Bonhams Presents Painting by Xu Beihong and Other Chinese Works of Art

Xu Beihong was one of the most influential Chinese artists and educators of the 20th century. Born in 1895, Xu learned traditional Chinese painting from his father, who was a local portrait painter. Between 1919 and 1927, the artist traveled to France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland to study oil painting. These extensive travels connected Xu to Western art. Upon his return to China, Xu began to fuse Western painting methods and classic Chinese painting. An ink and color painting by Xu Beihong will come to auction in Bonhams’ upcoming Chinese Works of Art sale. Xu completed the piece in 1937. Next to a grazing horse is a poetic couplet dedicated to Zuoju.

This auction also features a famille rose vase. Green and sepia enamels accent its pear-shaped body. Bearing a six-character Qianlong mark, the vase shows a mountain scene with stags and does between pines, lingzhi, and peach trees. To view the full listings of Chinese art and register to bid, visit Bonhams.