It also displays works of painters with a small oeuvre, for instance, Woman in Manchu Attire by Wu Fading and several large portraits by Li Yishi. They were among the first Chinese students of fine arts in Europe, from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) until 1949.

After their return to the homeland, both artists pioneered the study and promotion of Western painting in Beijing's art circle.

"I find several of Li Yishi's works in the 1920s quite impressive, because they demonstrated Chinese artists' early exploration to employ traditional skills in oil painting," says Xu Bing, artist and CAFA's vice-president.

"Li's portrait of Chen Shizeng in 1920 deserves special attention. Chen, then a famous painter and art educator, spearheaded the renewal of Chinese literati painting. The two adopted different art approaches but befriended each other in life," he says.

The exhibition also offers a glimpse of the short-lived yet glamorous artistic career of Qi Zhenqi.

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Qi, a favorite student of Xu Beihong, taught at the school but died in his early 30s. He left few but valuable paintings. His works Dongdan Bazaar and Suburb Residents give a detailed description of ordinary people's lives.

Cao Qinghui, CAFA professor and the exhibition's curator, says: "The diverse styles and quality (of the works) show the extent of the development of Western painting in Beijing."

But he says the current collection of Beiping Art School period is not enough to reflect the school's complete historical evolution.

"Many artworks of significance are absent from the storage. For instance, we haven't found any paintings from teachers who learned Western painting in Japan.

"We need to establish a systematic donation mechanism to enrich the collection," he says. Museum director Wang hopes the exhibition can inspire more people to contribute to the research of the school's art legacy.

If you go

9:30 am-5:30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday, until April 25. CAFA Art Museum, 8 Huajiadi South Street, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6477-1575.

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