In 1956
In February, at the Second Session of the CPPCC National Committee, artists Chen Banding and Ye Gongchuo submitted a proposal entitled “Inheriting Tradition, Encouraging Innovation, and Establishing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy”, which caught the attention of the national leaders.
On June 1, Premier Zhou Enlai presided over the work meeting of the State Council, in which the report submitted by the Ministry of Culture that “Both Beijing and Shanghai should establish a traditional Chinese Painting academy” was adopted. The Ministry of Culture assigned Li Changlu to work together with Hua Junwu from the Chinese Artists Association and Lai Shaoqi from Shanghai Artists Association to prepare to establish Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy, and the specific tasks were executed by Li Changlu with the assistance of Fang Xiutong.
In October, Cui Zifan was transferred to work in the Ministry of Culture, and participated in the preparation of establishing Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy; Chen Yaping was transferred from the Central Arts and Science Academy of the Ministry of Culture to the Planning Department of Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy.
In the same year
Mr. Ye Gongchuo purchased a batch of fine block-printed rare books, including the exquisite block-printed editions like The Painting and Calligraphy of Peiwen Studio (Pei Wen Zhai Shu Hua Pu), Collection of Inscriptions, Paintings and Poems of Past Dynasties (Li Dai Ti Hua Shi Lei), Theories on Calligraphy (Mo Chi Bian), Charm of Plum Blossoms (Mei Hua Xi Shen Pu), Thorough Interpretation of Calligraphy by Hanxi (Han Xi Shu Fa Tong Jie), and Criticism of Painting by Sitonggu Studio (Si Tong Gu Zhai Lun Hua Ji Ke), etc during Emperor Kangxi’s reign.
Wang Xuetao went to visit Europe as a member of the Chinese Cultural Delegation, and met with famous artist Picasso in France.
In 1957
On May 14, Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy held its inaugural meeting at the auditorium of the Ministry of Culture. The first new socialist art academy in the People’s Republic of China—Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy was founded. Over 300 personages in the cultural and fine art circle such as Guo Moruo, Mei Lanfang, etc, leaders concerned like Li Jishen, Shao Lizi, Chen Mingshu, Zhang Bojun, Lu Dingyi, He Xiangning, Jiang Feng, Sheng Yanbing, etc, and the Soviet Painter MakcHMOBK.M attended the meeting. Premier Zhou Enlai attended the inaugural meeting and made an important speech. He hoped Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy could unite the Chinese painters to inherit the excellent tradition of Chinese painting and absorb the advantages of foreign painting, to work hard at creation and strengthen research, so as to make continuous improvement and cultivate the future generation, to let a hundred flowers blossom and all flowers vie for beauty, and to struggle for creating the new fine art of the socialist People’s Republic of China. He expressed the profound concerns that the Party and country bestowed on our national painting, and pointed out the direction of the academy’s future development, and stipulated that the academy was an academic institution dedicated to artistic creation and research, cultivating talents, striving to improve and develop China’s fine art cause, and strengthening foreign cultural exchanges. Guo Moruo wrote a poem and inscription to congratulate the founding of Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy.
When Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy was founded, the artists here were directly appointed by the Ministry of Culture. Among the famous painters are Qi Baishi, Ye Gongchuo, Chen Banding, Yu Fei’an, Wang Xuetao, Hu Peiheng, Hui Xiaotong, Wu Guangyu, Qin Zhongwen, Wang Shensheng etc. Meanwhile the academy also invited some famous painters as honorary guest painters. Qi Baishi acted as honorary president, and Ye Gongchuo as president, Chen Banding, Yu Fei’an, Xu Yansun as vice presidents, Cui Zifan as vice president and secretary general. And the Academy Affairs Committee was established, with Ye Gongchuo as director, Chen Banding, Yu Fei’an, Xu Yansun, Ye Qianyu, Hu Peiheng, Wang Xuetao, Zhang Ding, Hu Man, Shao Yu, Cai Ruohong, Cui Zifan and Shi Lu as deputy directors. The address was No. 5 Shajing Hutong Outer Deshenmen. Early after the founding of Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy, it was directly under the leadership of Central Ministry of Culture. From the third quarter in 1958, the Ministry of Culture transferred the academy to Beijing, led by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Beijing Municipal People’s Committee.
On September 16, Qi Baishi, Honorary President of the academy passed away at the age of 93.
In October, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Soviet “October Revolution”, the Landscape Painting Team of the academy created Sunrise at Mount Tai (Dai Zong Xu Ri), and the Bird-and-flower Painting Team of the academy created Evergreen Pine and Cypress Trees (Song Bai Chang Qing). They would be presented as gifts by the Central People’s Government and the Communist Party of China Central Committee to the Soviet Government.
In November, the large-scale academic quarterly of traditional Chinese painting—Traditional Chinese Painting— (quarterly) started publication. From the publication of the third issue, the journal was led and edited by Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Academy.
In 1958
On September 1, the academy launched a program to offer refresher courses to amateurs. Altogether 110 students were enlisted; they were divided into four classes specializing in landscape, figure, freehand flower and bird, and fine-stroke flower and bird painting respectively. The courses mainly taught painting skills and art theories. The teachers adhered to the principle that literary and artistic thoughts should be taught together with painting skills, and adopted the teaching method that combined theory with practice, teaching both traditional painting skills and on the spot painting. The courses progressed from easier ones to more difficult ones. The refresher course program was planned to last for two years, after which students could graduate. Most of the students were elementary or middle-school teachers, and cadres engaged in the field of fine arts. The program mainly aimed to enable the students to learn some basic knowledge about traditional Chinese painting and the Party’s guidelines and policies on literature and arts.
In 1959
In July, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House published Selected Works of Qi Baishi, into which over 100 pieces of works and over 100 pieces of seals were selected.
In 1960
April 18 to May 5, Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circle and Chinese Artists Association Jiangsu Branch co-hosted “Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Exhibition” at Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum, 130 pieces of works were exhibited, most of which were top-quality creations by the artists of BFAA.
In the same year
Senior painters at the academy started painting while following the route of the Long March. Xu Yansun, Wu Jingting, Wang Xuetao, Guan Songfang, Wu Guangyu, Hu Peiheng, Zhou Yuanliang, Zhou Huaimin, Qin Zhongwen, Ma Jin, Hui Xiaotong, Yan Di, and Fu Songchuang, etc participated in the creation of The Ten Thousand Li Long March (Chang Zheng Wan Li Tu).