Huayi Brothers. Still not everyone is convinced. As the netizen @ameng put it: "In the past, I thought people buying paintings with millions of money are idiots. Now, I realize that it can be an investment. Buying art using spare money can bring enjoyment, and may be even add value, which seems fair enough. The most important is that he can show off to others as a Tuhao."
王中军称，他卖画的全部收入，共计160万美元已全部捐赠给华谊兄弟的慈善基金会。但不是每个人都信服。正如网友@ameng所说的那样：“过去，我认为花几百万买画的人都是傻子，现在我知道这是一种投资。用多余的钱购买艺术品能够带来快乐，还可以有附加价值，这似乎很公平。最重要的是，他可以向别人炫耀自己是‘土豪’。”
