Blossoms of Four Seasons, by Yu Fei'an. Photos provided to China Daily

Gongbi master Yu Fei'an's flower-and-bird painting, Blossoms of Four Seasons, was sold for 4.26 million yuan ($695,900) at the Beijing Council International Auction's summer sales, which concluded on Thursday.

The four-screen colored-ink painting gives a lively and meticulous portrayal of flowers, insects and birds from the four seasons, coupled which calligraphic inscriptions at the top of each screen. Yu Fei'an (1888-1959) began the flower-and-bird painting at the age of 46. His later success in the field made much sought-after.

The council put up for sale hundreds of paintings and antiques, which grossed 101 million yuan in total, and featured such artists as Huang Binhong, Lu Yanshao and Xie Zhiliu.

Other highlight sales included an underglaze-blue brush pot from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), which fetched 644,000 yuan.

The council's summer auction will become a regular event between the major spring and autumn sales.