Modern touch

Exhibition showcases an artist's lifelong endeavor to inject modernity into classical paintings in 20th-century China, Lin Qi reports.

The late master of classical Chinese paintings Qi Baishi once said he often felt that one of his hands had been "stolen" by his student Wang Xuetao (1903-82).

Qi was known for his accurate depictions of insects such as butterflies, crickets and dragonflies, and the vivid details of the insects' wings and heads stand out in his paintings. While Wang was studying at the Beijing Fine Arts School in the early 1920s, he picked up Qi's excellent brushwork. The school is now known as the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

Wu Hongliang, head of the Beijing Fine Art Academy, says Qi joked that Wang had such good skills that it was as if Wang used his fingers to paint.

Decades later, Wang followed his teacher's footsteps to become one of the leading artists in the flower-and-bird genre of classical Chinese paintings, and also became head of the Beijing Fine Art Academy.

The flower-and-bird genre is one of three major categories in Chinese ink painting. They are well received by the public for lively scenes of different animals and flowers in diverse palettes.

Wu likes the portrayal of small insects in Wang's work. "The subtle way he administered the brush and the refinement in how he completed the strokes-it all feels so gorgeous. Not overly done, but quite appropriate," Wu says.

"I believe Qi must have felt the same way and that was why he spoke highly of Wang's works."