A painting allegedly by renowned painter and calligrapher Chang Dai-chien (張大千) that was pulled from auction in September is set to be sold on Dec. 1, the Ministry of Justice’s administrative enforcement agency’s Chiayi branch said.
The painting was confiscated after a Chiayi County resident surnamed Chen (陳) last year failed to pay NT$100 million (US$3.04 million) in taxes owed under the Estate and Gift Tax Act (遺產及贈與稅法).
The agency put the painting up for auction last year, but the only bid for it was NT$30,000, which the agency felt was too low, since one of Chang’s paintings sold on the international market last year for 250 million yuan (US$39.2 million).
Asked about the authenticity of the seized painting, experts on Chang’s work said the painting was in good condition, it shows his usual characteristics and stamps and is in his style, but they could not verify its authenticity without a detailed examination.
Agency official Chiang Chia-jung (江佳蓉) on Monday said that the Chiayi County National Taxation Bureau could not afford to have the painting appraised by specialists, since the price tag for such appraisals can run into the millions of New Taiwan dollars.
Prices for Chang’s paintings have spiked drastically in recent years, Art Today magazine founder Ho Cheng-kuang (何政廣) said, adding that if the painting in Chiayi is authentic, it should fall within the NT$20 million to NT$30 million price range.
However, auction prices are hard to predict and the final price depends how many art collectors know about the auction, Ho said.
Chiang said the agency believes that the value of art is derived from the public’s appreciation and the painting was going up for auction a second time without a set starting price or a ceiling.
Interested art lovers and would-be purchasers can make an appointment with the agency through the end of this month to view the painting, Chiang said.
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