Chickens

XU BEIHONG (1895-1953) Chickens Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper 76.5 x 131.5 cm. (30 1⁄8 x 51 ¾ in.) Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist Titleslip by the artist NOTE: Colonel Arthur Frederick Fischer (1888–1962) served as General Douglas MacArthur’s intelligence officer in the U.S. Army. He was on General MacArthur’s staff at the advent of World War II. Before he was a military advisor, he was the Director of Forestry and Natural Resources in the Philippines. Colonel Fischer lived in the Philippines from 1909 until World War II and travelled extensively throughout Asia, including in Shanghai. During the war, Colonel je returned to the United States and settled in San Diego. Colonel Fischer was recognized for his significant contributions to the restoration of the San Diego Natural History Museum. In 1943, the San Diego Society of Natural History, located in Balboa Park, was converted into a hospital ward for infectious diseases. The wartime occupation of the museum building resulted in damage to its collections, exhibits, and structure. After the war, Colonel Fischer played a key role in restoring the museum to its original purpose. On July 1, 1949, the San Diego Natural History Museum officially resumed operations in Balboa Park. Colonel Fischer served on the museum’s board of directors from 1947 to 1955.