33 Auction 2018 Singapore Spring Auction - Modern and Contemporary Art (SG026)

XU BEIHONG IN NANYANG
i ii iii
Xu Beihong is renowned for employing
techniques of Western academic realism
to depict scenes of human interest in
China and in portraiture. Using convincing
anatomical proportions and a fixed point
perspective, Xu’s paintings spoke honestly
and directly to people, enabling quick
understanding. Xu started studying Chinese
classical works and calligraphy when he was
just six years old. At 22 years old, he went to
Tokyo to further his artistic training. He was
then invited to teach at Peking University’s
School of Art by Cai Yuanpei, who was a
pivotal figure in Xu’s life. At 24 years old, Xu
went to Paris to study at the École Nationale
Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. His time there
was an impetus that would lift his artistic
experimentations to a whole new trajectory.
The figure in the painting is Lim You-Rui,
(1866-1939), a philanthropist in Nanyang
who carved out a fortune in banking and
agriculture. He tirelessly contributed to
lightening the burdens of those in need,
in particular diverting his considerable
resources to the refugees of war and those
who were hurt during resistance efforts
against the Japanese army in the Second
World War. He also advocated for an
association where fellow immigrants from
Hainan, China, may seek help from when
they arrive in Singapore. The present-day
Hainan Lim Clan association is a result of
his enterprise. As part of his fund-raising
campaigns for anti-war efforts in China, Xu
held a number of exhibitions in Nanyang, and
received strong support from the community
here. Xu therefore made almost yearly trips
to Singapore, resulting in an invaluable
contribution to the art scene. This portrait of
Mr. Lim You-Rui was painted in 1941, 2 years
after the subject’s passing, to express his
gratitude and remembrance of Mr. Lim. The
portrait was gifted to the subject’s family.
Of historical importance, the portrait
illustrates the close-knit community
of Chinese elders in that period, who
exude the spirit of generosity to those in
need without hesitation. The painting is
executed in somber tones to express the
subject’s gravity and his esteemed status in
society. The portrait is a frank and honest
portrayal of the subject’s serenity and
magnanimity, expressing this early pioneer’s
uncompromising integrity and uprightness.
i) Portrait of poet Chen SanYuan
ii) Portrait of Ren Bonian
iii) Portrait of Lim Loh
iv) Honorary chairman of the
Hainan Lim Clan association
v) Hainan Lim Building
vi) News about the passing
away of Mr. Lim You-Rui by
Nanyang Siang Pau, dated on
1 July 1939
v