An enlightened man

The image highlights the use of Western perspective and drawing techniques combined with traditional Chinese line drawing techniques and approach to present artistic concepts. The latter was often applied to traditional Chinese woodcuts.

With its group photos and member lists of student associations-from an art society and a glee club to a brass band-the yearbook offers a glimpse of a time where groups of intellectuals, renowned both then and now, actively demonstrated their versatile talents.

For example, architect and architectural historian Liang Sicheng served as the major of the brass band and a member of the glee club.

Curator of the exhibition Wen Danqing, one of Wen Lipeng's sons, is impressed by one of the chapters in the yearbook, named For the Neighbor, in which the authors list the students' social volunteer work and their extensive efforts to care for those in the lower strata of society.

They set up night schools and libraries for coolies, servants, villagers, scavengers and other members of the poor and needy.