In 1915, the Bund in Shanghai.
A young man in his twenties, dressed in a long blue bamboo shirt with his hair folded on his forehead, paced anxiously by the dockside.
The recent spate of blows has made him look thin and depressed.
I just received a notice from a friend who was an editor at the publishing house that I did not pass the textbook illustration work.
In this way, the hotel where he owed money for four days would not allow him to continue staying, and he would soon be sleeping on the street.
He then recalled that in the previous year, his father, his wife, and his young son had died one after another.
His emotions gradually became excited, and he walked slowly towards Jiangxin.
"Nerd! What do you want? ”
When the youth looked back, it was his editorial friend, and he couldn't help but shed tears.
The two of them hugged their heads and cried, inviting many people to watch.
"I have no face to go back to see Father Jiangdong!"
"It's all right, there I am.
I've been looking for you for a long time, go back. ”
The editor's friend's popularity was good, and he consulted with a colleague in a room and temporarily gave the room to the youth.
The two ate and slept together, and with the company of friends, the youth's mood stabilized day by day.
After endless pain, the youth changed his original name xu shoukang to Xu Beihong, romantically comparing himself to a sad lone goose, determined to cross the vast sky.
Xu Beihong was grateful to his friends in his heart, and the traditional education from childhood taught him that "the grace of dripping water should be repaid by the spring".
He strengthened his artistic ambitions and looked forward to repaying his friends one day.
I often hear old people say:
"How much kindness a person can remember in his heart, how much blessing will be in his destiny."
Now of course, we know that Xu Beihong has long become an indispensable existence in the history of modern Chinese art.
But few people know that behind him as a master of art, there is also a beautiful heart that knows how to be grateful.
Vote for me with a wooden peach, and repay it with Qiong Yao
The editor friend took Xu Beihong to the unit canteen to solve the problem at lunch, breakfast and dinner, and gave him a dime every day.
Although the days were hard, the two also survived.
Later, when Xu Beihong sent a painting to a Fellow Yixing, he became acquainted with Huang Zhenzhi, a collector of Wuxing calligraphy and paintings.
Huang Zhenzhi admired Xu Beihong's talent and believed that in time, Beihong would definitely be able to soar like a wild goose.
After Huang Zhenzhi learned that Xu Beihong did not yet have a studio to paint, he immediately lent him one of his chess and card rooms to live and paint.
This was simply a charcoal in the snow for Xu Beihong, making him feel the warmth in the bone-chilling cold.
Coincidentally, when Xu Beihong was cornered, the two sentient and righteous people who reached out to him to help him were Huang Jianjian, the editor of the Commercial Press, and Huang Zhenzhi, a rich businessman of Wu Xing, who were both surnamed Huang.
He was engraved in his heart, and later used the name "Huang Fu" to show his gratitude to two friends surnamed Huang.
These days, Xu Beihong wanders the streets of Greater Shanghai.
He struggled in despair, and his mind pondered the image of an indomitable and wild galloping horse.
He drew the horse on rice paper and threw it directly to the "Truth Pictorial" agency opposite the Commercial Press.
It's an interesting challenge, throwing a horse into a pictorial called "Truth", as if the poor and destitute self is actually a well-known colt.
When the editor-in-chief of "Truth Pictorial" reviewed the manuscript, he saw the horse sent by Xu Beihong, and his eyes lit up, praising the author for painting better than the ancient horse painting master Han Gan, and immediately prepared for publication.
Xu Beihong won, and he sold the first horse in his life.
It seems to be providence, Xu Beihong is preparing to enter the university and is worried about tuition fees.
Who knew that a horse made him come and go, and he became a special author, and the remuneration could pay for the tuition.
Xu Beihong was admitted to the French department of Aurora College because after he saw the French oil painting replica, his desire to directly read the original works of the French masters became stronger.
Xu Beihong, with his status as a student of a famous school and outstanding cultural literacy, accidentally met the master Kang Youwei at a gathering of celebrity salons.
Kang Youwei was amazed at the great potential revealed in this young man's painting at a glance, and thus looked at him differently.
Xu Beihong was also fascinated by Kang Youwei's knowledge and specially performed the worship ceremony.
There are many people on the beach who recruit apprentices to call them masters, and Xu Beihong can't look at them at all, this is the first time he has visited a teacher.
In fact, the most important thing in the road of life is just a few steps.
Kang Youwei, who appeared at this time, became a key figure on Xu Beihong's growth path.
Under the guidance of Kang Youwei, Xu Beihong became famous.
The "Erhuang" who had sent charcoal in the snow before did not care about the help they had helped Xu Beihong, but Xu Beihong remembered that he specially painted a portrait for each of them.
These paintings were later valuable, and they also helped "Erhuang" survive an unexpected and difficult time.
Friends threw themselves at Xu Beihong with wooden peaches, and Xu Beihong repaid his friends with Qiong Yao.
If a country lives and dies by profit, it is better to avoid it because of misfortune and happiness
In Kang Youwei's view, the current Chinese painting has no future, and it seems that it is just a bookstore play.
He believes that if Chinese painting wants to have a future, it must be integrated into the trend of world culture and complete its own enrichment and transformation.
Kang Youwei pinned his hopes on Xu Beihong, who had the great task of transforming Chinese painting, and said to him:
"You must go abroad and see people's paintings!"
Xu Beihong carried the recommendation letter and coiled letter given by Kang Youwei and boarded the passenger ship to Japan.
In Toyo, he wandered through the art exhibition bookstore and asked for advice from local art masters.
Half a year later, Xu Beihong returned from his studies and became acquainted with Cai Yuanpei, the president of Peking University, under the recommendation of Kang Youwei.
Cai Yuanpei invited Xu Beihong to teach in the Art Department of Peking University.
Xu Beihong met many like-minded friends at Peking University, and was also influenced by new ideas to create many genre paintings that cared about the toiling masses.
Soon, Xu Beihong won a place to study in France at official expenses.
Before leaving, Cai Yuanpei said:
"You are younger than me, and you are going to France!" Come back to reform Chinese painting and win glory for the nation. ”
Carrying the hope of national painting and gratitude to the nation, Xu Beihong came to paris, the temple of art.
His studies were both wealthy and humble.
Rich, is the strong artistic atmosphere of Paris;
What was cold was Xu Beihong's pocket shyness.
Xu Beihong often brought a loaf of bread to spend a day at the Louvre.
Fortunately, the Chinese Embassy in France sometimes received him.
It was also here that the young Xu Beihong met the young Zhou Enlai.
The two talked about art, talked about the Chinese nation, and became confidants.
After studying diligently for eight years, Xu Beihong resolutely returned to the motherland with exquisite painting skills and extensive artistic knowledge.
At this time, he has become a prominent figure in the Chinese art world.
But Xu Beihong has not forgotten that he can have today, all by the support of his predecessors and the sponsorship of national compatriots.
As a result, Xu Beihong created a large number of paintings that reflected the national spirit, expressing his gratitude to the nation.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Xu Beihong was impatient and transformed his anger against the Japanese into enthusiasm for artistic creation.
In early 1939, Xu Beihong arrived in Singapore, and the pier was crowded with Singaporean celebrities and journalists who welcomed the giants of Chinese painting.
After Xu Beihong disembarked, he announced to the reporters present that he would hold a painting exhibition here to raise funds for the anti-Japanese resistance:
"To contribute to the nation to the best of its ability, to fulfill the obligation of a part of the nation."
I hope that with the brush, I can fulfill my responsibilities for the national war of resistance. ”
Xu Beihong's righteous deeds have been recognized by Chinese people from all walks of life, with an average of one out of twenty Singaporeans visiting his exhibitions.
In the end, Xu Beihong raised a huge astronomical sum of money, all of which was donated to the motherland.
Xu Beihong, however, was complacent because of this:
"The sumers, no matter how numerous, must not be comparable to the contributions of those who sacrifice their lives for the nation."
The Japanese iron hooves ravaged the land of China, and many people chose to turn their backs, but Xu Beihong was always grateful for the land that gave birth to him.
This is really worthy of the style of a master of art.
It's Maxima, it's also Bole
After the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Xu Beihong came to the National Peking Art College as the principal.
He said:
"If we want Chinese art to achieve prosperity like the Tang Dynasty, we first need a group of people with great wisdom and lofty ideals."
Xu Beihong widely recruits artistic talents, the standard is eclectic, as long as there is real talent and practical learning, regardless of the background, all are admitted.
Later oil painter and sculptor Qian Shaowu, when he took the entrance examination, he failed in mathematics, physics and chemistry, but his sketch scores were very good.
Xu Beihong personally came to the examination room, looked at his paintings, and said to the main examination teacher:
"I didn't study mathematics, physics and chemistry, nor did I go to formal school when I was a child.
This is a good seedling, admit it. ”
Xu Beihong is a Maxima and is grateful for his Bole at that time.
Therefore, he is also willing to be the Bole of other Maxima.
Without him, there would be no later Qian Shaowu.
When encountering talented students, Xu Beihong never skimped on praise, and Wang Xuezhong was no exception.
Wang Xuezhong has the end of desperate Sanlang, and calligraphy and painting are the most loved by him.
Wang Xuezhong's family was poor, the living standard was reduced to the minimum, the headache and brain fever did not go to the hospital, and finally survived lung disease.
This was almost incurable at the time.
Xu Beihong said:
"You can go home to recuperate, and you are still a student at school."
Wang Xuezhong was seriously ill in his hometown, remembering that other students were studying hard, and his heart was sad.
At this time, he received a letter from Xu Beihong.
Xu Beihong seems to know Wang Xuezhong's mentality very well, encourages him to lift his spirits, and places high hopes on him.
Wang Xuezhong felt very kind, his spirit was greatly invigorated, and he was full of gratitude to his mentor.
Years later, Wang Xuezhong, who is already a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, still retains Xu Beihong's handwritten letter.
Xu Beihong is like this, giving key support at the crossroads of many people's lives.
And he himself, like the people who had helped him before, regarded this kind of support as very common.
Feng Faqi, a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, praised:
"Mr. Xu is very close to the commoners, ordinary people and the poor, because he himself is also from a poor background, he let herd cattle and planted melons when he was young.
Some people forget their roots later and look down on the poor.
He is not like this, he has always had a heart for the poor.
Why do we respect him so much, because he has such a quality, and it is not easy to have this quality as a painter. ”
Xu Beihong's life is a life of climbing the peak of art, but also a life of gratitude.
He was grateful to every nobleman who had helped him, and he was happy to serve as a nobleman for his descendants.
What is even more rare is that Xu Beihong has always loved the national land that raised him deeply.
Ancient Cloud:
"Knowing the gratitude and repaying the favor, the good is great."
Knowing gratitude is the top upbringing of an adult.
Grateful for our parents to give us life, grateful for friends to accompany us to live, grateful for noble people to help us grow, grateful to the country to protect us.
Encourage with the King!
Author | Jin Bai, a person who likes to tell stories
Image | Visual China, Network (if there is infringement, please contact to delete)