The 2013 Hosane Autumn Auction will kick off today at the Portman Ritz-Carlton.

Nearly 10,000 artworks and antiques will go under the hammer, including ancient books, letters and notes from celebrities, modern and contemporary paintings and sculptures, ceramics from royal palace and ancient calligraphy.

Watercolor painting is always the highlight at the Hosane auction due to pioneering Chinese auction houses that promote the first generation of the Chinese watercolor artists in the market.

For example, a watercolor, “Farmers returning form work in Liangshan,” by Ha Ding (1923-2003) in 1982 will be auctioned. In the early 1940s, Ha became a noted portrait artist and in the 1950s he wrote influential books, including “How to Draw a Portrait” and “How to Draw with Pencil.” During the cultural revolution (1966-1976), he was criticized and forced to put aside his paintbrushes. His subjects were diverse, including urban scenes, landscapes, still lifes and portraits. Ha was among the first Chinese artists who painted in watercolors on a large scale, expressing subjects with the richness, weight and power of oil painting.

The artist moved to the United States in 1991 and settled in Los Angeles, where he cultivated his interested in Buddhism. He died in the US.

Another highlight for the watercolor painting auction is “Lotus Pond” by Lin Fengmian (1900–1991). He was considered a pioneer of modern Chinese painting for blending Chinese and Western styles. He was also an important innovator in the area of Chinese art education.

It is rare to find one of his watercolor paintings at a local auction.

“In 2012, we auctioned the watercolor paintings created by the first generation of Chinese watercolor artists,” said Geng Jing, spokesperson of Hosane. “Today more and more collectors realize the value of such artworks. As an art genre, its future market potential is quite upbeat.”

Date: Today-tomorrow, 9am

Address: Portman Ritz-Carlton, 1376 Nanjing Rd W.