Lu Hongnian

CHINA, Beijing

Lu Hongnian, also known as Xinbei and christened with the name John in the Catholic church, was a painter who specialized in the gongbi painting style. His ancestors were from Taicang, Suzhou, but he was born in Beiping (present day Beijing). The gongbi style is characterized by immensely detailed brushwork and heavy coloration; utilizing this method, Lu painted figures that were graceful and meticulous. Also proficient in mural research and academia, he held several positions in teaching and research, and also served as the vice president and adviser of numerous arts associations and societies. Among the many academic papers he published were Art of the Yongle Palace Murals, Murals at Fahaishen Temple, and Certain Achievements of Ancient Chinese Murals.
In 1938 Lu developed an important and innovative method which vastly improved the production of mural paintings. In this new technique, paulownia oil is applied to a base of plywood and then coated with white powder before paint is applied. Using this method, he produced a large mural of Gandharvas and Apsaras for Puzhao Temple in Shaanxi. This technique converted the traditional stationary Chinese mural into a movable piece. Between 1957 and 1962, Lu made six excursions to Yongle Palace in Shanxi, leading a team of artists to complete reproductions of the murals in each hall, which covered a total area of over 800 sq m.
Lu’s extant paintings include Washing Clothes at Bamboo Creek, Detailed Scrutiny of the Melody at Final Notes, Grand Unification of World Children, Li Zicheng Arriving at Beijing, and Panoramic Views of Maijishan, several of which are now kept at the National Museum of China in Beijing.