XU BEIHONG (1895-1953) - photo 1

XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)

Lot 1127
29.05.2022 10:00UTC +08:00
Classic
Sold
HKD 3 276 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationHong Kong, Hong Kong
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 770209
Lot 1127 | XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
Estimate value
HKD 2 500 000 – 3 500 000
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)Galloping HorseScroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper103.8 x 89.2 cm. (40 7⁄8 x 35 1⁄8 in.)Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artistDated twenty-ninth year (of the Republic, 1940) Post lot text Renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist Chen Jiandun was born in the early 20th century and moved from China to Singapore in his youth. While in Singapore, he developed a successful career and founded a business empire in property development, shipping and cement manufacturing in Singapore and Hong Kong. Mr Chen was known for his generosity and philanthropic activities towards his hometown in China, making frequent visits and donations for infrastructure building from the 1950s.As a keen photographer, Mr Chen became friends with many Singaporean artists in the Chinese and Western traditions who opened his eyes to Chinese paintings. With a passion for Chinese art, Mr Chen assembled an impressive collection of Chinese ink paintings throughout his life, with a particular interest in Xu Beihong, a love shared by many of his fellow Southeast Asian collectors. During his visits to China in the 1970s, he met many Beijing artists, such as Huang Zhou, Li Kuchan and Wang Xuetao, from whom he acquired these paintings. Many of these works were dedicated to him by these artists. Seven works from this collection will be offered in the Exquisite Eye: Chinese Paintings Online on 16-30 May 2022.“Of the traditional techniques, one should preserve the outstanding ones, inherit the disappearing ones, change the inadequate ones, and infuse the adaptable Western techniques into one’s work.”– Xu BeihongOf all the Chinese artists of the 20th century, Xu Beihong is arguably the most successful one at amalgamating his artistic pursuits with his sense of social responsibilities. Stylistically, he chose to apply the techniques of Western Realism to traditional Chinese media, widening the pictorial possibilities created by a Chinese painterly lexicon. To him, the brushwork – the most crucial aspect of traditional Chinese painting – was no longer an independent element seeking its own amusement and prominence. Instead, it was employed as one of the tools of expression like charcoal sketches and oil paintings. Unbounded by the formalities of each medium, Xu Beihong conveyed his ultimate artistic vision and spirit by freely utilizing and mixing all the Western and Chinese technical characteristics and media.With relatively fewer works of figures and landscape, Xu Beihong’s oeuvre consists mainly of animal subjects. According to his student Zhang Anzhi, Xu’s animal paintings most fittingly highlight his adherence to traditional Chinese painting as well as his absorption of the Western painting tradition. These works often evince a metaphorical approach, a nod to Chinese literature. Amongst the many animals he had rendered, the horse is undoubtedly his best-known subject.In this session, we present six works by Xu Beihong from the collection of Mr Chen Jiandun, five of which have a horse theme. Created between 1938 to 1941, in locations including Nanjing, Singapore, India, and Malaysia, these paintings came from the period during which Xu reached his mature style and was most prolific. Horse Drinking Water was dedicated to “Madame Kunyi,” a disciple of his friend and fellow artist Gao Qifeng. Three Horses depicts the horses in various stances, a paradigmatic composition that his other versions of the same subjects are based on – an indication that this was one of his favourite original compositions. Running Horse, Galloping Horse, and another Running Horse, while all employing the same subject matter, nevertheless manifest Xu’s accomplished skills at depicting the animal through different perspectives.Xu Beihong displayed a predilection for painting horses early in his career, when he was emulating the animals featured on tobacco boxes. His works on horses were praised by the brothers Gao Qifeng and Gao Jianfu as early as 1916. Initially, he adopted the watercolour methods and painting techniques of Giuseppe Castiglioni. While the forms were anatomically accurate, these works did not exhibit any individual characteristics, as seen in Figure 1. He began his travel and study in Europe in 1919 and returned to China in 1927. During his time abroad, he focused on studying Realism and sketched extensively, using objects from the real world and frequented local zoos. While he did not directly follow the stylistic approaches of his teachers Francois Flameng and Fernand Cormon (Figure 2), he was nevertheless influenced by the dynamism conveyed in their works. After his return to China, his art took a turn toward the traditional Chinese, where ink, colour, and paper became his most frequently used media. As he developed his personal style, he also began to depict his horses in a highly individualized way. Using swift brushstrokes, thick lines were used to model the horse’s body; the “flying white” technique to draw its mane and tail; precise and delicate lines to delineate its features and knees. He rarely used a dry brush, wielding a saturated brush most of the time and painting quickly. He eschewed the background, directing the viewer’s gaze firmly at the horse itself. If Xu Beihong’s majestic lions symbolize the Chinese state, then his horses the individuals – embodying fuller and more urgent emotions and feelings.
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
18 Chater Road Central
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Preview
29.05.2022 – 29.05.2022
Phone +85227601766
Fax +852 2760 1767
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@SGASFO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 18:00   
Tu 09:30 – 18:00   
We 09:30 – 18:00   
Th 09:30 – 18:00   
Fr 09:30 – 18:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

More from Creator

XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
HKD400 000
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
HKD1 000 000
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953) AND ZHAO SHAO’ANG (1905-1998)
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953) AND ZHAO SHAO’ANG (1905-1998)
HKD400 000
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
HKD1 000 000
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
HKD2 000 000
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
HKD3 000 000
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
HKD2 200 000
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
HKD2 800 000

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
×
Save this search query and get timely email alerts! It is simple and very effective.
corinne cuéllar-nathan (1958)
Create a Search Subscription