“ The 20th Century National Arts Collection and Donation Reward Program” is a national cultural program designedto collect the works of artists who have made outstanding achievements in art activities and production in the20th century. Soon after it was proposed, it has attracted the attention and support of the PRC’s Ministry of Culture,department of Art. This program of the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) was warmly welcomed by anumber of veteran artists and family members of late artists. Some of them generously donated their own or theirfamily members’ works; some gave all of their art collection, thus making a great contribution to the national artscause. The works not only embody the painstaking efforts of the creators and the sincere patriotic sentiments of thedonors, but also enrich the international art collection of the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) with theirvariety and diversity (Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, modern international prints, Russian oil paintings, etc.). Therefore,the series Albums of Works Donated to the Collection of the National Art Museum of China has been edited andprinted to publicize and remember artistic achievements in the 20th century as well as contributions to the nationalarts cause. Album of Works Donated by Liu Xun to the National Art Museum of China is part of the series.
　　Liu Xun, a fruitful veteran artist, public figure and collector, was honest, frank and magnanimous yet suffered alot in his life. He dedicated to the revolution in the 1930s and kicked off his art career in the 1940s in Luxun ArtCollege in Yan’an, coping with engraving, Chinese New Year Picture, cartoon, oil painting, and traditional Chinesepainting. Liu was always full of energy and passion. Early when he was in Luxun Art College, he created manycritical and influential works of engraving, Chinese New Year Picture and cartoon; after the founding of the People’sRepublic of China, he studied oil painting with K.M.Maksimov, a master of oil paining from Soviet Union, andturned to this field. After years of exercises he formed his own style and made great achievements, particularly in oilpainting and traditional Chinese painting.
　　Landscape is the eternal focus in his art works, yet it is never the simple copy of nature, but concentration of itssoul depicted by rich colors, lines and profiles full of fiery or prudent motion that undulates rhythmically. The idea ofmodern western art and traditional Chinese freehand brushwork naturally blend in his works, boasting his profoundart accomplishment and unrestricted expressive force.
　　Mr. Liu also contributed a lot to the development of contemporary art in China. Early after the founding of thePRC, Liu as a leadership member took part in the establishment of People’s Fine Arts Publishing House whichbrought China’s fine arts into a new stage; in the 1980s, he worked in the leadership of China Artists Association andBeijing Art Academy, and witnessed the rough development of China’s fine arts in the new era; in the late 1980s, heestablished Crown Plaza Hotel Beijing which features artistic flavor. The art gallery and concert hall in the Hotelused to be popular venues for artistic activities at that time, and saw numerous talented young artists. The Fine ArtsFoundation operated by the Hotel financed those young artists and significantly contributed to the development ofcontemporary Chinese fine arts.
　　Mr. Liu also had collected both Chinese and foreign valuable art works of a large variety, including modernChinese oil painting, traditional Chinese painting, engraving, contemporary Russian oil painting, Tibetan Thang-gaand African woodcarving. At the end of 2004, Mr. Liu donated all his works and collections, totaling over 1,700pieces to NAMOC. To commend and commemorate his generosity and sense of responsibility to China’s art cause,NAMOC published an album series of his donations. This album contains his art works of oil painting and Chinesepainting. Mr. Liu had held painting exhibitions in many countries and received extensive recognition. We believe thisalbum will win your favor.National Art Museum of China (NAMOC)