Page 69 - Christie's Fine Chinese Paintings Hong Kong Dec. 1 2015

LOT 1186
PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN

1186

1186 1934
1920
XU BEIHONG (1895-1953) 1953 8 31

Galloping Horse

Scroll, mounted and framed, ink on paper
68 x 112.5 cm. (26 Æ x 44 º in.)
Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist
Dated autumn, jiaxu year (1934)
Dedicated to Madame Linyi

PROVENANCE:

A gift from the artist, and thence by descent.

NOTE:

Galloping Horse was dedicated to Wang Zuwen, a well-respected engineer, architect
and professor who was a close friend of Xu Beihong. Born in the late 19th century, she
graduated from Hanover University in the 1920s, when it was rare for Chinese women to
be educated. She returned to China in 1928 with a degree in engineering, becoming the first
Chinese female engineer accredited abroad.

Like Xu Beihong, Wang and her husband Zhu Zhongguang were from Yixing, Jiangsu
Province; the three of them studied in Europe at the same time. Since returning to China,
Xu had kept in contact with the couple, and wrote a letter dated 31 August, 1953 to invite
them to stay with him in Beijing. Unfortunately, 20 days later, Xu passed away after a
stroke.

HK$1,500,000-2,000,000 US$200,000-260,000

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