Beloved

Huang Xiayi (1885-1943), a native of Dongguan, Guangdong province, was an important and well-known revolutionary in Chinese modern history. He joined Tongmenghui with his like-minded friends such as Lin Zhimian (1888-1934) and was involved in the Guangzhou New Army Uprising and Yellow Flower Mound Uprising, among others. After the founding of the Republic of China, he was appointed as the first county mayor of Dongguan County. He was later named as the Director of the Guangdong Provincial Taxation Bureau, the Fujian Provincial Tobacco and Liquor Tax Director, and the 19th Route Army Major General. At the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Huang returned to Dongguan. In 1943, he died in an airstrike launched by the Japanese during an inspection in Shaoguan, Guangdong.
Intellectuals frequently interacted with artists during the early Republic period, and Huang was one of such intellectuals. This collection is comprised of paintings and calligraphy gifted to him or purchased by him, and serves as witness to the development of traditional Chinese painting in the Lingnan region during the early 20th century. It also represents extraordinary aesthetic value and historical significance.

Li Geng, formerly known as Li Shijian, styled himself as Yan Nong. Li was born into a family of folk painting artists and, from a young age, learned the craft from his father. Besides being accomplished in painting landscapes and birds as well as writing calligraphy, Li, for his paintings of classical characters, along with Qi Baishi, are lauded as “North Qi, South Li”.