About
Peng Youshan Chronological Biography
Born on the third day of the seventh lunar month in 1911 in Yugan County, Jiangxi Province.
In 1922, I went to Shanghai with my older brother Youren and second older brother Youxian to pursue my studies and was admitted to the West District Primary School in Shanghai.
In 1925, after graduating from primary school, he was admitted to Yugan Private Junior Yuting Middle School.
In 1927, he enrolled at the Poyang Pottery School and studied under Fan Jiong, the son of the Qing-dynasty painter Fan Jin Yong.
In the summer of 1928, after graduating from the Pottery School, he married Sheng Aixiang, a farm girl, as his grandfather had instructed.
In 1929, the second brother went to France, while the friendly elder brother went to Hangzhou.
In the spring of 1931, my elder brother, accompanied by You Shan, visited Mr. Xu Beihong, bringing with them the paintings “The Refugee’s Journey” and “Self-Portrait.” On “The Refugee’s Journey,” Xu Beihong inscribed a poem. Later that year, my brother enrolled in the Department of Fine Arts at the College of Education of Central University, where he studied Western painting under the tutelage of Xu Beihong.
In the spring of 1933, he enrolled in the Painting Department of the Wuchang School of Fine Arts and was highly regarded by the school’s principal, Tang Yijing. During winter vacation, he held a “Winter Exhibition” in Hankou together with He Zhipeng and his second older brother; paintings such as “Nightmare” and “Double Perch” were featured in the exhibition.
In the autumn of 1934, he graduated from the Painting Department of the Wuchang School of Fine Arts and returned to Jiangxi to serve as a drawing instructor at the Provincial Education Department; he officially divorced Sheng Aixiang.
In 1935, he painted works such as “The God of Nature,” “A World of Great Harmony,” and “Hero and Beauty.” He brought his mother, aunt, and eldest niece to Nanchang, and in the second half of the year, his second older brother, Youxian, returned to Nanchang to take up a job.
In early spring of 1936, he began creating “The Boat of Shared Destiny,” a work that took eight months to complete. During this period, he also painted such works as “Chickens Perching Among Hedge Chrysanthemums,” “The Monk Carrying Water,” and “The Small Grocery Store.” At the same time, he served as the chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee for Fine Arts.
In April 1937, the Second National Art Exhibition was held in Nanjing, where You Shanren had four paintings selected: “Nightmare,” “A World of Great Harmony,” “Huaqing Pool,” and “Companions.” During this period, he helped initiate the founding of the All-China Artists Association, serving as one of its founders and among its first members. After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, he became the leader of the Illustration and Propaganda Group of the Jiangxi Party, Government, and Military Anti-Japanese Support Association, as well as the chairman of the Nanchang City Anti-Japanese Painting Research Society.
In 1938, my mother passed away. I created two large-scale anti-Japanese propaganda paintings: “The Picture of Final Victory” and “Su Wu Herding Sheep.”
In 1939, it moved to Shangtian Village in Taihe along with the Education Department to carry out its work.
In 1940, together with Hu Xianya, he co-organized the “Donation Art Auction” exhibition in Ganzhou, donating all proceeds from the sale of paintings to the war effort against Japan.
In 1941, he concurrently served as the Director of the Second Special Committee of the Three Principles of the People Movement and as an art instructor at the Jiangxi Provincial Experimental Kindergarten Teachers’ School, where he founded an amateur art tutoring class (the predecessor of Liefeng Art College). He also served as an Arts Specialist in the Second Group of the Cultural Design Committee of the Third War Zone. He published articles such as “Ten Methods of Modern Painting” and “The Art of Building the Three Principles of the People” in the “Frontline Daily.” Furthermore, he held two art exhibitions at the Shangrao Folk Education Hall and Wangjiayuan.
In 1943, he held a joint art exhibition with Pan Tianshou, Yu Jianhua, and Xie Haiyan in Jianyang. After the Cultural Design Committee of the Third War Zone was dissolved, he returned to his hometown and took up the position of school affairs director at Yugan County Middle School, where he helped establish the school.
In 1944, he went to Shangrao and took up the position of Art Team Leader in the Cultural Movement Committee of the Third War Zone. He created fifty large-scale tiger paintings and, together with his second elder brother, held a “Hundred Tigers Exhibition” in Shangrao.
In January 1945, Wang Wei was transferred to the Southeast Branch of the Central Training Corps as an arts officer and instructor, with Wang Wei himself serving as the branch’s commander. On September 4, he married Wu Huisheng. In the second half of the year, at the invitation of Chen Heqin, the principal of Guangchang National Kindergarten Teachers’ College, Wang Wei took up a position as associate professor at the college. During this time, he created color ink paintings titled “The Whole Nation Cheers for Peace,” “Zou Yu,” and “Loyalty to the Country.”
In 1946, he served as a lecturer at the Lushan Summer Academic Workshop and held a solo art exhibition. There, he met U.S. Special Envoy Marshall, who subsequently presented President Truman with his painting "All People Joyfully Celebrate Peace" and gifted Marshall with his work "Zou Yu." He traveled to Nanjing, where he painted "White Sparrow Picture" for Marshall, and later served as the head of the art group and art instructor in the training course for Ministry of National Defense press officers.
In 1947, he served as an art specialist in the Second Division of the Public Information Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense; the Ministry of National Defense awarded him the “Medal of Victory” for his painting “Together Through Thick and Thin.” Introduced by Ma Bi, he became a student of Qi Baishi and subsequently created numerous paintings titled “The White Sparrow.”
In May 1949, Yugan was liberated, and in June, he was appointed as the vice principal of Yugan United Middle School.
In March 1950, he was transferred to the Jingdezhen Ceramic Specialized School as the leader of a five-member leading group, concurrently serving as a professor, vice chairman of the Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and chairman of the Municipal Artists’ Association. That summer, he joined the Chinese Democratic Alliance through the introduction of Xu Deyuan. He created the painting “Long Live Peace” and submitted it to the first Jiangxi Fine Arts Exhibition held after the liberation.
In 1951, he was transferred to work at the Jiangxi Provincial Press and Publication Office; his work “Chickens” was selected for the first National Art Exhibition held after the liberation.
In 1952, he created the oil painting “Fang Zhimin Attacks Qigong Town”; in November, he was transferred to the Political Research Class at Zhongyuan University in Wuchang for study.
In July 1953, he was transferred to Nanchang University as a professor in the Department of Arts and concurrently served as Vice Chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Artists Association. He created the color-and-ink painting titled "Triumph of the Qigong Town Uprising."
In 1954, he participated in the Second National Art Exhibition with “The Victory of the Qigong Town Uprising”; he created the color-and-ink painting “Lovely China” for the Second Jiangxi Provincial Art Exhibition and won the First Prize; he also painted the oil painting “Great Friendship” for the Sino-Soviet Friendship Pavilion.
In February 1955, I was seconded to the Memorial Hall for Revolutionary Martyrs and joined a group of oil-painting creators—including Wu Qi, Tang Zhiyun, and He Qitao—as its leader. We traveled to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Pingjiang, and other places for study tours. In May, we began sketching the large-scale oil painting titled “Eternal Life.”
In May 1956, he was elected as a member of the First Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a director of the Jiangxi Provincial Artists Association. He created the color-and-ink painting “The Peng-Huang-Pingjiang Uprising” for the General Political Department of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Liberation Army.
In July 1957, “Eternal Life” and “The Peng-Huang-Pingjiang Uprising Map” were completed one after another. In the same month, he was labeled a “far-right element” and received a punishment of being demoted one pay grade and subjected to a severe warning within the Party. That same year, his wife, Wu Huisheng, was also labeled a rightist at Wuhan University.
After the Qingming Festival in 1961, I was transferred back to Jiangxi Teachers’ College. That summer, I was seconded to the Memorial Hall for Revolutionary Martyrs and created the oil paintings “Chairman Mao’s Representative Arrives in Ruijin” and “The Battle of Gao Hunao.”
In September 1962, he returned to Jiangxi Teachers College, had his “rightist” label removed, and resumed teaching, taking charge of courses including sketching, anatomy, perspective, art appreciation, and traditional Chinese painting. He also attended the Third Congress of Representatives of the Literary and Art Circles of Jiangxi Province.
In the summer of 1966, the Cultural Revolution began; the "8/11 Incident" struck a blow, and most of his paintings over the years were confiscated. After the "Peng Youshan Black Paintings Exhibition" was held at Jiangxi Teachers College, all the paintings were lost.
In the spring of 1969, the Jiangxi Teachers College was relocated to Nanshan and renamed Jinggangshan University. He willingly participated in labor activities and taught sketching and art appreciation courses to students from worker, peasant, and soldier backgrounds.
In 1972, the special task force of Jinggangshan University concluded that You Shan was to be liberated.
In March 1973, I was seconded to the Memorial Hall for Revolutionary Martyrs to copy the oil painting “Immortality,” and the work was completed in May.
In August 1979, the right-wing elements’ conclusions were corrected. I created a color ink painting titled “The Rooster Crowing at Dawn” for the Provincial Political Consultative Conference and another color ink painting titled “The Eagle Spreading Its Wings” for the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
In 1980, he participated in the 5th Provincial Cultural Conference and the 4th Provincial Political Consultative Conference, and was elected Vice Chairman of the Provincial Artists Association. He created color-and-ink paintings including “Evening Fishing,” “Fighting Cock,” “Ancient Temple in the Deep Mountains,” and “Cat and Chrysanthemum”; he also reproduced the color-and-ink painting “Hero and Beauty.”
In the spring of 1981, a “Peng Youshan and Yan Ming Painting Exhibition” was held at the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles Auditorium. In August, a “Peng Youshan Painting Exhibition” was staged at Guiyuan Temple in Hanyang. In December, he retired. He created the color-and-ink painting “Long Howl” (now in the collection of the National Art Museum of China), as well as “Wild Ducks,” “Majestic Gaze,” “Chickens Among Hedge Chrysanthemums” (also in the collection of the National Art Museum of China), and “Moonlit Bamboo Grove.” He also made reproductions of color-and-ink paintings such as “The God of Nature” and “Guanyin Riding a Dragon.”
In June 1982, a porcelain painting exhibition was held in Jingdezhen; in August, a solo painting exhibition was held at the Zhejiang Cultural Hall in Hangzhou; and in October, another solo painting exhibition was held at the antique branch of the Shanghai Friendship Store.
In 1983, he created the color-ink long scroll “Hundred Tigers,” as well as “The Lion of Shenzhou Awakens,” and reproduced “A World of Great Harmony.”
From May 19 to June 2, 1984, a solo art exhibition was held at the Central Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition Hall in Beijing. “Long Howl” won the First Prize for Outstanding Literary and Artistic Works in Jiangxi Province; and the artist participated in the “Gannan Mid-Autumn Painting Exhibition.”
In 1985, he was appointed as a member of the 5th Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Jiangxi Province and became an honorary curator at the Jiangxi Provincial Museum of Literature and History. In November, he held a solo painting exhibition at the Jiangsu Art Museum in Nanjing. The Jiangsu Art Museum acquired one of his traditional Chinese paintings depicting tigers. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance, he reproduced the work “All People Joyfully Celebrate Peace.”
During the 1986 Spring Festival, Jiangxi Television aired a special documentary titled “Passing on the Spirit Through Painting Tigers.” In November, I was invited to stay briefly at Hainan University in Haikou, where I created paintings such as “Howling in the Empty Valley,” “Hibiscus,” “Two Tigers Contending,” and “Righteous Qi of Heaven and Earth.”
In April 1987, a solo exhibition was held at the Guangzhou Art Museum; the museum acquired a Chinese-style painting of a tiger.
In 1988, I reproduced “Nightmare.” I wrote “The Art of Painting Tigers,” which was published by Jiangxi People’s Publishing House.
In the spring of 1989, he held a joint calligraphy and painting exhibition with Huang Tianbi in Guangzhou; in December, he organized the “Peng Youshan Painting Exhibition” at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
In 1990, he created paintings including “The Harmonious Melody of Qin and Se,” “Majestic Wind Across Ten Thousand Li,” “The Monk with the Cloth Bag,” “An Eagle Spreads Its Wings,” “Bodhidharma Facing the Wall,” “Visiting Scenic Spots in Autumn Mountains,” and “Overlooking Precipitous Cliffs,” among others.
In 1991, he was awarded the Certificate of Honor for 30 Years of Service in Literary and Artistic Work; he was appointed as a consultant to the Jiangxi Academy of Calligraphy and Painting; and created paintings such as “The Story of Bodhidharma’s Journey East” and “Mother and Cub Tiger.”
In November 1992, together with my wife Hui Sheng and others, I visited Fengshuwo in Geyuan, Hengfeng, to search for traces of my elder brother Youren’s revolutionary activities; I also created the paintings “Tiger Roar” and “Five Blessings.”
In 1993, he was awarded the Certificate of Outstanding Contribution Expert by the State Council; his works include “Chu Zhu Xiao Ji,” “The Great Dream Is About to End,” “Treading on Peril,” and “Gazing Proudly.”
In October 1995, the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles hosted the “Peng Youshan and Wu Huisheng Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting Exhibition” to commemorate their golden wedding anniversary.
In 1996, I received a letter of thanks from the Truman Library in the United States and was also sent the color photograph titled “All People Joyfully Celebrate Peace,” which had been presented to me in 1946.
In 1997, he participated in the Jiangxi Provincial Cultural and Historical Museum’s calligraphy and painting event celebrating Hong Kong’s return to China, spontaneously creating a painting titled “Red and White Plum Blossoms.” He also took part in the provincial Artists Association’s calligraphy and painting event, writing the inscription “Celebrating Hong Kong’s Return—Rejoicing at the Reunification of Our Golden Land,” and producing paintings such as “Abundant Orchids and Crimson Bamboo,” “The Zou Yu Beast,” and “All People Joyfully Celebrate the Return,” all in honor of Hong Kong’s return. At 1:15 a.m. on August 16, he passed away suddenly from a heart attack at Jiangxi Hospital; a solemn memorial service was held on August 20.
