Exhibition dedicated to Xu Beihong opens in Shanghai

An exhibition that opened Sunday in Shanghai, is dedicated to Chinese modern art pioneer Xu Beihong.

An exhibition that opened Sunday in Shanghai, is dedicated to Chinese modern art pioneer Xu Beihong. Visitors to Shanghai's China Art Museum will also be able to see works by four French academic masters who influenced Xu's work. The special exhibit marks the 50th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations. 

This stellar piece of art is called "Yu Gong Moves the Mountain." Created by Xu Beihong in 1940, it depicts the perseverance of Chinese workers building the Burma Road in 1937 and 38 during the war against Japanese aggression.

It is one amongst 162 art works related to the great master on show here. 68 of these are on loan from the Xu Beihong Museum.

This painting "Five Hundred Warriors", is among the nation's first class collector's pieces. It was the first work that Xu created after graduating from the National School of Fine Arts in Paris.

These two paintings are on display outside Beijing for the first time.

On display are also art pieces on loan from eight French museums or private collectors, including works by four of his teachers during his study in France. These teachers were established painters themselves.

This canvas, titled "Lakeside", painted by Xu during his study in France, is exhibited alongside his teacher Lucien Simon's work "Bathing Women in Brittany". Portraying similar lakeside scenes, we can see the obvious influence his French teachers had on him.

"Previously we had little exposure to his works created while he was studying in France. Through this exhibition, we can get to know more about his early works," said a visitor.

The exhibition that offers a glimpse into how a master was influenced by other masters, runs until next April.