A cat

XU Beihong, a native of Yixing in eastern Jiangsu province, was one of China's most influential artists and art educators of the 20th century. During 1919-1927 he received a solid academic training in Paris at the Académie Julian and the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Xu also studied under Arthur Kampf, President of the Berlin Academy of Art, while living in the German capital from 1921 to 1923.

He was best known for his history paintings, portraits, and pictures of horses, cats, and other animals. He was competent both in Western media and in the traditional Chinese ink-and-wash method. His rigorous and stylish illustrations of horses were especially highly acclaimed by Chinese critics and connoisseurs and this fame helped him gain an international reputation.

The inscription on the top left corner reads 'Ri chang ru xiao nian', meaning the day is as long as a short year. This phrase reflects the artist's pessimism during the period of the Japanese Occupation (1937-1945).

Asian Art Department, AGNSW, September 2011