US$27.6 million for early van Gogh work ‘a good price’, observer says as Christie’s talks up results of auction where most bidding was low.

A Vincent van Gogh painting displaying the artist's shift from dark realism to vibrant impressionism could become the most expensive Western painting sold in Asia if it fetches its top estimated value of $50 million at a Hong Kong auction on Thursday.

HONG KONG -- A landscape painting by Vincent van Gogh fell short of expectations at Hong Kong Christie's sale on Thursday, as a sluggish Chinese economy weighed on demand for blue-chip art pieces in the region.

Christie’s opened its new headquarters in Hong Kong, capping off a series of real estate expansions by auction houses in the financial hub.

A VINCENT van Gogh painting displaying the artist’s shift from dark realism to vibrant impressionism sold for US$32.2 million at a Hong Kong auction on Thursday (Sep 26), falling short of expectations that it would fetch a record-breaking price.

A Vincent van Gogh painting is expected to hammer for its $50 million high estimate at Christie's Hong Kong on Thursday. It is being offered in the 20th/21st Century evening art sale that will inaugurate the house's new Asia Pacific HQ,