Xu Beihong at Denver Art Museum

Xu Beihong: Pioneer of Modern Chinese Painting
Denver Art Museum
30 October, 2011 – 29 January, 2012

Xu Beihong: Pioneer of Modern Chinese Painting, the first exhibition in the United States to explore the work of the 20th century artist who is widely recognized as the father of modern Chinese painting, opens October 30 at the Denver Art Museum (DAM). One of the first Chinese artists to study in Europe, Xu integrated Western techniques with traditional styles, creating a new, modern style of Chinese painting. As a prominent teacher and global ambassador for Chinese art whose work was exhibited widely throughout Asia and Europe, he is credited with revolutionizing the nation’s arts institutions and reshaping international perceptions of Chinese art.

DAM’s landmark exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see major works from Beijing’s Xu Beihong Memorial Museum, most of which have never before been on view in North America. The 61 works, including ink paintings, oil paintings, drawings, pastels and calligraphy, trace the full arc of Xu’s career—from early landscape paintings and drawings created during his studies in Europe, to portraits of political leaders including Mao Zedong and Mahatma Gandhi and his iconic horse paintings. The exhibition will be on view October 30, 2011, through January 29, 2012. A special ticket will be required for this exhibition and the complementary exhibition, Threads of Heaven: Silken Legacy of China’s Last Dynasty.