16 | Friday, July 3, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE Mansions for the master A new museum dedicated to Chinese art pioneer Xu Beihong opens in Chongqing, Lin Qi reports.
u Beihong (18951953) ranks among the leaders of Chinese art’s moderni zation in the 20th centu ry.X He spent his time in many places, but the mountainous city of Chong qing, where he lived from 1937 to ’46, held a special place in his heart. There he witnessed the plight of ordinary people during World War II. He was motivated to create paint ings to encourage the public to have faith in the final triumph of the war. He held painting classes and often met other cultural figures and dis cussed a future national fine arts academy. Chongqing was also his home base when he undertook a three year journey throughout the coun try and then Southeast Asia and India, during which he painted, exhibited and raised funds for Chi nese back home for their resistance against invaders. Xu’s wife, Liao Jingwen (1923 2015), once said that in his later years, the master artist often recalled his time in Chongqing. understood in art depicting historic “Paintings he created there fea events and notable figures, but it is ture places in Chongqing, such as also well presented in works like Hualongqiao and Panxi. He devel Baren Jishui that “show common oped a strong attachment to the city scenes of daily life to reflect the suf while he was there,” she said. fering of people at the grassroots in An Unwavering Strength to Over difficult times, as well as their come All Obstacles, an ongoing exhi unyielding courage”. bition in Chongqing through Sept The museum has recreated Xu 13, pays tribute to Xu’s time in the Beihong’s studio and study. And it metropolis along the Yangtze River has opened to the public a basement by showing 23 of his paintings. of some 130 square meters in one of The exhibition’s opening was part the mansions. of the inauguration of the Peon Art Built with bricks, the basement Museum Chongqing on June 19. was where he stored books and took Peon is Xu’s French name. He shelter from bombings during war attended Ecole des BeauxArts in time. The basement also kept Xu Paris in the 1920s. Above: An ongoing exhibition displays 23 paintings by Xu Beihong, Beihong cool during Chongqing’s The new museum comprises two as part of the inauguration of the Peon Art Museum Chongqing. infamous summer, allowing him to mansions in which Xu had lived Top: The museum features a recreation of Xu’s former study. paint and sometimes hold lectures between 1942 and 1946, inside the PHOTOS BY XIAN ZHUOHENG / FOR CHINA DAILY for young artists and meet friends. Shi Family’s Residence. It’s a place of He often received noted artists, gardens and mansions blending also presented the hardships of same except for one difference: Xu including Zhang Daqian and Wu Chinese and Western architectural ordinary people in a realistic way. Beihong changed the face of the Zuoren, there to talk about a future styles built in 1931 by Shi Rongting, a At the center of the current exhi young man in the center of the origi national fine arts academy. Xu Bei wealthy businessman in Chongqing. bition is Baren Jishui (People in nal work into his own face. The sec hong headed the Central Academy After returning to the city from Chongqing Drawing Water), a 3me ond painting sold to the diplomat of Fine Arts in Beijing from 1946 his journey abroad, Xu was invited terlong ink painting produced in fetched 171 million yuan ($24 mil until his death. by Shi, an art lover himself, to move Chongqing in 1938. It shows resi lion) at a Beijing auction in 2010. He sought to reform classical Chi into his family estate. For the next dents of the city climbing flights of The original Baren Jishui was nese painting by infusing oilpaint four years, the two mansions stairs to fetch water from the river, also on show at Nation and Era, an ing approaches and influenced became Xu’s home and studio. with many having to repeat the rou exhibition held at the National Art many young artists. A renovation project completed tine several times a day. Museum of China in 2018, showing The current exhibition also has last year gave Xu’s former home a While expressing his compassion how Xu Beihong encouraged people dozens of paintings by four other facelift to turn it into an art muse for the ordinary people in the paint to strive for independence and artists — Li Keran, Li Hu, Zong Qixi um in his name. ing, Xu brightened the tone by add righteousness through his works. ang and Zhang Anzhi, all of whom The show An Unwavering It’s estimated that Xu created ing clusters of lush bamboo and Wu Weishan, director of the were inspired by Xu Beihong to Strength to Overcome All Obsta more than 300 artworks while he plum blossoms to indicate people’s National Art Museum of China, then establish their own styles. cles features paintings Xu Bei was in Chongqing. He held a solo persistence. said the work revealed the humane Xu Qingping, the son of Xu Bei hong (top left) created in exhibition in the city in 1943, show When the painting appeared at an side of Xu Beihong, who came from hong, says the new museum is dedi Chongqing in the 1930s and ing oil paintings, Chinese paintings exhibition in Hong Kong in 1938, it a humble background, growing up cated not just to the memory of his ’40s. The bestknown piece is and sketches that attracted thou moved many in the audience, includ in rural Jiangsu province in East father but also other artists who Baren Jishui (People in Chong sands of visitors in three days. ing an Indian diplomat, who wished China. Wu quoted the artist as often thought about the wellbeing of qing Drawing Water), a 3meter Xu is known for depicting figures to buy it. Since the painting was saying, “People may have no pride, ordinary people and strove for the long ink painting (above). Other in history and fables to hail heroism. inscribed with “a gift to my beloved but cannot live without integrity.” country’s future. highlights include Chasing He often painted galloping horses, wife”, Xu is said to have painted Huang Zuolin, head of Chongqing “It stands as a monument to their Wind (left, center) and Cats. flying eagles and roaring lions to another one for the diplomat. Normal University’s fine arts col devotion and tenacity,” he says. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY symbolize perseverance, sparking Xu Ji, Xu Beihong’s grandson and lege, attended the Chongqing muse patriotic feelings among fellow Chi the Chongqing exhibition’s curator, um’s opening. Huang says the Contact the writer at nese to not give in to invaders. Xu says the two pieces look much the national spirit can not only be [email protected]