Xu Beihong

CHINA, Jiangsu, Wuxi

Xu Beihong was a painter and art educator from Yixing, Wuxi. As a child, his father taught him how to paint, as well as write poetry, essays, and calligraphy. He later studied fine arts abroad in Japan, France, and other parts of Europe. After he returned to China in 1927, he held several positions in various colleges such as National Central University in Nanjing, Shanghai Nanguo Academy of Fine Arts, and Peking University in Beijing. On his world tour in 1933, he participated in Chinese art exhibitions and held solo exhibitions. During the Sino-Japanese War, he sold paintings to aid people in need. Throughout his life, Xu painted nearly 1,000 pieces, nurtured countless artists, and was considered the founder of Chinese contemporary fine arts. His publications include Drawings by Xu Beihong, Oil Paintings by Xu Beihong, and Ink and Colored Paintings by Xu Beihong.
Adept in painting figurative forms, Xu’s works are realistic, and his depictions of flowers, birds, and animals are succinct, lively, and natural. His paintings are a fusion of Chinese and Western stylistic elements.
In 1938, Xu was invited to teach and conduct research for a year at the International University of India. There, he integrated concepts of Yogacara into his artistic creations. In 1939, at the request of monk Guangqia, he made a painting of Master Hongyi to commemorate his 60th birthday. The painting is now kept at the Master Hongyi Memorial Museum at Kaiyuan Temple in Fujian. In the following year, Xu painted a portrait of Master Taixu after an encounter with him. In addition, Master Hongyi’s transcription of the Diamond Sutra contains a line drawing of the Buddha teaching the Dharma done by Xu. Before his passing, he donated all of his artworks and collections to his country, the majority of which are now exhibited at the Xu Beihong Memorial Museum in Beijing.