This book reflects on the life of Ding Tianque, an art student from the National School of Art in the Republic of China era. Mr. Ding spent his youth studying by the West Lake (Hangzhou, China), then endured the hardships of exile during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. He witnessed the political transition in 1949 and endured political persecution and wrongful accusations for thirty years. In his old age, Mr. Ding regained his freedom and resumed his artistic creation and academic writings and translations. He has been acclaimed by mainland Chinese scholars in culture and history as representing “half a book of Chinese modern art history.” This book presents readers with knowledge of both Chinese and European art, and of the complex sociocultural history of the 20th century. Mr. Ding’s perseverance through the trials and tribulations he faced also serves as a source of inspiration.

Ding Tianque, originally named Ding Shanaxiang (1916–2013), was born in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, China. In 1935, he enrolled in the National School of Art in Hangzhou (now the China Academy of Art), where he studied under Wu Dayu and later served as his teaching assistant. He was a classmate of Wu Guanzhong, Zhu Dequn, and Zao Wuki.