Situ Qiao

Situ Qiao (; 1902 – 16 February 1958) was a Chinese oil painter and graphic artist. An important member of the Lingnan School of art, he was also known for his friendship with the influential writer Lu Xun. His most famous work is the 1940 painting Put Down Your Whip.

Biography

Situ Qiao was born to a poor family in Chikan, Kaiping, Guangdong province in 1902. His name at birth was Situ Qiaoxing . His father was an amateur painter.

In 1924, Situ entered the School of Theology of Yenching University in Beijing, but was more interested in painting. In 1926, he held his first personal exhibition, which was noticed by Lu Xun, who purchased his drawing Five Policemen and an O. When the Northern Expedition war erupted in 1927, he moved to Wuhan to work for the Soviet advisor Mikhail Borodin.

By 1928, he had moved to Shanghai and set up a studio. He held an exhibition in March 1928, which was again noticed by Lu Xun, who wrote about his conversation with Situ Qiao. In winter 1928, Situ left for France to study painting, and exhibited at the Paris Salon the following year. which has become his most famous work. After WWII, Situ Qiao went to New York City with his wife, Feng Yimei in September 1946 to seek treatment for his lung disease. They returned to Beijing in 1950 after the founding of the People's Republic of China. He taught at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts and helped to set up the National Museum of China.

On 16 February 1958, Situ Qiao died in his studio in Beijing. He donated all his paintings to the state, which are now in the collections of various museums in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and his hometown, Kaiping. A compilation of his paintings was published by Beijing People's Art Publishing House.