In 1925, Xu Beihong was 31. He had no way of supporting himself, so he wanted to return home to earn money. He met Huang Menggui through Zhao Songnan. With Huang Menggui’s recommendation, Xu traveled to Singapore in winter of that year to paint Chen Jiageng and other wealthy businessmen, in order to make some money.
Xu Beihong painted the oil portrait Honeymoon for the businessman Huang Tian’en and his new wife Fu Jigu.
-Wang Zhen, The Extended Chronicle of Xu Beihong
On 28 March 1926, The Eastern Times Photo Supplement (Vol. 294, p. 6) published Xu Beihong’s Honeymoon. Wu Zuoren was graduating high school at that time. He originally wanted to study architecture, but after he saw the painting, he greatly admired Xu Beihong’s art and decided to change his concentration to art.
-Ren Xinyu
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