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Lot 60
Description:
XU BEIHONG
Chinese, 1895-1953
War-Horse and Calligraphic Couplet
ink and colour on paper
inscribed, signed, and dated July 1939 in Singapore, with one seal of the artist
徐悲鸿《哀鸣思战斗 / 书法对联》1939年作 彩墨 纸本 ; 水墨 紙本
题识：哀鸣思战斗，迥立向苍苍。廾八年（1939）七月，悲鸿。铃印：徐；题识：劝君更尽一杯酒，与尔同消万古愁。槐准先生雅教，廾八年（1939）七月悲鸿写于星洲。铃印：鸿爪
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Provenance:
Property of Important Singapore collector;
Christie's Hong Kong, Fines Chinese Modern Paintings, 26 Nov 2019, Lot 1303
来源：重要新加坡私人收藏；佳士得香港 2019年11月26日 编号1303 - Dimensions: 127 x 26.5 cm. (50 x 10.42 in.), 121 x 69 cm. (47.64 x 27.17 in.), 127 x 26.5 cm. (50 x 10.42 in.)
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Literature:
A pivotal figure in modern Chinese art, Xu Beihong's creative output and influence throughout the 1930s and 40s continue to resonate with people's patriotic sentiments to this day. From early 1939 to 1942, he spent nearly three years in the Nanyang regions, using his brush and ink to forge a path of resistance and national salvation with art as its spiritual guidance. China was in a tense and critical period of the anti-Japanese war at that time. Xu traveled tirelessly, determined to leave for Singapore to hold art exhibitions and raise war funds for his country. He departed from Guilin, made a stop in Hong Kong, and eventually arrived in Singapore. Although his journey was fraught with obstacles, none of them diminished his original intention to sell his paintings and donate the funds to the nation.
Upon reaching Singapore, Xu was profoundly impacted by the local social and cultural environment and created a group of paintings and calligraphic works with a highly distinctive personal style, which were later scattered across various parts of Southeast Asia. Most of these works are small in scale yet powerful, a stark contrast to the narrative grandeur of the monumental pieces for which he was known. Constrained by the environment and limited material conditions, many papers were sourced from scraps and offcuts, yet this did not overshadow his impassioned outcry about life, society, and history. Beyond formal differences, these over a thousand paintings and calligraphies produced during his sojourn across Southeast Asia and India carry not only Xu's personal sense of patriotism but also highlight a unique mechanism of wartime art. The immediate stir and expression of emotions embedded within them closely linked people from all walks of life, transcending ethnic boundaries and completing the final puzzle piece of wartime artistic expression.
Among these works, horses are the most common subject matter. Chinese painting has long had the tradition of "using objects to metaphorize people" and "conveying emotions through objects." Xu employed a blend of Chinese and Western brushwork and stylistic language to capture the inherent spirit of animals, thereby reflecting his understanding of the era. Whether it is the majestic lion representing the indomitable spirit of Chinese ethnicity, the steed symbolizing the artist himself, the magpie as an auspicious harbinger of good news, or the most ordinary sparrow, each work appears vividly alive under varied brushstrokes and ink shades as if they are leaping off the paper. Though relatively small in scale, these works are rich in detail with crisp and incisive strokes, fully realizing Xu's lifelong artistic aspiration of "extend far and attain profound refinement." Such mastery of shaping forms was inseparable from his years of art education in France, which enabled him to adeptly integrate the essence of Western realism into modern Chinese painting, harmonizing brush techniques of oil with those of ink. It also fostered a grand vision within him to carry through the reform of Chinese painting to its ultimate realization.
In the aftermath of the war, many works of Xu were unfortunately destroyed or went missing, and those that have survived and resurfaced are nothing short of a miracle, owing to the guardianship and inheritance of Xu's friends and collectors. This auction presents a set of three hanging scrolls composed of an ink work with a calligraphic couplet created in 1939, bringing the long-hidden chapter of history back to life. Through these ink-on-paper works, people can sense the historical context and the indomitable patriotic spirit behind the maestro's creation during wartime.
Xu's horse paintings follow a clear evolution. Influenced by his father, he began depicting horses in his youth. His early works were characterized by a strong emphasis on sketching from life, with a focus on physical details in a poetic manner. After returning from his studies in France, formal training in anatomy led him to paint in a new style that fused Eastern and Western elements. Through the use of negative space and varying shades of ink, his depictions highlight the skeletal volume of the galloping, standing, and drinking horses.
A further major shift occurred during his time in Nanyang. Devoted to holding art exhibitions and raising war funds for China, Xu traveled extensively in foreign lands, internalizing the symbol of the horse as a projection of his own unwavering resolve to resist the Japanese invasion, using the horse's spirited posture to express his state of mind. As this lot demonstrates, the horses he portrayed in this period typically possess long, slender limbs, robust and powerful, with flat abdomens, and an alert, vigorous bearing; some are ever-vigilant, while others gaze into the distance, evoking associations with war-horses fighting across battlefields. The brilliance of Xu's technique lies in the fact that he needs no saddles or bridles adorned on the horses; the aura exuded by the subject itself is sufficient to convey the momentum of the horse galloping far ahead and charging into battle. In this lot featuring a standing horse, the composition is brimming with dynamism: lines flow and change constantly; broad and slanted strokes give form to large masses of the body, while swift brushwork highlights the horse's flowing mane and muscular form; finer strokes were employed to outline details such as the joints. Inscribed with Xu's quote of a famous line by Tang dynasty poet Du Fu, "With a mournful neigh it longs for battle; standing apart, it faces the vast azure sky," the image of a full-bodied, indomitable fighter leaps off the paper. When Xu painted the horse, he was also painting his own character and spirit.
The pair of calligraphic couplets on both sides reads, "I invite you to drink another cup of wine; together we shall dispel the sorrow of eternity." Xu blended the lines of two other Tang dynasty poets, Wang Wei and Li Bai. The first line expresses a mutual appreciation between friends and a wish for strength as they face a long and arduous journey, while the second line voices a proud, fiery sentiment born of frustration at political setbacks, precisely reflecting Xu's circumstances at that time. His brushwork reveals the classical dignity of regular script alongside the unrestrained vigor of running script, fully demonstrating the accumulated depth and burst of a man in his forties. Dedicated to his friend Han Huaizhun, the owner of "The Garden of Foolish Indulgences," with this work, Xu was clearly high-spirited. Even though the situation was critical, Xu remained full of faith in his grand plan to raise war funds and save his country. Offered Xu extensive help since his arrival in Singapore and shared a deep friendship, Han was a renowned Singaporean archaeologist and was also known as a famed collector in the 1930s. He helped Xu preserve and transport his paintings and collections when the Japanese forces occupied Singapore in 1942.
This modern maestro had always believed that art should be created for the nation and its people. He devoted his entire life to this principle, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to the war of resistance and the development of Chinese art. During his days in Nanyang, Xu experienced a series of remarkable encounters and enjoyed ample time for free artistic practices, yet his heart remained deeply attached to his homeland disturbed by war, making those three years in Nanyang a summit of his artistic career. It is said that viewing a painting is like observing an artist's personality and demeanor. Whether in his impromptu calligraphy or a piece drawn after careful observation, Xu's work always embodies the purest "truth, goodness, and beauty." Leaving a significant influence in the art history of a foreign land, Xu's experience in Nanyang stands not only as proof of his intimate connection to that place but also marks a milestone breakthrough in his exploration of modern humanistic discourses.
作为中国近现代画坛中的关键人物，徐悲鸿在上世纪三、四十年代的创作和影响力至今仍牵动着人们的家国情怀。从1939年初到1942年，近三年的南洋经历间，徐悲鸿用笔墨铸就了一条以艺术为魂的抗战救国之路。当时中国正经历抗日战争中紧张又关键的节点，徐悲鸿四处奔走，决意启程前往新加坡开办画展，筹集赈款。他从桂林出发借道香港，辗转到了新加坡。尽管下南洋的一路上阻碍重重，都未曾消减他想要卖画捐与国家的初心。
到达新加坡后，徐悲鸿受到当时异乡社会和人文环境的影响，创作了一批极具个人风格的书画作品，后流落在南洋各地。这批作品大多小巧精悍，与为人熟知的鸿篇巨制的叙事铺陈产生了极大的反差感，虽然受到当时创作环境和物质条件的限制，许多纸张都取材于边边角角，但这并不能影响他发出的对生命、社会、历史的激昂呐喊。除了单纯形式上的差异，这些在东南亚各地与印度游历期间所创作的超千件书画承载的不仅是徐悲鸿作为爱国主义个人的信念感，更突出体现了战时艺术的一种独特机制，即时的情感动员与情绪表达紧密链接了各界人士，那是一种超越民族界限的魄力，使战时艺术面貌的最后一块拼图得以补全。
其中，马是这批作品中最常见的题材。中国画自古就有“借物喻人”、“寄物抒情”的传统，徐悲鸿当时做的则是通过中西结合的笔法与造型语言，捕捉动物本身具有的精神性，来抒发对时局的感怀。不论是代表中华民族不屈精神的雄狮，隐喻自我的骏马，取祥瑞报喜之意的喜鹊，还是最平常不过的麻雀，件件都在多番变幻的线条与墨色勾勒下显得极为生动，跃然纸上。尺幅虽小，但五脏俱全，落笔毫不含糊，干净锋利，用实践回应了他“致广大，尽精微”的艺术志向。这样的造型能力离不开多年的留法学艺经历，使他能够熟练地将西方现实主义精神融入进新中国画，兼容油画与水墨的用笔，同时在心中升起一股将中国画改良进行到底的宏大愿景。
在经历纷飞的战火后，许多作品已不幸被损毁或不知所踪，仍能有这样一部分留下来并重新现世，已是一种奇迹，这少不了徐悲鸿一众曾经的好友与收藏家的守护与代代相传。本场拍卖重磅呈献一组创作于1939年的三立轴绘画与书法对联，将尘封的历史再次开启，透过纸面感受这位巨匠在战时进行艺术创作背后深刻的历史性和自强不息的民族精神。
徐悲鸿画马有一条清晰可循的发展脉络。受父亲的影响，少年时他便开始了对马的刻画，写生是当时风格中最突出的特点，注重肢体细节，文静诗意。赴法国留学归来后，正规的解剖训练让他画马又形成了中西融合的新特征，画面中恰到好处的留白与墨色浓淡的铺陈使主体更显骨骼量感，不论是奔马、立马、饮马，皆有健硕的肌肉。
再次产生重大转变则是发生在南洋期间。一心致力于开办画展为国家筹款的徐悲鸿辗转他乡，将马的形象内化为对自身坚定抗战志向的投射，借马匹昂扬的姿态抒发自己的心境。正如这件拍品所展现的，这一阶段的马大多四肢修长，铿锵有力，腹部平坦，精神抖擞，或时刻警惕，或高瞻远瞩，不禁让人将其与战场上热血奔腾的战马相联系。但徐悲鸿作画的精妙之处在于，他无需给马戴上鞍辔或缰绳，仅用主体所散发的气场，就足以承载那种一骑绝尘、冲锋陷阵之势。恰如此幅以立马为造型的创作，动态感十足，线条变化层出不穷，用侧锋体现大块的体积，飞笔突出鬃毛飞扬的矫健身姿，亦有更精细的笔法用于勾描关节等细节之处。再配以唐代诗人杜甫名句“哀鸣思战斗，迥立向苍苍”的题识，一个饱满、不屈的斗士形象跃然纸上。徐悲鸿在画马，更是在画自己做人的品格与心胸。
左右一对对联“劝君更尽一杯酒，与尔同消万古愁”结合了另两位唐代文豪王维与李白的诗句，上句叹与友人惺惺相惜、即将面对长途艰辛的祝愿，下句论仕途失意后的愤懑豪言，这不正是徐悲鸿当时真实境遇的写照。他的笔力中透露着楷书的古典端庄，也有行草的奔放，笔墨间尽显不惑之年的厚积薄发。以此作赠送给自他来到南洋便提供帮助的好友“愚趣园”主人韩槐准先生，徐悲鸿可谓意气风发，即便情况危急，但仍然对自己的抗战救国大计充满信念。韩槐准是新加坡著名考古学家，且在1930年代文物收藏领域小有名气，与徐悲鸿交情深厚。他曾在1942年日军攻占新加坡时帮助徐悲鸿保存与运输他的绘画作品与器物收藏。
这位近现代巨匠曾言：“艺术是为国为民而生的。”他毕生倾尽心血，用行动为抗战、为中国文化艺术发展鞠躬尽瘁。他身在南洋时，经历种种精彩的际遇，能够有充足的时间自由创作，但心中深切挂念的仍是战火中的家国，这也让南洋的三年成为徐悲鸿艺术生涯的一个巅峰。有言道，看画如看人的品格和风度，徐悲鸿不论即兴发挥的书法还是写生观察后的落笔都体现了最纯粹的“真善美”。并且，能在异国他乡的美术发展史上留下浓墨重彩的一笔，徐悲鸿的南洋经历不仅是他与这片土地深刻渊源的证明，更是他对于现代人文关怀议题的一次里程碑式的突破。 - Medium: ink and colour on paper
- Notes: Pick-up location: Singapore
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Condition:
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May 24, 2026 3:00 PM SST
Singapore, Singapore
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Bid Increments
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| SGD 0 | SGD 999 | SGD 50 |
| SGD 1,000 | SGD 1,999 | SGD 100 |
| SGD 2,000 | SGD 4,999 | SGD 200 |
| SGD 5,000 | SGD 9,999 | SGD 500 |
| SGD 10,000 | SGD 19,999 | SGD 1,000 |
| SGD 20,000 | SGD 49,999 | SGD 2,000 |
| SGD 50,000 | SGD 99,999 | SGD 5,000 |
| SGD 100,000 | SGD 199,999 | SGD 10,000 |
| SGD 200,000 + | SGD 20,000 |