As an outstanding painter and art educator in modern China, Xu Beihong's flower and bird paintings also show his profound artistic skills and unique artistic style.
In the creation of flower and bird paintings, Xu Beihong skillfully combines the realistic techniques of Western painting with the charm of traditional Chinese painting, forming his own unique artistic style. This fusion of East and West is not only reflected in his techniques, but also in his in-depth observation and understanding of natural objects.
Xu Beihong's flower and bird paintings not only pay attention to the resemblance of objects, but also pursue the interest of brush and ink. Through his accurate depiction of the forms of flowers and birds, he shows his solid realism skills; At the same time, he also uses the language of Chinese painting to give his works a vivid charm and far-reaching artistic conception.
Xu Beihong's paintings of flowers and birds cover a wide range of subjects, including magpies, starlings, sparrows, pigeons, cranes, eagles and other birds, as well as plum blossoms, bamboos, orchids, stones and other plants. The choice of these subjects not only reflects his love and pursuit of natural beauty, but also demonstrates his profound artistic attainments and extensive artistic accomplishments.
Representative works include: "Magpie" The magpie painted by Xu Beihong is neither like the magpie of traditional gongbi nor the magpie of Qi Baishi's freehand, but more realistic, using a combination of Chinese and Western techniques. He sketches with a thick brush and wet ink, and the long beak and body are rendered with light ink, showing a round sense of light and dark, and the magpie body is also partially applied with white powder to enhance the three-dimensional effect. This treatment not only preserves the natural form of the magpie, but also gives the work a vivid aura and light and shadow effects. "Starling": When Xu Beihong painted starling, he paid attention to the accurate capture and delicate depiction of its morphological characteristics. Through his delicate portrayal of the texture of starling feathers and the vivid expression of dynamic postures, he demonstrates his superb realism and in-depth observation of natural objects.
Xu Beihong's flower and bird paintings not only occupy an important position in the Chinese painting world, but also have a profound impact on later generations. His concept of Chinese and Western fusion of art provided valuable inspiration and reference for later painters; His artistic style of attaching equal importance to realism and freehand opened up a new path for the creation of later flower and bird paintings; His works with a wide range of subjects and exquisite techniques have provided rich materials and references for the later research of flower and bird painting.
