'TWO PIGS', BY XU BEIHONG (1895-1953) AND ZHANG SHUQI (1899-1956), DATED 1937 China. Ink and watercolors on paper. Superbly painted with two black pigs standing foursquare side by side below a tree, one with its head raised and turned to the side. The top left corner with a text written in calligraphy about the two pigs.

Inscriptions: Inscribed and signed with 'Shuqi and Beihong in Chengdu, in the twenty-sixth year of the Republic era (corresponding to 1937) and two seals, 'Shuqi' and 'Donghai Wang Sun'. Lower left, a collector's seal, 'Zuhou Yingnan'. Lower right, one seal.

Provenance: From a noted private collector.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few water stains with associated small touchups. The handles with minuscule chips.

Dimensions: Image size 115 x 50 cm, Size incl. mounting 205 x 62.5 cm

Mounted as a hanging scroll with finely carved and lacquered wood 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.

Zhang Shuqi (1899-1956) was a Chinese painter from Zhejiang, noted for painting flowers and birds. He studied at Shanghai under Liu Haisu. For a time he taught at the National Center University. From 1942 to 1946, he lived in the United States. After that, he returned to China for a time, but ultimately settled in the US. His works are held in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Ashmolean Museum, and Stanford University.

Literature comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2012, lot 2591
Description: Xu Beihong (1895-1953), Two Pigs
Expert remark: Compare the closely related depiction of the pigs, with similarly painted snouts and tails. Note the smaller size (89.5 x 53.5 cm).



1937年徐悲鴻與張書旗款《雙豬圖》
中國，紙本設色，掛軸。兩隻黑豬並排站在一棵樹下，一隻抬起頭轉向一邊。濃淡分明的墨色、輕鬆的筆法構造了體態渾圓、憨態可掬的肥豬，趣味十足。

款識：餵豬於期間，有人好肉食。廿六年冬書旗悲鴻合寫于成都。
鈴印：書旗，東海王孫

來源：知名私人收藏。
品相：狀況極好，輕微磨損，少量水漬和相應的小修飾。手柄有微小的缺口。

尺寸：畫面115 x 50 厘米, 總205 x 62.5 厘米

掛軸，配有精緻雕刻的漆木把手。

文獻比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2012年11月30日，lot 2591
描述：徐悲鴻先生雙豬圖
專家評論：比較非常相近同樣以豬為主題，豬的鼻子和尾巴描繪方式類似。注意其尺寸較小（89.5 x 53.5厘米）。