The pattern of the Chinese oil painting since 1950s has been established by several generations of painters with different backgrounds. The common features of generations of painters cultivated by the People’s Republic of China were their closeness to the real life of the new era, their fulfillment of former generations’ ideal to localize the western painting and their overemphasis on the skill-orientation in their oil painting teaching. For a long time, the oil painting teaching in art schools failed to promote students’ critical thinking in art and thus students had no idea how the painting craft became art. As a result, the mainstream painting style in China in the mid-20th century was merely the illustration of the subject without any lasting appeal. In addition, the one-sided explanation of “realism” and the rigid division of the specialty in the art school gave rise to a narrower mind to embrace different cultures and a narrower horizon for aesthetics than their former generations. It was, objectively, under such circumstances that generations of painters were inclined to be narrow-minded on art. But on the contrary, Du Yongqiao had, from the very beginning of his painting, emphasized the nature of oil painting and the abovementioned cultural lyricism and form, in which aspects he was quite extraordinary.

　　It is a common ideal of many far-sighted and outstanding Chinese oil painters to combine the freehand brushwork in traditional Chinese painting with the expression of the light, color and space in western painting, and Chen Beixin and Du Yongqiao are especially remarkable and accomplished in this regard. However, the two great painters with the same art pursuit have different focuses: Mr. Chen is quite experienced in the rendering of an overall effect of the color and the picture structure, while Mr. Du used his expressive color and brushwork to convey his implicitly melancholic and gloomy mood. The subtle distinction reflects that Du pressed on with painting by merging his heart and soul with painting skills. That is why he is worthy of the title “a painter who paints with his soul.” Such quality is a treasure among not only the oil painters in his generation, but also those in contemporary China. After all, painting should contain the painter’s unique and irreplaceable feelings and sentiments deriving from his individual experiences, not just his clear reason and adroit skills.

　　Du Yongqiao turned more persistent and pious in his religious belief in his declining years. He seemed to wholeheartedly seek after the ideal life which doesn’t accord with the existing social order by overstepping predictable earthly gains and losses and cultural values. Both culture and religion, as T. S. Eliot argues, indicate something an individual or a group does not have but something they strive to achieve. As a pure artist, instead of one who used art as a “tool” or a “weapon”, Du held a religious belief in every phase of his life, be it Buddhism or Christianity. It showed in his desire, when he looked into the end of his life, for a more notable spiritual pursuit than the substantial pursuit of the art of painting he had spent great efforts on for decades. Just as C.G. Jung claims, faith helps people in their later years to persevere in fulfilling goals, even though it is difficult for today’s intellectuals to build up a religious faith. Although we are likely to have the same faith as Du’s, we have to show respect for his pursuit of faith.

On the Tomb Sweeping Day in 2009