Xu Beihong, born in 1895 and passed away in 1953, is commonly acknowledged as the “founding father” of contemporary Chinese art and played a crucial role in establishing Socialist realism as a practical art form in the Chinese mainstream. Xu studied in Europe (mainly in France and Germany) for eight years with support from the Beiyang Government. His 8-year art apprenticeship in Europe shaped his aesthetic interest, creative concept, and artistic style for the rest of his life.
The accomplished Xu Beihong returned to China at 32 and began to devote himself to arts education in China and develop his own art career. He participated in the “Southern China Society” and advocated the “Southern spirit of seeking truth before seeking beauty and goodness”. He continued to create large-scale paintings based on historical or ancient fables.
When the Japanese invasion intensified in 1931, Xu painted in support of the anti-Japanese War at home. During this period, his works praised the perseverance of the Chinese people and their indomitable will to win the final victory of the anti-Japanese war. In addition, he also created a large number of realistic subjects and portraits and animal subject artworks.
After the 1949 founding ceremony of the People’s Republic of China, Xu continued his paintings while still in charge of government affairs and administration. He enthusiastically described the new people, new events, and new features in the construction of the new China.
References:
Du, Weihong. “A Turning Point for Guohua?: Xu Beihong and Transformative Encounters With the Socialist Spirit, 1933–1953.” Twentieth-Century China 39, no. 3 (2014): 216-244. doi:10.1353/tcc.2014.0020.
“Xu Beihong.” The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. Oxford University Press, 2015.
Sheri Lullo
Nice work. I would love to see the range of paintings that Xu produced. There are the famous ones that I show in class, but he created so much work it would be interesting to learn about those that are not as often studied.