Featured Artist in Collection

A renowned Chinese contemporary painter and art educator, Xu Beihong often chose horses, lions, cows, cats, eagles, and geese as his subjects. Employing an ordinary style, his representations of forms were accurate and lifelike.

He served as a professor in the Art Department of National Central University as well as the President of the Art Academy at Beijing University. Xu Beihong’s works occupy an important position in contemporary Chinese art. His greatest accomplishment in oil painting was his fusion of the Impressionistic use of light and color with the strict, classical adherence to a perfect representation of structure and shape. Xu masterfully combined ancient and modern techniques as well as Chinese and non-Chinese techniques. He is also revered for his exceptional contributions to the development of the Chinese art industry, and in particular, his eye for talent.

In December 2011, Xu Beihong’s Cultivation on the Peaceful Land was auctioned for RMB$266,800,000 (approximately US$41,918,700). This work called Shuang E Tu (A Pair of Geese) is one of Xu’s geese paintings, a subject he was most skilled at depicting.