'TWO GALLOPING HORSES', BY XU BEIHONG (1895-1953), DATED 1948 China. Masterfully painted in a highly expressive manner with bold and vivid brushstrokes, characteristic for the artist, using exclusively black ink against a pure white background. Note the scattered remnants of preliminary sketch work below the final painting, and the distinct horizontal imprints from the edges of the supporting board - both peculiarities occasionally found on works from this artist.

Inscriptions: on the upper left, “in the 37^th year” (of the Republic of China, corresponding to 1948), and signed “Beihong”.

Provenance: From the collection of Dr. Ivan Vodopija, acquired in China during a work trip for the WHO, according to a source familiar with the collection, and thence by descent to the last owner. Dr. Ivan Janko Vodopija (1925-2021) was a noted Croatian physician and expert in tropical medicine and vaccines. He worked for the World Health Organization (WHO) and conducted ground-breaking clinical research on vaccines in many countries. From 1995 to 2002, he was the President of the National Health Council of Croatia and in 2004, he was credited by the WHO for his significant contribution to eradicating polio. Dr. Vodopija was a passionate and eclectic collector of fine art, particularly paintings, and would frequently acquire works during his lengthy stays in foreign countries.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, minimal soiling, little creasing. The silk brocade mounting with significant losses, possibly due to insect activity.

Dimensions: Image size 109 x 40.5 cm, Size incl. mounting 165 x 51.5 cm

With a silk brocade frame and mounted as a hanging scroll with wooden handles.

Xu Beihong (1895-1953) was a Chinese painter, born in rural Yixing during the late Qing dynasty. He began studying classic Chinese works and calligraphy at the age of six, with his father Xu Dazhang, a private school teacher, and Chinese painting at the age of nine. Beihong started from very humble beginnings to become one of the most sought-after, admired and influential painters of China. One of his well-known works, the “Cultivation of the peaceful Land”, sold for 27.4 million euro in 2011 and therefore ranks among the most expensive paintings in the world. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Xu became President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and chairman of the China Artists Association. Xu Beihong, together with Zhang Shuqi and Liu Zigu, were called the "Three Masters of Jinling (Nanjing)." Xu Beihong was a master of both oil and ink paintings. Most of his works, however, were in the Chinese traditional style. In his efforts to create a new form of national art, he combined Chinese brush and ink techniques with Western perspective and methods of composition. He integrated firm and bold brush strokes with the precise delineation of form. As an art teacher, he advocated the subordination of technique to artistic conception and emphasized the importance of the artist's experiences in life. Of all the painters of the modern era, it can be safely said that Xu is the one most responsible for the direction taken in the modern Chinese Art World.

During his career Xu Beihong painted many pictures of horses in various postures. During the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) these images became particularly important, both as symbolic representations of China's strength and perseverance as well as for fund raising to support the war effort. While Xu's equines are characteristically powerful, vibrant, and rendered with anatomical precision, only his best examples have such detailed musculature and brushstrokes that suggest a play of light across the horse's torso, as seen on the anterior horse of the present work. It is quite exceptional to find an example where Xu took the time to paint two galloping horses in a rather small format as opposed to just a single horse. The close attention to modeling that is particularly visible in the heads reveals Xu's skill as a draughtsman and his interest in using Western techniques to enhance Chinese traditional paintings.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 22 March 2019, lot 1136
Price: USD 375,000 or approx. EUR 421,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Xu Beihong 1895-1953, Galloping Horse
Expert remark: Note the significantly larger size (93.7 x 152.7 cm) and that the painting depicts a single horse

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 17 March 2016, lot 1187
Price: USD 47,500 or approx. EUR 57,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Xu Beihong, Galloping Horse
Expert remark: Note the significantly smaller size (25.5 x 45.5 cm) and that the painting depicts a single horse


徐悲鴻款《奔馬圖》，1948年
中國，紙本水墨，掛軸。採用了西方繪畫與傳統沒骨法的技法，有強烈的光影效果，並顯示出了柔軟而富有彈性的質感。

款識：三十七年始寒，悲鴻

來源：Dr. Ivan Vodopija收藏，被世衛組織派去中國公務之時購買，據熟悉該系列的消息人士稱，此畫一直被保存至最後一位繼承人。Dr. Ivan Janko Vodopija (1925-2021年) 是克羅地亞著名的醫生，也是熱帶醫學和疫苗方面的專家。他曾在世界衛生組織 (WHO) 工作，並在多個國家開展了開創性的疫苗臨床研究。從 1995 年到 2002 年，他擔任克羅地亞國家衛生委員會主席，並於 2004年因在根除脊髓灰質炎方面做出的重大貢獻而被世界衛生組織稱讚。Vodopija 醫生是一位美術收藏家，尤其是繪畫，他在國外逗留期間經常會收藏作品。
品相：狀況極好，小磨損，輕微污漬和摺痕。錦地裝幀上有大損失，可能是蟲咬所致。

尺寸：畫面109 x 40.5 厘米，總165 x 51.5 厘米

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2019年3月22日，lot 1136
價格：USD 375,000（相當於今日EUR 421,000）
描述：1935年徐悲鴻《奔馬》
專家評論：請注意尺寸較大(93.7 x 152.7厘米) ，以及僅描繪一隻馬。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2016年3月17日，lot 1187
價格：USD 47,500（相當於今日EUR 57,500）
描述：徐悲鴻《奔馬》
專家評論：請注意尺寸較小(25.5 x 45.5厘米) ，以及僅描繪一隻馬。