An artist with deep patriotism

Xu is famous for his paintings of horses, said to capture the mood of China during the early 1900s. Among his iconic works on display, his celebrated wash painting "Running Horse" expresses the artist's deep love and concern for his motherland.

The painting was completed in 1941 when the Japanese occupied the Chinese city of Changsha. According to historians and art experts, the running horse reflects Xu's grief and anger against foreign invasion.

Through oil painting "Silly Old Man Moves a Mountain", or "Yu Gong Yi Shan" in Chinese, Xu hoped to showcase the Chinese people's spirit of great perseverance. All characters in the painting are depicted to stand up and fight bravely. It was made in the late 1930s when the Chinese people were fighting against the Japanese aggression. Xu believed that the Chinese people would finally win the war.

Xu died from cerebral hemorrhage at age 58 in 1953. Following his wishes and legal will, Xu's widow donated all his paintings and collections of artifacts to a public museum.