XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
PROPERTY OF AN ASIAN PRIVATE COLLECTOR
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)

Horse

Details
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
Horse
Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist
Dated thirty-third year (of the Republic, 1944)
Dedicated to Danjiu
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
113.3 x 66 cm. (44 5/8 x 26 in.)
20th Century
Provenance
Lot 782, 25 May 2009, Fine Chinese Modern Paintings, Christie's Hong Kong.
Further Details
Horses are one of Xu Beihong's most popular subjects. Winning high acclaim for their bold and lively style, Xu's horses are admired by collectors and connoisseurs for their charm, and for their expression of patriotic feelings. Long regarded as a symbol of strength and peserverance by the Chinese, Xu's horses created during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), like Horse, exemplified Chinese resistance against foreign invasion and symbolized the spirit of a new nation. These paintings were highly appreciated by overseas Chinese who had great sympathy for the people and condition of China.
Xu Beihong studied the anatomy of horses and observed their postures and expressions in great details, resulting in his unique style of horse painting. Painted with bold and elegant brushwork, the painting speaks of a horse of noble character with firm footing and proud gaze, employed with both freehand strokes and traditional outlining techniques in its rendering. The skillful and witty play of ink wash and blank space makes the horse stand out from the paper. Using confident and simple strokes of thick and dry ink, the texture and movement of the mane and tail fluttering in the wind is vividly illustrated, contributing to a magnificent composition of a horse in movement.

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Yanie Choi
Yanie Choi

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