Friendship began with the South China Society.
In the 1920s, many progressive people gathered in Shanghai, and writers, poets, painters and sculptors came here to engage in new literary and artistic activities. Tian Han appreciates Xu Beihong's works and artistic attainments, and specially recommends Xu Beihong to Shanghai literary and art circles.
Tian Han, Xu Beihong and Ou Yangyuqian have a sincere friendship. They share the same artistic view: art should sweep away Chen Xiangyin, break the vulgar taste of conformism and kitsch, and establish innovative art. Therefore, in the process of pursuing this innovative art movement, they are very tacit and intimate. At that time, Nanjing National Central University approached Xu Beihong and hired Xu Beihong as an art professor, with a fixed monthly income in 300 yuan. He accepted, but put forward one condition: his family will still live in Shanghai and will not give up the teaching position of Nanguo Art College. Half of them will go to Nanjing every month so that they can travel back and forth. CUHK immediately agreed.
Because the South China Academy of Arts was a relatively progressive organization at that time, it was monitored by the Kuomintang government, and secret agents and thugs often made trouble. Xu Beihong is often prevented from attending classes by his wife Jiang Biwei. Jiang Biwei made a scene in South China Art College several times, which embarrassed Xu Beihong. In order to take care of the overall situation, Xu Beihong had to leave the college, which made Tian Han very sad. However, the deep fighting friendship they forged in the southern society has not changed.
Xu Beihong saved Tian Han.
1at the beginning of 935, Tian Han was suddenly arrested by the Kuomintang government and escorted to Nanjing. In prison, Tian Han wrote a poem: "Once in my life, I cry when I am worried, and today I am a prisoner of Chu calmly." Use thread to leave ten fingers and long claws. Jiaoer likes reading calligraphy, and it's okay to steal a pillow. Moreover, it is not good to break the wind and cloud, and it is also worrying to have an iron threshold in hand. "
The news came like a bolt from the blue, and Xu Beihong rushed to Tian Han's house. When Tianmu saw Xu Beihong, she burst into tears at once. Tian Han's wife, Lin Weizhong, also cried and told him about going to prison to visit Tian Han with her children on her back these days. Xu Beihong was filled with indignation after hearing this. He helped Tianmu sit down, patiently comforted them, and told them with tears that he would try his best to save Tian Han.
In order to rescue Tian Han, Xu Beihong's tea and rice were hard to swallow and ran around, but to no avail. The news that Tian Han was seriously ill in prison kept coming, which made him more anxious.
Finally, Xu Beihong had to ask Zhang Daofan, an old classmate who had become the deputy director of the Propaganda Department of the Kuomintang in the Communist Party of China (CPC). In fact, Zhang Daofan already knew about it, and the Central Committee member tied a Tian Han from Shanghai. As the executive director of the Three People's Principles, can you not report to him?
Quietly listening to Xu's introduction, I sighed: "Brother Beihong, I have already said that you should leave these things alone." Xu Beihong interrupted him: "You know, Tian Han's dramatic skills are amazing! A bunch of works and a few books have been published, which is a rare talent in the theater industry! " Under Xu Beihong's repeated entreaties, Zhang Daofan had to agree to "for the sake of old friends, have a love affair and give it a try".
Zhang Daofan asked for details, and the Central Secret Service reported that it was natural that Tian Han's artistic life was quite active, but there was no news about whether Tian Han himself was related to the producer of * * *.
A few days later, Zhang Daofan came to Xu Beihong's house again and said to Xu Beihong, "After I interceded, they asked two prestigious people to be guarantors before they let him come out for treatment." "It's easy." Xu Beihong turned to contact Zong Baihua, and was guaranteed by Xu Beihong and Zong Baihua. 1In late July, 935, Tian Han was released on bail for back gangrene, and was finally released on bail. After Tian Han was released from prison, Xu Beihong took Tian Han's family to his apartment and let Tian Han rest in peace. Jiang Biwei was very angry about this and argued, "You took a great risk to protect Tian Han, and now you keep him at home. Can you manage it well? " I really don't understand. What good are you to our family? This family has been destroyed by you ... "Xu Beihong was very angry after listening:" How can you say such a thing? Tian Han is my best friend for many years. How can I get out of the destruction? When I was wandering in Shanghai, where would I be today without the help of Huang Zhen and others? Now that our life is a little better, we forget a friend in need. This is immoral. "Since then, Xu Beihong and Jiang Biwei have drifted apart and their relationship has deteriorated.
At this time, the film "The Son of the Storm" has been released in Nanjing, and March of the Volunteers's majestic singing voice is well known to the masses. Xu Beihong was very excited when he heard this song. He praised Tian Han and Nie Er's "Warsongs of the Chinese Nation". "The dying sick man has a strong breath. In the depressed nation, there is the voice of Tian Han, whose voice is fierce and majestic. When you hear his tunes, you should know that this man will not die and his nation will not die. "
Tian Han's artistic criticism of Xu Beihong
Tian Han paid close attention to Xu Beihong and wrote articles to comment on Xu Beihong and his paintings. In their communication, Tian Han, as a leader of party member of the Communist Party of China and the cultural work of the Party, had a great influence on Xu Beihong.
1930, Tian Han published an article "Our Self-Criticism" in Southland Monthly, and took aim at his close friend Xu Beihong unceremoniously: "In addition to the efforts of all the students, I would also like to thank Mr. Xu Beihong for his assistance. First of all, I invited Hong Bei to give a speech during my tenure in Shanghai Fine Arts. Hong Bei criticized his "theory of formal beauty" and paid little attention to the new trend of thought in art … "But an unfortunate situation has been waiting for us. Mr. Xu Beihong, who will fight to the end, has arranged to leave our front when we are fighting for his' glory'. This is because Mr. Beihong seems to have no intention of fighting for the art of the emerging class. He just sympathized with my so-called' spirit' and was somewhat moved by sensitive and studious young people, so his motivation for participating was more emotional than rational. Once his feelings change, he will naturally leave our front. "
Tian Han branded Xu Beihong as a "bourgeois" in his article, saying: "If Hong Bei was lucky enough to be born in Europe at the end of the Renaissance, he would certainly become a loyal painter of princes and nobles like Rubens. It's a pity that he was born in modern capitalism, so although he "opposed all the academic tricks invented in Europe and America in the past 30 years," he unconsciously became a bourgeois painter, at least softening his will to pursue truth and the bottom, and losing his ability to understand reality. Therefore, although he has a burning sense of justice, he dare not pay attention to the suffering people. " "Although Hong Bei flaunts realism at the same time, he is still an idealist, and he is intoxicated in a bourgeois sweet illusion. In his paintings, it is hard to see that the people of China are really suffering, but only the product of his ideals or fantasies. But in this strongly disturbed society, can his thoughts never waver? You can feel a kind of "melancholy" in his big painting Tian Heng, small painting Qin Qiong selling horses and Three Heroes in the Dust. Although this kind of "melancholy" belongs to the petty bourgeoisie, he is in the prime of life, and it must be said that his art contains opportunities for change. " "So, people like him, after the tempering of a miserable life, did not become proletarian painters, but unconsciously became bourgeois painters."
1934, Tian Han wrote another article, commenting on Xu Beihong's paintings with the theme of "horse". Tian Han said in his article: "Around 1927, I witnessed Mr. Hong Bei draw many horses. ..... Hong Bei's "Horse" is about his bourgeois aristocracy. " He criticized Xu Beihong's painting "Horse" for being divorced from reality and the reality of the Anti-Japanese War. "What Mr. Bei Hong can do after returning to China is to draw his horse, but he can't still be the kind of' flying horse' that tries to transcend reality. He should draw the angry horse restrained by cruelty, and it screams in resistance. He should draw the horse that fought side by side with the anti-Japanese soldiers who respected the enemy under the Great Wall, the horse that struggled hard on the battlefield under the plane bomb! "
At that time, Tian Han was a member of the "Left-wing" Writers' Union and a leader of China's cultural work. It is inappropriate for him to put such high demands on Xu Beihong, a non-party member. He criticized Xu Beihong mercilessly. Strangely, we didn't see Xu Beihong's rebuttal. The brotherhood between Xu Beihong and Tian Han was not affected, and their fighting friendship was not suspended.
Tian Han admired and fully affirmed Xu Beihong's national integrity and courage in pursuing truth during War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation. 194 1 year, Chiang Kai-shek launched the "Southern Anhui Incident" which shocked China and foreign countries. The progressive teachers and students of Central University hated Chiang Kai-shek's perverse deeds and criticized them one after another. Xu Beihong, who teaches in the art department, returned to the Chinese Academy of Fine Arts organized by Panxi with great anger and drew an angry cat with grief and indignation. In the picture, a male cat like a little tiger stands on a boulder, ears pricked up, eyes shining like a light bulb. The cat should stand upright, gnash its teeth, open its mouth slightly and face the paper to catch the mouse. There is no inscription on the picture, only four small words with profound meaning "a cold in the afternoon" and a sad name. Shortly after Tian Han's visit, Hong Bei showed him this painting. Tian Han was full of praise and immediately recited a poem and wrote it in the upper right corner of the picture with vigorous calligraphy. As the poem says, "I wear a rag robe with me, so I can chew it all night." * * * The mouse is very arrogant. No wonder sad Hong writes about angry cats. " The poem praises Xu Beihong's sense of justice with clear love and hate.