Two Horses, Xu Beihong

Archive Label 2003: Xu Beihong played an important role in Chinese art by introducing Western modernism into it after studying in France and Germany in the 1920s. His beliefs, including one that straight copying of Western art was empty and that Chinese artists should integrate Western styles with traditional Chinese styles, shaped the direction of modern art in China. Here, Xu employs traditional media with great vigor. He uses spirited brushstrokes of varying tonalities to impart a feeling of naturalism and power. The horse was a personal symbol of strength in time of adversity to Xu. The inscription on this painting reads: "Painted in the summer of 1947 as a means to dispel my sorrow, by Beihong." Archive Label date unknown: Xu Beihong studied in France and Germany in the 1920s, and became an important figure in introducing Western ideas and shaping the direction of modern art in China. He believed that Chinese artists should not just copy the West, but also should integrate Western and native styles. Although using the traditional media of ink and paper, Xu's spirited brushstrokes of varying tonalities invest the horses with a sense of naturalism and power. Inscriptions on some of his horse paintings indicate that he employed the horse as a symbol of strength in a time of adversity.