Major artworks go under the hammer at Christie's Shanghai in tandem with London, Zhang Kun reports.

Christie's held its first auction in Shanghai since the COVID-19 pandemic last week, earning more than 220 million yuan ($34.84 million).The Shanghai-to-London sale series consisted of sales first in Shanghai and then in London. Both events were open to bidders around the world.

"The relaunch of auctions in Shanghai this March marks a monumental chapter in our company's history and underscores our continued commitment and innovation in the Chinese mainland," says Rebecca Yang, chairwoman of Christie's in China.

"The 20th and 21st Century Art: Shanghai Evening Sale brings our footprint here to the next level. It demonstrates our dedication to the China market and support for the new policies by the local authorities, which will enable us to sell works by foreign artists who died after 1949 and that were consigned overseas."

Il Duce, a painting created by Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982, was sold for more than 94 million yuan in Shanghai. This marked the first time a work by the iconic graffiti artist was auctioned in the Chinese mainland. Basquiat's paintings have set records several times at auctions worldwide.

Also featured at the sales in Shanghai were celebrated Western modern art masterpieces from Kees van Dongen, Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso, as well as the 20th and 21st century artists like Basquiat and Amoako Boafo. The auction also includes works by some Chinese artists, such as Huang Yuxing and Ye Linghan.