Xu Beihong

Xu Beihong (1895–1953) was born into poverty in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, where he began learning painting from his father at age six. Despite extreme hardship in his early years, his talent earned him a place at Peking University, and later a government scholarship to study at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

During eight years in Europe, Xu mastered anatomical drawing, oil painting, and the academic realist tradition — skills virtually unknown in China at the time. Upon returning home, he did something no one expected: rather than abandoning Chinese ink painting, he reinvented it. He applied Western techniques of light, shadow, and anatomical precision to traditional brush-and-ink methods, creating a revolutionary synthesis that transformed modern Chinese art.

His galloping horses, painted in bold ink washes with breathtaking energy and anatomical accuracy, became symbols of the Chinese national spirit — free, resilient, and untamed. During the war years, he used his art to raise funds for the resistance, and his horses came to represent China's determination to overcome adversity.

Xu served as the first president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and mentored an entire generation of Chinese artists. His works are held in the National Art Museum of China, the Xu Beihong Memorial Hall, and major collections worldwide. Today, his paintings regularly achieve eight-figure prices at auction, making him one of the most valued Chinese artists in history.