PORTRAIT OF ZHAO SONGNAN

Zhao Songnan was the Consul General in France at the time this portrait was made. He was very fond of talented people, and he generously patronized Xu Beihong while they were both in Europe. Consul Zhao knew many overseas students in France. However, he was most impressed with the two men from Jiangsu, Xu Beihong and Zhou Enlai. Zhao was greatly moved by Xu’s spirit of hard-work under such strenuous circumstances. In gratitude for Zhao's assistance, Xu once painted an oil painting for Zhao's wife as a gift.