The 13th-century Chinese painter Chen Rong was little known to modern-day collectors until his painting, Six Dragons, sold for 309 million yuan ($48.96 million) at a New York auction in March.

Only 22 paintings attributed to Chen are known to exist today, including one in the collection of the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, titled Dragon amid Clouds, which depicts a twisting dragon that is cruising into the mist. The work stands as an example of Chen's excellence in the motif of dragons.

Dragon amid Clouds,Chen Rong [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

It is now on show at NAMOC's exhibition of a selection of flower-and-bird paintings in its collection, through March 4.

The flowers and birds have been one of the three recurring themes of classic Chinese ink-brush painting.

Painters depict all kinds of animals and plants to express their understanding of the relationship between humans and other species.

The ongoing exhibition shows works created by both ancient painters and modern masters, such as Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong and Pan Tianshou.