Painting of standing horse; Chinese ink and watercolour on paper; hanging scroll; signed Xu Beihong (1895-1953); inscribed with 2 artist seals; with authentication letter signed Liao Jingwen (1923-2015), Xu Beihong's wife, with picture Liao Jingwen holding a painting; dedicated to Xiangren, 31 year Autumn; 77 x 38 cm (30¼ x 15 in.). PROVENANCE: Previously in the private collection of Mr. Kong Ming Ma (1937-2017) and his grandfather 马振道（1907-1956）, thence by descent.

Catalogue Note:
马振道（1907-1956）
广东番禺人。十八歳时入伍前身为“建国粤军第一师”的“国民革民军第四军”。被派驻第三十一团;于北伐时期与十一师师长留守广州;官至上士。 因国民党退守台湾曾居住在香港的调景岭，后与军中兄弟合伙，迁居到香港避风塘开设海鲜艇。

Mr. King's grandfather hails from Guangdong Panyu. Enlisted in "the first division of the founding of Guangdong army and the "National Revolutionary Army fourth army" at the age of 18 years old. He was assigned to the thirty-first group; During the Northern Expedition, he was ordered to stay with the eleventh division and left behind in Guangzhou. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant at a time when the Kuomintang was in the process of retreating to Taiwan. There, he raised his family in Hong Kong's Tiu Keng Leng for anextended period of time.

马光明（1937-2017）
香港和台湾八十年代著名粤菜名厨。七十年代中于香港青山道及湾仔区开设“国龙酒家”。于当时认识了香港敏求精舍之创办人之一及首任主席胡仁牧先生 并成为朋友，开始涉足中国书画收藏。期后在台湾先后担任力霸大饭店，霖园大饭店及园山大饭店的首席行政总厨及总监。旅居台湾期间认识了中国书画大家张大千先生的 后人。八九年举家移民美国。九十年代中期，他开始前往中国,收藏中国近现代艺术名家的作品，他的收藏主要是中国水墨画。马光明先生于2017 年2 月逝世。

Mr. Kong Ming Ma, (1937 -2017) a famous Cantonese chef in both Hong Kong and Taiwan in the eighties. In the seventies, he opened a Cantonese Style Seafood Restaurant named "Guolong Restaurant" in Castle Peak Road, Kowloon and Wan Chai District, Hong Kong Island. At that time, he met one of the founders of the Hong Kong “Min Qiu Jing She” and the first President Mr. Hu Renmu and both of them had become friends. Gradually, he had begun to get involved in collecting of Chinese painting and calligraphy artworks. In Early 80’s, he has served as the Taipei Crown Plaza Hotel, Lin Park Hotel and Grand Hotel Taipei as Chief Executive Chef and Director. While living in Taiwan, he was able to meet the descendants of Mr. Zhang Daqian. In 1989, his family moved to the United States where he would begin travelling to China and focusing his efforts in creating a private collection of late modern Chinese fine art with a special emphasis in Chinese ink paintings. Mr. Ma passed away in February 2017.