"CAFA Art Museum Collection Series: Selected Works of Chinese Painting Created in the Period of the National Beiping Art School" belongs to 2013 National Exhibition Season of the Brilliant Collection from the Art Museum in China Organized by the Ministry of Culture. The predecessor of CAFA is the “National Art School in Beiping”, dating back to the founding of the “National School of Fine Arts in Beijing” in April,1918, advocated by the notable educator,?Cai Yuanpei, as the first state-run art school in the history of China. In the special historical process of the social revolution of the 20th century, after several mergers, rest periods and reconstruction, the CAFA was established in 1950. The period of the National Beiping Art School is an important stage of modern Chinese art education, and laid the foundation for art education and teaching.

However, so far, there isn’t any academic examination or research of the system or special program. In the sorting and research of the collection of CAFA Art Museum, we found important works by the teachers and students in the period of the National Beiping Art School, based on which, last year CAFA Art Museum launched the “CAFA Art Museum Collection Series: Selected Works of Oil Painting Created in the Period of the National Beiping Art School” editing and publishing the research results, which results in good social repercussions, and academic influence. The museum will continue to launch the second part of the exhibition series “Selected Works of Chinese Painting Created in the Period of the National Beiping Art School”.

It features works spanning from 1917 to 1949, through various important periods in the development of the National Beiping Art School; highlighting the works by more than 30 artists, including the most important teaching backbones of Chinese painting in the period of the National Beiping Art School, the masters of Chinese painting, such as Zheng Jin, Chen Shizeng, Wang Mengbai, Yao Hua, Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, Qi Baishi, Zhang Daqian, Huang Binhong, Pu Hsin-yu, Yu Fei-an, Zong Qixiang, Li Keran, Li Kuchan, etc. They are also important figures in the art history of modern China. The exhibition shows that the selection is very precious.

The history of the “National Beiping Art School” is going to be examined along with the study of important scholars, artists, teachers and students, aiming to discover, complete and reproduce the reality and important events, historical value and practical significance of the educational thought on art,teaching structure and artworks, of the period. Continuing to deepen the research and excavation of the National Beiping Art School, and more comprehensively reflects the entire art look of the school. Through this project, the gap in the study of the National Beiping Art school is filled, which allows the younger students to understand and remember history, meanwhile, provides the fellows with the possibility and data for further research in other areas, with the exhibition, discussion, publication, and public educational forum.

About the exhibition

Duration: June 7 – December 1, 2013

Venue: Gallery 4F, CAFA Art Museum

Host: CAFA

Organizer: CAFA Art Museum Art

Advisor:?Pan?Gongkai

Curator:??Wang Huangsheng

Art?Director: Cao Qinghui

Exhibition?Executive:?Tang?Bin

Assistant Curator: Li Yaochen

Translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO