Magpie on Willow Branch, 1939 Ink and light colour on paper, framed Signed Beihong, with one seal of the artist Dated to the twenty-eighth year (1939) of the Republic era. 69cm (27 1/8in) high x 35cm (13 3/4in) wide.
徐悲鴻 報喜圖 淡設色紙本 鏡框 一九三九年作 款識：廿八年（1939）十一月，悲鴻 鈐印：徐
Provenance: Monk Fayin (1927-1992), Singapore Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 June 2022, lot 725
來源： 法因法師（1927-1992），新加坡 香港邦瀚斯，2022年6月2日，拍品編號725
Monk Fayin (1927–1992), also known as Han Qiguang 韓奇光 and Shiyu 詩雨, was the nephew of Han Huaizhun 韓槐準 (1892–1970), a renowned porcelain expert and historian in Singapore who had a close friendship with Xu Beihong. Through his uncle's connections, Han Qiguang became acquainted with many prominent figures in the art world and amassed a collection that included works by esteemed artists such as Xu Beihong, Zhao Shaoang, Liu Haisu, and Cheng Shifa.
Xu Beihong (1895-1953) was a master of his generation, known for blending Chinese and Western painting styles. In his traditional Chinese paintings, he established a series of iconic images, including galloping horses, lions, water buffaloes, roosters and magpies, each depicted with distinctive character.
The present painting is distinguished by its simplicity and exceptional quality. It features a magpie perched on a willow tree branch, while willow branches sway gracefully in the background, painted with fluid and expressive brushwork. The artist used bold, wet brushstrokes to outline the magpie, employing light ink washes to define its long beak and rounded body, creating a soft interplay of light and shadow. White pigment was added to certain areas to enhance the three-dimensional effect. The willow branches were drawn with fine lines, as delicate as silk threads. The slender branches convey a sense of quiet movement, as if poised between stillness and motion.
See a related painting of two magpies on willow branch, signed by Xu Beihong and dated 1942, in the collection of the Henan Provincial Museum, mentioned in Henan sheng zhi: wenwuzhi (河南省志·文物志), Zhengzhou, 1993, pp.619-620.
See a related painting of magpies under the willows, signed by the artist and dated 1947, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4 April 2013, lot 1229.
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