Xu Beihong and his activities in the field of popularization of Chinese painting abroad

The article analyzes the international activities of the outstanding representative of the Chinese art world Xu Beihong. The subject of consideration is the artist's trips to the countries of Europe, Southeast Asia and the USSR in the 30s - early 40s of the XX century. Special attention is paid to how the painter organized the participation of Chinese artists in international exhibition projects. A detailed description of the most significant of them is given. The emphasis is on how Xu Beihong selected works for exhibition projects that could be called "pure and representative Chinese art." The role of Xu Beihong in the popularization of Chinese art is also revealed. The article reveals for the first time the stages and features of the activities of the outstanding Chinese artist Xu Beihong, focused on the popularization of Chinese fine art and culture outside China. As a conclusion, it is argued and argued that Xu Beihong's activities abroad, which included a variety of forms of representation of Chinese painting – exhibitions, lectures, master classes, scientific reports, information platforms, etc., was the first serious step that allowed showing the heritage of Chinese art culture to the general public outside China, to bring Chinese painting to the international arena.