Lu Sibai is gone but not forgotten

Mogao Grottoes, oil painting by Lu Sibai.

The public has neglected Lu Sibai (1905-73) for decades, even though he's a pioneer of 20th-century Chinese oil painting.

An ongoing retrospective at the Yanhuang Art Gallery traces Lu's artistic explorations through 73 of his works that reflect the development of oil painting in China during his time.

Like many masters of his generation, Lu studied in France for three years and took much from works of Chavannes, Chardin and Cezanne.

He formed an artistic language of elegance and simplicity, while incorporating an Oriental gentleness into his oils. His landscapes and still-life paintings show idyllic touches.

Even when he suffered in the turmoil of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), he created delightful rustic scenes with peaceful, bright strokes.

Lu is also respected as a committed art educator. His teaching career spanned about 30 years, during which he headed the fine arts departments of Northwest Normal University in Gansu's provincial capital Lanzhou and later taught at Nanjing Normal University in Jiangsu province.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays, until Nov 25. Yanhuang Art Gallery, 9 Huizhong Lu, Yayuncun, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6491-2902.