Li Keran

Li Keran (; 26 March 1907 – 5 December 1989), art name Sanqi, was a contemporary Chinese guohua painter and art educator. Considered one of the most important Chinese artists in the latter half of the 20th century, he was also an influential professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts where he taught a generation of Chinese artists. Although trained in Western oil painting, he was known for his traditional literati paintings with influences from Qi Baishi and Huang Binhong, two renowned masters in Chinese painting. his parents were illiterate.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Li worked for the Nationalist government, creating many anti-Japanese posters and murals for war propaganda. He became a lecturer in Chinese painting at the National Academy of Arts exiled in Chongqing, in 1943. His talent was appreciated by Xu Beihong, who invited him to teach at the National Beiping Art School in 1946. He was mentored by the renowned traditional artists Qi Baishi and Huang Binhong at the academy. created some landscape paintings on-site. The tour attracted significant attention from other prominent artists, critics, and art collectives. which influenced many Chinese landscape painters, was completed in 1964.

During the Cultural Revolution, Li was severely criticized for his signature style, the black landscape paintings.

Li innovated Chinese landscape painting by integrating native and western techniques, inasmuch as he was inspired by Rembrandt's chiaroscuro. Besides, he also advocates the practice of sketching or painting from nature on-site.

Li is also noted for the enlivened water buffaloes in his paintings. His calligraphy is deemed to be distinctive, and he is also a competent huqin player.

Art market Li Keran is one of the most valued Chinese artists in art market. breaking his previous record of 107 million set by the painting Long March.

Wan Shan Hong Bian (Thousands of Hills in a Crimsoned View, or Landscape in Red), Li's 1964 masterpiece inspired by Mao's famous poem "Changsha", was sold at Poly Auction in June 2012 for a personal record price of (US$46 million). It was the largest of seven versions Li painted between 1961 and 1964. In 2015, the smallest version of the seven was sold by China Guardian for . The painting had been acquired for just 80 yuan forty years earlier by Beijing's Rong Bao Zhai, which sold it in 2000 for 5 million yuan.

In October 2017, Li's Magnificent Mountains With Gushy Cascades was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong auction for HK$122 million (US$15.6 million).

Personal life Li married Su E in 1931, and they had four children. After Su died in 1938, he remarried sculptor Zou Peizhu in 1944. They had another three children. Li died on 5 December 1989 from a heart attack.