Artist's legacy revered in Beijing exhibition

Lin Mao, dean of the academy, says oil painting was introduced to the country by European missionaries during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The early 20th century saw a trend of young people studying "yanghua" (foreign painting — mostly oil painting, watercolor and gouache) in Europe and Japan.

The Maksimov program claimed another milestone in the integration of Western art with Chinese aesthetics, which attests to the emerging social demands. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, students were sent to learn at I. Repin St. Petersburg State Academy Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture; while a special two-year course, officially called the Maksimov Oil Painting Training Program, opened in Beijing.

Lin says the exhibition hails "the commitment and collaborative spirit" of Maksimov, his students, and the people participating in this project to advance art skills and education, creating "an inspiring chapter" in modern Chinese art.

Maksimov's class cultivated students who enriched the public's art vision. One of his students, Jin Shangyi, 91, is known for a series of portraits that elicit a peaceful, meditative atmosphere. The exhibition displays his Climbing Muztagh Ata, which depicts mountaineers on their way to summit Muztagh Ata, a majestic peak in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. This 2.7-meter-tall painting, created in 1957, is an example of Jin's endeavors in realism, long before he formed his individual style.

"At the time, there were seasoned artists who had returned from Europe, such as Lin Fengmian and Xu Beihong," says Jin, "although the country was wanting in good oil artists and a well-structured education system to cultivate them."

What Maksimov faced at the beginning was a class of young painters who had been trained but didn't truly understand the medium of oil painting and were particularly inexperienced in shading to render their subjects a refreshing, vibrant feeling. However, he later recollected in an article, The Two Years Spent with Chinese Students, that he had a class in which "every student was diligent, focused, and so much interested in learning".