Xu Beihong (徐悲鴻 19 July 1895-26 September 1953) Chinese traditional scroll painting, ink and color on paper laid to silk, hanging scroll. Signed and dated, in the late Autumn of Mingguo 32nd year (ca. 1943).
Swift, fat brushstrokes make up the lion’s form while a wash of paint creates the stone upon which it stands, by Xu Beihong (1895-1953). Lions typically symbolize strength, ferocity, and good luck in China among other symbolic meaning. Xu Beihong is well known for his work depicting horses and different birds. This painting is affixed to a sturdy scroll that can be hung from a single cord. Semi-cursive script calligraphy was written in the blank lower right corner followed by a red seal.


Dimensions: Scroll Height: 82 1/8" Width: 36 1/4" Painting Height: 39 1/8" Height: 25 3/4"

PROVENANCE:
From the heirloom collections of Wu Guozhen (吳國楨; October 21, 1903-June 6, 1984) was a Chinese political figure and historian, government official who served as mayor of Hankow (1932-1938), mayor of Chung-king (1939-1941), political vice minister of foreign affairs (1943-45), mayor of Shanghai (1946-1948), and governor of Taiwan (1950-1952) and the former Chairman of Taiwan Provincial Government. He resigned in 1953 and went to the United States.

K.C. Wu lived in the United States where he served as professor of Chinese history at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia. During his time in the United States, he wrote various works, including a detailed analysis on Chinese culture in the context of mythology and early history in his book The Chinese Heritage.

Wu is remembered mainly for his vital role in the formation of a liberal modern Taiwan and his anti-communist beliefs typical of a member of Kuomintang, but he is also remembered for his brave anti-Kuomintang rhetoric and turbulent disagreements with the more Russian-styled second President of Taiwan.

The Collections of Wu Guozhen (吳國楨) presented and offered up to auctions
ON DAY-1: from Lot-97 through Lot-127, continued from Lot-219 through Lot-255.
ON DAY-2: from Lot-354 through Lot-377, continued from Lot-451 through Lot-480.


LOT NOTES:
Xu BeiHong (徐悲鴻 19 July 1895-26 September 1953) was a Chinese painter born in Yixing, Jiangsu province. He was primarily known for his Chinese ink paintings of horses and birds and was one of the first Chinese artists to articulate the need for artistic expressions that reflected a modern China at the beginning of the 20th century. He was also regarded as one of the first to create monumental oil paintings with epic Chinese themes - a show of his high proficiency in an essential Western art technique.
Xu began studying classic Chinese works and calligraphy with his father Xu Dazhang when he was six, and Chinese painting when he was nine. In 1915, he moved to Shanghai, where he made a living off commercial and private work. He travelled to Tokyo in 1917 to study arts. When he returned to China, he began to teach at Peking University's Arts school at the invitation of Cai Yuanpei. Beginning in 1919, Xu studied overseas in Paris at the Ecole Nationale Suprieure des Beaux-Arts, where he studied oil painting and drawing. His travels around Western Europe allowed him to observe and learn Western art techniques. Xu Beihong still wrote regularly for the Daily University of Peking University that dealt with wider issues then just campus politics. Xu addressed issues of Art and Art History and in 1920 a university art journal called Painting Miscellany was published.

Natural imperfection on the medium (paper or silk), regardless from any major damages; includes light blooms, discoloration and minor fading. Consider normal due to the ages.

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