【正文】
eir different ideas. After he came back to China, he blended them with traditional Chinese painting. He considered Chinese and Western paintings as different branches of art with respective advantages and he thought they should be bined, absorbing the essence and rejecting the dross.Though Xu adopted many Western painting techniques, he was also a master of traditional Chinese painting. He spoke highly of Yan Liben, Wu Daozi, Li Sixun of the Tang Dynasty, Huang Quan and Fan Kuan of the Five Dynasties and Xu Wei, Chen Laolian, Shi Tao and Bada Shanren of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. He also had great admiration for Ren Bonian. According to him, artists should seek after truth and take a proper attitude to life. He summarized seven painting rules in the preface of his book, The Painting Center. The seven rules are proper position, accurate proportion, clear distinction of white and black, natural movements and gestures, harmony between bright and light colors, clear characterization and unambiguous expression of emotions. From these rules, we can see Xu’s careful research into traditional Chinese and Western paintings and his quest to bine the painting methods of the two. The rules provide a good summary of his art practice and also represent a big achievement in modern realist fine arts research.Xu Beihong created thousands of excellent traditional Chinese paintings, oil paintings and sketches during his life. In his traditional Chinese painting Foolish Old Man Removing Mountains, (Fig. 240) oil paintings Five Hundred Soldiers in The Field and Wait After Me, he depicted traditional Chinese folk tales or historical stories to hint obliquely at contemporary realist themes. His works have impeccable position, extensive scenes and rich characterization to reflect the themes. His paintings of animals, flowers and birds, such as Crowing Cock in Storm and Galloping Horses, all reflect positive ideas. His works reveal his concern about society, the people and his devotion to art. Xu Beihong had researched the body shape and characteristics of horses and drew sketches of thousands of horses. The horses under his painting brush bine Western and traditional Chinese painting skills, which have a unique attraction.During his life, Xu Beihong also devoted heart and soul to the education of new artists and made important contributions to fine arts education after the founding of New China.11