Put Down Your Whip
Encyclopedia
Put Down Your Whip is a 1939 oil painting
by Chinese
Realism
painter Xu Beihong
. Completed during Xu's stay in Singapore
, the painting was exhibited numerous times before its disappearance from public view in 1954. It re-emerged in 2007 and was sold for HK$
72 million (US$9.2 million) in an auction on 7 April 2007 in Hong Kong
, then setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a Chinese painting at an auction.
, Xu Beihong
was inspired by a street drama performance titled Put Down Your Whip by actress Wang Ying, a friend of Xu's. Written by Tian Han
, the drama depicts a girl and her father who escaped from the Japanese-occupied northeastern China
and performed in the streets for a living. They sang about the hardship under the Japanese Occupation
and inspired their listeners to support the anti-Japanese war. Deeply moved by the drama, Xu spent ten days painting a life-size portrait of Wang with her audience in the background. He then titled the painting Put Down Your Whip after the drama.
in the hope that the museum could take the painting into its collection, but it did not happen for unspecified reasons. Huang's descendants then approached Singaporean collector Tan Tsze Chor, but Tan died abruptly, before the deal was made. The painting eventually landed in the hands of an anonymous Asian collector, until being put up for auction in 2007.
by Sotheby's
for HK$
72 million (US$9.2 million), setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a Chinese painting at an auction. The painting was bought by an anonymous collector over the telephone after competition from at least four other bidders.
In response to the auction, some art historians have criticized the explosion in the prices for Asian art, in particular over exuberant buyers for sending prices sky-high. Sotheby's Asia chairman Patti Wong, however, responded stating Xu's Put Down Your Whip would have sold well in any market.
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
by Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
Realism
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
painter Xu Beihong
Xu Beihong
Xu Beihong was born in Yixing, China. He was primarily known for his shuimohua of horses and birds and one of the first Chinese artists to articulate the need for artistic expressions that reflected a new modern China at the beginning of the 20th century...
. Completed during Xu's stay in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, the painting was exhibited numerous times before its disappearance from public view in 1954. It re-emerged in 2007 and was sold for HK$
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
72 million (US$9.2 million) in an auction on 7 April 2007 in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, then setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a Chinese painting at an auction.
Creation
In October 1939, during his stay in SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Xu Beihong
Xu Beihong
Xu Beihong was born in Yixing, China. He was primarily known for his shuimohua of horses and birds and one of the first Chinese artists to articulate the need for artistic expressions that reflected a new modern China at the beginning of the 20th century...
was inspired by a street drama performance titled Put Down Your Whip by actress Wang Ying, a friend of Xu's. Written by Tian Han
Tian Han
Tian Han , born in Changsha, Hunan, was a Chinese drama activist, playwright, a leader of revolutionary music and films, as well as a translator and poet. Tian contributed a great deal to the development of Chinese modern drama as well as Chinese opera...
, the drama depicts a girl and her father who escaped from the Japanese-occupied northeastern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and performed in the streets for a living. They sang about the hardship under the Japanese Occupation
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and inspired their listeners to support the anti-Japanese war. Deeply moved by the drama, Xu spent ten days painting a life-size portrait of Wang with her audience in the background. He then titled the painting Put Down Your Whip after the drama.
After Xu's death
The painting was exhibited on numerous occasions during Xu's life. However, it disappeared from public view in 1954, a year after Xu's death. According to Sotheby's Asia chairman Patti Wong, Xu gave the painting to a close friend named Huang Menggui. After Huang died, his descendants approached the National Museum of SingaporeNational Museum of Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore is a national museum in Singapore and the oldest museum in Singapore. Its history dates back to 1849 when it was started as a section of a library at Singapore Institution...
in the hope that the museum could take the painting into its collection, but it did not happen for unspecified reasons. Huang's descendants then approached Singaporean collector Tan Tsze Chor, but Tan died abruptly, before the deal was made. The painting eventually landed in the hands of an anonymous Asian collector, until being put up for auction in 2007.
Auction
Put Down Your Whip was sold on 7 April 2007 in an auction in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
by Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
for HK$
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
72 million (US$9.2 million), setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a Chinese painting at an auction. The painting was bought by an anonymous collector over the telephone after competition from at least four other bidders.
In response to the auction, some art historians have criticized the explosion in the prices for Asian art, in particular over exuberant buyers for sending prices sky-high. Sotheby's Asia chairman Patti Wong, however, responded stating Xu's Put Down Your Whip would have sold well in any market.