Although Xu Beihong was celebrated for his paintings of horses, he once said that he painted so many of them only because people liked them. They were indeed well received in Singapore in 1939 as many paintings of horses were said to be executed then. Xu’s horses came to represent the indomitable spirit of China in the face of the Japanese invasions during late 1930s and early 1940s. This symbolism was apt as Xu was a patriot who raised money for the anti-Japanese movement through the sale of his works. Xu’s horses are awe-inspiring and show Xu’s mature handling of the brush. The musculature of the horses in every pose as well as their dignity and elegance, are accurately defined in just a few key strokes.
