In 1919, Mr. Zhang Yuguang, a famous painter and one of the founders of Shanghai Chinese Art College, along with other nine painters and entrepreneurs decided to pioneer the national pigments industry out of their strong patriotic ardor. They raised funds to run a factory to produce China’s own art paints. But what name should they give to the factory? In order to show the determination to work as one, ten shareholders first chose the traditional Chinese “馬” with ten strokes, meaning an instant success, and then they chose the traditional Chinese “利”, meaning benefiting the nation and the people.
So Marie Art Factory came into existence. From then on, the tempera with a circular horse’s head pattern began its pioneering course to carry forward the national integrity and develop the national industry.