A salute to a legend's long life (4)

After receiving numerous awards, in 2006 Zao was made an officer of the Order of the Legion of Honor by the then French president Jacques Chirac.

The market for his work has expanded from Europe and the United States to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia over the past two decades. An increasing number of Chinese mainland collectors also compete for Zao's works at auction.

Leading art market watchdog Artprice.com ranks Zao 23rd in the Top 500 artists by auction revenue in 2012 and ninth among Chinese painters, in its latest report on international art market.

His painting 10.1.68 set a record in 2011 when it was sold for HK$68.98 million ($8.9 million) at Sotheby's in Hong Kong.

"I am not afraid of being old or dead," Zao once said. "As long as I can paint, I am fearless."

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