Xu Beihong（徐悲鴻）

Xu Beihong (1895-1953), born in Yixing of Jiangsu Province, was acclaimed by critics as the father of modern Chinese painting. Xu was a master of styles, both with oils and Chinese inks. He fused Western artistic perspectives and composition techniques with traditional Chinese painting skills.

The artist began to learn painting and calligraphy at the tender age of six. He went to Tokyo, Japan to study the arts in 1917. Later in 1919, he traveled to Paris, France, to study at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. His experiences studying overseas helped him to closely observe and imitate Western artistic techniques. Xu excelled in traditional Chinese painting, sketch drawing and oil painting. His innovative and unique works were sought after by collectors from home and abroad. Xu was best-known for his animal paintings, especially his horses, which were done in splash-ink or brushwork.