XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
Galloping HorseInk on paper, inscribed and signed Beihong, with one seal of the artist, dated thirty-first year of the Republic of China (1942), framed and glazed. 58.5cm (23in) high x 42.5cm (16 6/8in) wide.
注脚
徐悲鴻 奔馬 一九四二年作 紙本水墨 鏡框裝裱款識:卅一年冬至,悲鴻渝州遣興。鈐印:悲鴻Provenance: Lillian Chu Finnerty (1920-2010), and thence by descent Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 November 2015, lot 173An important European private collection來源:李佩恩(1920-2010年)收藏,後由家族繼承香港邦瀚斯,2015年11月28日,拍品編號173歐洲重要私人收藏Xu Beihong is widely recognised as the father of modern Chinese painting, both for his innovative ink works that revitalised the traditional Chinese form, and for his willingness to embrace Western techniques.Winning high acclaim for their bold and lively styles, the horse paintings by Xu Beihong were highly admired amongst collectors and connoisseurs for their strength and vivacity, whilst also expressing Xu's desire to show his own feelings of patriotism. Born in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, in 1895, Xu grew up in an artistic family and showed talent at an early age. In 1915, he moved to Shanghai, then a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures, to begin his studies. There he met Kang Youwei, the scholar and political reformer, who became his mentor and greatly influenced Xu's thinking about the need to incorporate Western practices and ideas into Chinese art.Throughout his life, Xu Beihong championed the revitalisation of Chinese painting through an integration of Western-style realism and Chinese brush techniques. Here, using sharp tonal contrasts between black ink and white paper, Xu's swift rendition of the noble steed embodies the spirit of traditional 'ink play'. The horse's natural pose is deftly captured in abbreviated brushwork, however, the horse's accurate anatomy and the convincing foreshortening of its body reflect Xu's solid grounding in Western academic art. The powerful demeanour of the unleashed unmounted animal may convey a Western influence, but its mane and tail, blowing unnaturally in opposite directions, testify to the artist's ultimately subjective approach.Xu employed freehand strokes, only outlining the critical parts, such as the nose, the chest and the hooves. Xu Beihong studied the anatomy of horses and observed their postures and expressions in great detail; the shape of the large muscles at the neck, breast and back is accentuated with ink washes executed in various tones, giving life to a remarkably robust figure, whilst, at the same time, reinstating Xu Beihong's position as a leader of one of the first generation of innovative artists seeking to reinvigorate the long tradition of Chinese aesthetics.Xu's powerful and passionate images of horses, a traditional symbol of Chinese martial spirit, were intended to inspire patriotic resistance during the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945). See a related ink on paper depiction of a 'Heavenly Horse' by Xu Beihong, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, published by Shi-yee Liu, Straddling East and West: Lin Yutang, a Modern Literatus, New York, 2007, p.52.Compare with a similar ink on paper painting of a galloping horse by Xu Beihong, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2014, lot 1258.徐悲鴻,中國現代畫家、美術教育家,以其開創性的風格改良了傳統中國畫形式,被尊為中國現代美術的奠基者。自二十世紀三十年代,徐悲鴻探索出大寫意馬的筆法,至本畫作創作之時已是駕輕就熟,恣意揮灑。畫中的馬從遠處疾馳而來,四肢騰空,目視前方,充滿鼓舞人心的力量。悲鴻先生以馬之精神喻人之精神,借物言志,以此抒發愛國情感。徐悲鴻1895年生於江蘇宜興,自幼隨父習詩文書畫。1915年隻身赴滬,後結識康有為,深受其變革中國畫思想的影響,並身體力行之,終成一大流派。徐悲鴻一生致力於中西融合,以傳統筆墨技法傳達西方寫實主義造型規律。一如此例,以濃淡水墨率筆勾勒加大寫意渲染造型,而精確的解剖結構和透視技法則體現了其紮實的寫實功底;惟橫掃出的鬃毛及馬尾相對飛動,應是畫家主觀視角之呈現。在戰火連綿的年代,悲鴻先生為籌款四處奔走。他筆下的奔馬,筆墨酣暢淋漓,盡抒胸臆,疾風勁草,無疆不羈,令人觀之振奮,以喚起民眾頑強拼搏,堅韌不拔之精神。紐約大都會藝術博物館藏一幅林語堂舊藏徐悲鴻作《天馬圖》,收錄於劉晞儀著,《Straddling East and West: Lin Yutang, a Modern Literatus》,紐約,2007年,頁52,可為參考。另可比較一幅構圖相似的《奔馬圖》,售於香港佳士得,2014年5月27日,拍品編號1258。
For information and estimates on domestic and international shipping as well as export licences please contact Bonhams Shipping Department.
Bonhams continues to hold viewings and sales in accordance with government guidelines. In order to comply with social distancing guidelines, in-person bidding for this sale will be by reservation only and we recommend registering in advance to confirm your reserved place. To book your place for viewing or bidding in the saleroom, please email suzi.yang@bonhams. You can register on the Bonhams app, online or arrange to bid by telephone or place an absentee bid. For up to date information on the sale and how to register, please contact our Client Services at info@bonhams.com or on 020 7447 7447.
买家佣金及收费 For all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows:
Buyer's Premium Rates 27.5% on the first ?10,000 of the hammer price; 25% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of ?10,000 up to and including ?450,000; 20% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of ?450,000 up to and including ?4,500,000; and 14.5% of the hammer price of any amounts in excess of ?4,500,000.
VAT at the current rate of 20% will be added to the Buyer's Premium and charges excluding Artists Resale Right.
买家责任 ALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.
If you have any complaints or questions about the Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest customer services team.
付款须知 For payment information please refer to the sale catalogue.
运输须知 For information and estimates on domestic and international shipping as well as export licences please contact Bonhams Shipping Department.