Xu Beihong (1948): The Horse in Ink, Between China and the West

Xu Beihong (1895–1953), Horse, 1948. A remarkable example from the artist's mature period, combining traditional Chinese brushwork with Western academic observation. Private French collection.

In 20th-century Chinese painting, few images are as instantly recognizable as Xu Beihong's horse. At once a scholarly study and a moral emblem, the animal concentrates an energy that transcends mere subject matter: it becomes an allegory of will, endurance, and sometimes even a nation in search of renewal. Dated 1948, this ink on paper belongs to a pivotal period, on the cusp of a historical upheaval in China, when artists questioned their heritage while engaging with modernity. Presented at the Millon Paris Asian Art sale on June 11, 2026, this work perfectly illustrates the mastery achieved by the artist at the end of his career.

What is fascinating here is the encounter between two worlds: the ink technique inherited from the literary tradition and the rigor of observational drawing acquired through Western training. In Xu Beihong's work, one does not contradict the other; they combine to create an almost palpable presence. It is precisely this type of convergence that the Gauchet Art Asiatique firm highlights through its work of expertise, authentication, and study of Asian artworks, placing each piece within its historical, technical, and collection context.

Portrait of Xu Beihong (1895–1953), one of the most influential figures in modern Chinese painting and a pioneer in the synthesis of traditional Chinese art and Western academic realism.

Xu Beihong (1895-1953) occupies a central place in the history of modern Chinese painting. Trained in calligraphy and painting from a young age by his father, he continued his studies in Europe, notably in Paris, where he discovered academic teaching, anatomical study, and drawing from life. This Western experience profoundly influenced his artistic approach.

Upon returning to China, he championed an innovative vision: to renew traditional Chinese painting without abandoning it, enriching it with the insights of Western realism. The horse then became one of his favorite subjects. It allowed him to reconcile movement, structural power, and expressive brushwork. In Chinese culture, the horse has long been associated with strength, loyalty, success, and vitality. Under Xu Beihong's brush, it also became the symbol of a modern China looking towards the future.

This work is an ink drawing on paper, signed, sealed, and dated. The inscription "卅七年秋日。悲鴻寫" can be translated as: "On an autumn day in the thirty-seventh year [1948], painted by Beihong." As is often the case in Chinese painting, the writing, the seal, and the image form an inseparable whole. The calligraphy plays an integral part in the composition and contributes to the authentication of the work.

Detail of the horse's head. The vigorous brushwork and flowing mane exemplify Xu Beihong's ability to convey movement, vitality and anatomical precision with remarkable economy of means.

The horse is depicted standing, its body slightly askew and its head turned, as if caught in a moment of stillness. The mane and tail, rendered with quick, energetic brushstrokes, suggest an inner movement and restrained energy. The anatomy reveals the artist's mastery: the neck, chest, shoulders, and joints are constructed with remarkable economy of means. Through a subtle interplay of washes, areas of reserve, and bolder lines, Xu Beihong manages to suggest volume without ever weighing down the composition.

The deliberately blank background contributes fully to the overall balance. In Chinese aesthetics, emptiness is as important as fullness; it creates a sense of breathing space that amplifies the subject's presence. Presented under glass and measuring 76 x 42 cm, the sheet shows slight undulations in the paper as well as a few discreet signs of use, consistent with its age and its very nature as a work on paper.

This ink drawing is distinguished first and foremost by its date of execution. Created in 1948, it belongs to a period when Xu Beihong fully mastered the synthesis between Chinese tradition and Western influence. It displays both the anatomical understanding inherited from his time in Europe and the spontaneous brushwork characteristic of ink painting. This combination constitutes one of the artist's major contributions to Chinese modernity.

The work also benefits from a particularly interesting provenance. Kept for several decades within the same French family, it was reportedly acquired directly from the artist in Shanghai in the late 1940s in a diplomatic context, before remaining in the family's descendants and then being given as a wedding gift in 1980. This collecting history adds a further historical dimension to the interpretation of the work and constitutes an important element in assessing its heritage value.

Galloping horse by Xu Beihong. Works depicting horses remain among the artist's most sought-after compositions and have achieved some of the highest prices in the market for modern Chinese painting.

The market for Xu Beihong's work is now among the strongest and most international in modern Chinese art. His horses, which have become the emblem of his oeuvre, are among the most sought-after images by Asian and Western collectors. Major compositions have regularly fetched several million euros at auction, some exceeding ten million euros at sales held in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. This recognition stems as much from the artist's historical significance as from the iconic power of his pictorial language.

Works on paper of more modest dimensions naturally exhibit a wider range of values. Depending on their quality of execution, size, date, condition, and provenance, Xu Beihong's ink drawings can fetch anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of euros. Works dating from the 1940s are of particular interest to collectors, as they represent a period of artistic maturity during which the artist masterfully blended Western realism with Chinese tradition.

This work will be presented at the Asian Art sale organized by the Millon auction house in Paris on June 11, 2026, as lot 258. Described as an ink on paper, signed, stamped, and dated 1948, it is estimated at between €40,000 and €60,000. This estimate reflects the work's size, quality of execution, provenance, state of preservation, and its place within Xu Beihong's mature oeuvre. Long and continuous provenances, increasingly sought after in the Asian art market, are now a determining factor in the appreciation and valuation of this type of work.

Finally, this ink drawing reminds us of an essential truth: for Xu Beihong, the horse is not merely a subject. It is the embodiment of a new artistic vision, reconciling Chinese pictorial tradition with the Western observation of reality. Each stroke seems animated by an inner tension that lends the animal an almost lifelike presence. For discerning art lovers and collectors alike, the appeal of such works lies precisely in this rare ability to unite technical virtuosity, symbolic scope, and historical significance.

The appraisal of a painting by Xu Beihong requires in-depth analysis of the pictorial style, calligraphy, seals, dating, provenance, and comparisons with documented works by the artist. A leading expert in Asian art, Gauchet Art Asiatique assists collectors, estates, institutions, and auction houses in the authentication, appraisal, and study of ancient and modern Chinese paintings. Through an approach based on stylistic analysis, provenance research, documentary research, and comparison with museum references and market results, Gauchet Art Asiatique helps to place each work within its historical and artistic context, revealing its full heritage, cultural, and collectable value.