Xu Beihong (1895-1953) was important in modern Chinese folk art.During
his lifetime,he developed the tradition of combining poetry with
painting.Between 1933 and 1940,he held several exhibitions in Asia and
Europe to promote Chinese art.Across this painting,named Racing
Horse,we can see a horse running at high speed like a missile across
the sky.On the left and right side of the painting,Xu cleverly drew in
black ink to show the moving hair on the horse's mane and tail.He also
used different shades of grey in a creative way to show the sweat along
the horse's body.The painting of dark and light colours is a favourite
of many art lovers.
Qi Baishi (1863-1957) was one of China's greatest painters.He worked
with wood during his early youth.Then between 1902 and 1909,he
travelled across the country and painted many pictures of scenery.His
interest changed later to simple pictures from everyday life,such as
vegetables,flowers,birds,and insects.Cabbage is a well-known example
of Qi's work.The tiny insect near the cabbage has some red on its
back.Its black eyes,which are fixed on the cabbage,show the
creature's interest in the vegetable.Qi Baishi's style of painting
often leaves the audience guessing and makes them use their imagination.
Chen
Yifei (1946-2005) was a very successful artist.His soft portraits of
beautiful women are very valuable.In 1997,one of his paintings sold
for US$503,000.The painting,named Poppy,is a typical example of
Chen's style.In the painting,a young woman sits alone and is deep in
thought.Her hand holding the fan is elegantly positioned above her
knees.To emphasise the woman even more,Chen adds a lot of detail to
the fan and the cloth of her dress,and chooses to paint the background
behind the woman black.
