Squirrel, Pine and Autumn Leaves

Monk-artist Xu Gu was unusually fond of painting squirrels, and he did so frequently throughout most of his painting career. In all cases, they are characterized by fur that appears electrified in its energy and by skinny, rodent-like paws. Painted in his final years, Tsao Jung Ying describes the artist’s subtle innovation, "In a bold step that disregards the true downward growth pattern of pine needles, Xu Gu has turned his needles upward for the sake of schematic rhythm and balance. Countering the downward thrust of the heavy boughs, the foliage springs upward in imitation of the climbing squirrel. By taking the liberty of altering nature for visual effect, the artist has defied one of the most fundamental principles of his artistic heritage.” (Berkeley, 1993, p. 144) The same staccato energy and abbreviated natural elements characterize the depiction of two squirrels sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 May 2013, lot 771, although in the latter example the pine needles grow downward and suggest the artist had not yet thought of this dynamic innovation.