Page 258 - Bonhams, The H Collection, Classical Chinese Furniture, May 13, 2021 London

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XU BEIHONG (1895-1953) 徐悲鴻，中國現代畫家、美術教育家，以其開創性的風格改良了傳統
Galloping Horse 中國畫形式，被尊為中國現代美術的奠基者。
Ink on paper, inscribed and signed Beihong, with one seal of the artist,
dated thirty-first year of the Republic of China (1942), framed and glazed. 自二十世紀三十年代，徐悲鴻探索出大寫意馬的筆法，至本畫作創作
58.5cm (23in) high x 42.5cm (16 6/8in) wide. 之時已是駕輕就熟，恣意揮灑。畫中的馬從遠處疾馳而來，四肢騰
空，目視前方，充滿鼓舞人心的力量。悲鴻先生以馬之精神喻人之精
£100,000 - 150,000 神，借物言志，以此抒發愛國情感。
CNY900,000 - 1,400,000
徐悲鴻1895年生於江蘇宜興，自幼隨父習詩文書畫。1915年隻身赴
徐悲鴻 奔馬 一九四二年作 紙本水墨 鏡框裝裱 滬，後結識康有為，深受其變革中國畫思想的影響，並身體力行之，
終成一大流派。

款識：卅一年冬至，悲鴻渝州遣興。 徐悲鴻一生致力於中西融合，以傳統筆墨技法傳達西方寫實主義造型
鈐印：悲鴻 規律。一如此例，以濃淡水墨率筆勾勒加大寫意渲染造型，而精確的
解剖結構和透視技法則體現了其紮實的寫實功底；惟橫掃出的鬃毛及
Provenance: 馬尾相對飛動，應是畫家主觀視角之呈現。在戰火連綿的年代，悲鴻
Lillian Chu Finnerty (1920-2010), and thence by descent 先生為籌款四處奔走。他筆下的奔馬，筆墨酣暢淋漓，盡抒胸臆，疾
Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 November 2015, lot 173 風勁草，無疆不羈，令人觀之振奮，以喚起民眾頑強拼搏，堅韌不拔
An important European private collection 之精神。

來源： 紐約大都會藝術博物館藏一幅林語堂舊藏徐悲鴻作《天馬圖》，收錄於
李佩恩（1920-2010年）收藏，後由家族繼承 劉晞儀著，《Straddling East and West: Lin Yutang, a Modern Literatus》
香港邦瀚斯，2015年11月28日，拍品編號173 ，紐約，2007年，頁52，可為參考。另可比較一幅構圖相似的《奔馬
歐洲重要私人收藏 圖》，售於香港佳士得，2014年5月27日，拍品編號1258。

Xu Beihong is widely recognised as the father of modern Chinese Xu employed freehand strokes, only outlining the critical parts, such as
painting, both for his innovative ink works that revitalised the traditional the nose, the chest and the hooves. Xu Beihong studied the anatomy of
Chinese form, and for his willingness to embrace Western techniques. horses and observed their postures and expressions in great detail; the
shape of the large muscles at the neck, breast and back is accentuated
Winning high acclaim for their bold and lively styles, the horse with ink washes executed in various tones, giving life to a remarkably
paintings by Xu Beihong were highly admired amongst collectors and robust figure, whilst, at the same time, reinstating Xu Beihong’s position
connoisseurs for their strength and vivacity, whilst also expressing Xu’s as a leader of one of the first generation of innovative artists seeking to
desire to show his own feelings of patriotism. reinvigorate the long tradition of Chinese aesthetics.

Born in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, in 1895, Xu grew up in an artistic family Xu’s powerful and passionate images of horses, a traditional symbol
and showed talent at an early age. In 1915, he moved to Shanghai, then of Chinese martial spirit, were intended to inspire patriotic resistance
a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures, to begin his studies. during the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).
There he met Kang Youwei, the scholar and political reformer, who
became his mentor and greatly influenced Xu’s thinking about the need See a related ink on paper depiction of a ‘Heavenly Horse’ by Xu
to incorporate Western practices and ideas into Chinese art. Beihong, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, published by
Shi-yee Liu, Straddling East and West: Lin Yutang, a Modern Literatus,
Throughout his life, Xu Beihong championed the revitalisation of New York, 2007, p.52.
Chinese painting through an integration of Western-style realism
and Chinese brush techniques. Here, using sharp tonal contrasts Compare with a similar ink on paper painting of a galloping horse by
between black ink and white paper, Xu’s swift rendition of the noble Xu Beihong, which was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 May 2014,
steed embodies the spirit of traditional ‘ink play’. The horse’s natural lot 1258.
pose is deftly captured in abbreviated brushwork, however, the
horse’s accurate anatomy and the convincing foreshortening of
its body reflect Xu’s solid grounding in Western academic art. The
powerful demeanour of the unleashed unmounted animal may convey
a Western influence, but its mane and tail, blowing unnaturally in
opposite directions, testify to the artist’s ultimately subjective approach.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
256 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.