Artist: Xu Beihong (1895-1953)
Date: Modern, dated 1926
Dimensions: Height 74.0 cm, Width 84.0 cm, Thickness 2.3 cm
Material: Oil on canvas
Gift of Kang Baozhuang and Kang Bao'e
Xu Beihong (1895-1953), originally named Shoukang, was a native of Yixing, Jiangsu, and served as the president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Before studying in France, Xu studied under Kang Youwei in Shanghai. This painting was created during Xu's 1926 visit to Shanghai after returning from Paris to visit his family. During this time, Xu attended a banquet hosted by the literary and artistic community at Kang's invitation, where he showcased his work. Kang highly praised Xu's paintings, stating that Xu, as a painter, "stands unrivaled in China, with no equal".
