In March 1997, the Retrospective Exhibition of Du Yongqiao’s Art was held in Sichuan Fine Arts Institute with the Art Education Department of the Institute as the organizer. This exhibition, as the first individual one of Du Yongqiao, displayed over 130 pieces of his oil paintings and watercolors from the 1950s to the 1990s. Later in May, the exhibition was jointly-held in Sichuan Art Museum (Chengdu) by Sichuan Artists Association, Chengdu Academy of Painting and Sichuan Fine Arts Institute.

　　During the two exhibitions in Chongqing and Chengdu, symposia were held respectively in the two cities. And the minutes of the symposia are as follows.

　　Mei Zhongzhi, traditional Chinese painter, professor of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute

　　In my eyes, the oil painting of Mr. Du is classical and inspiring. I spent six or seven years in Japan, a small country with 54 art museums. The oil paintings of Mr. Du I saw today just remind me of the large number of paintings housed in those museums and also the exhibition of Northern European oil paintings from the middle ages to the modern times in 1994 in Japan. I can surely say that the genuine paintings and the unadulterated colors of them are fully comparable to the former great European masters. What’s more, both his painting quality and his moral quality, in addition to his spirit of perseverance, are quite admirable. I think his influence will be the same, great and far-reaching whether the exhibition is held or not.

　　I think the oil painting of Mr. Du is tasteful and inspirited. I had for six or seven years stayed in Japan, a small country with 54 art museums. Seeing his oil painting today makes me recall the mass housed paintings in the museums, especially the exhibition of the Northern European oil paintings from the middle ages to the modern time I saw in Japan in 1994. I can surely say his art is so genuine and so pure that he can be completely compared to the great masters of the older generations in Europe. What’s more, both his painting quality and his moral quality, in addition to his thorough and thorough spirit, convince me in the mind. I feel his influence is the same great whether he holds or not holds the exhibition.

　　Lin Mu, historian of Fine Arts, associated professor of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute

　　The exhibition is significant, because it demonstrates that the art of painting indeed needs to resume the purity of the visual language. Mr. Du’s paintings are not “philosophical” at all, yet quite charming and enchanting, with the skills of coloring exquisite enough to shake your soul! With magnifying lens, you will find the delicate and subtle color gradation in every piece of his paintings. How rare the painters are who are so adroit at and gifted for colors as him in the whole country, let alone in the southwest of China! How few the painters are whose brush touches are so subtle but forceful and changeful in the modern world of oil painting! The painting of Du Yongqiao is a lesson for those who think we should tread on the heels of western oil painters, as it appropriately expresses the color of the western oil painting and the spirit of the traditional Chinese one and presents the art from the West incisively and vividly via the feelings of a Chinese in a Chinese manner. Mr. Du is unquestionably the most outstanding oil painter in the country, but the Institute has held him down again and again, so that he didn’t give such an exhibition until his retirement. Then why don’t we provide more chances to promote such an exquisite art?

　　He Jidu, traditional Chinese painter, president of Chengdu Academy of Painting

　　An incontestable fact in our art world is that the art of Mr. Du and his teaching system have influenced generations of artists, and it is very rare among oil painters to reach such an outstanding height in terms of art achievements and still not to decline even in the sixties. The great stir evoked by the exhibition, even in the 1990s, just proves that the art of Mr. Du is undoubtedly time-honored. I can say his art is immortal and eternal, which, I believe, will be proved by time.

　　Hu Renqiao, oil painter

　　As is known to us all, Mr. Du has suffered a lot. He has not been supported but oppressed for a long time. This injures not only Mr. Du himself, but also Chinese culture and arts, for such talented and capable painters as him are rare in China, a big country with a large population!

　　I think his art has attained perfection. He is so talented at the use of color and brushwork as to have developed his own system, which, in my eyes, is a superb system. The fact that his paintings can still be thought highly of even today when modernism prevails surely explains that any art, if it is the highest quality, will stand the test of time.

　　Jian Chongmin, oil painter

　　Mr. Du has been labeled as “undesirable” for years. On retrospection, it always seems to me that he is absolutely a victim. How could he persevere in art till today without his wholehearted love for it? It is because of him that the painters of five or six generations from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute have been gathered together with deep admiration, who, no matter which approach they adopt, which school they belong to or how famous they are, are fully convinced by his works.

　　Looking back upon my college life, Mr. Du has given us a perfect impression. How few are such teachers like him! In those years, he taught us unselfishly and sincerely, an attitude I have seldom experienced when I set my foot in society. Since it is a universal acknowledgement that Mr. Du is excellent both in terms of art and moral quality, we should endeavor to save him from becoming another Chen Zizhuang, an outstanding painter known only after his death. Only with support and assistance on all fronts will such simple, honest and pure painters as Mr. Du not repeat the miserable fate of Chen Zizhuang.

　　The paintings of Mr. Du have never won any big awards in Beijing, nor been sold at a sky-high price, but he has built up an extremely high status in the mind of his fellow painters across the country for his pure art that is just for the sake of art. Not caring about the interest of the government, merchants and market, he only paints with his conscience and his faith without the distraction of such factors as politics, award-winning, fashion and business. That’s why he is finally able to reach such an astonishing level of art.

　　Qian Laizhong, traditional Chinese painter, secretary of Sichuan Association of Literature and Art

　　Sichuan Province is proud to have produced some excellent artists, like Du Yongqiao and Chen Zizhuang. The reason why Chen could finally come to be prestigious is the advocation by his students and admirers. Therefore, I have a feeling that if a painter intends to hand down his art, a group of followers are indispensable; otherwise, he is unable to contribute his achievements in art to society, and they are likely to be lost in the end. It is true the excellent artist Mr. Du has gained increasing influence, but it seems that his unique art lacks disciples to carry it on. In this connection, I advise Mr. Du to set up a workshop to pass his art on to upcoming artists.

　　Li Shuzhong, engraving painter, professor of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute

　　It’s been quite a long time since I saw an exhibition as substantial as this! Even if Mr. Du’s accomplishments in art have been witnessed by us all earlier, his works in this exhibition, his first and sole exhibition up to now, have won overwhelming admiration. Nowadays, painters are always busy in publishing collections of paintings or holding exhibitions, but they often fail to yield the anticipated results like this. What a sharp contrast!

　　There is no denying of Du Yongqiao’s achievements in color. His unique skill of brushwork is also worthy of in-depth study. The nationalization of oil painting has been advocated for years, yet a successful paradigm is rare to see. The oil painting of Mr. Du is very Chinese—the creative usage of changeful and unpredictable brushstrokes with a special taste of the traditional Chinese freehand brushwork, while the manner of his oil painting is pure and natural, which just reveals how profound his expertise is in those two types of painting. And he really deserves our admiration for his success in blending the two types of painting with totally different backgrounds in such a natural and perfect way.

　　Zhang Jie, oil painter, professor and vice president of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute

　　In China today, a painter who wants to hold an exhibition must go through a great deal of red tape. But Mr. Du is an exception. His exhibitions in Chongqing and Chengdu, co-sponsored by Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and Sichuan Artists Association, were free from any red tape and enjoy a rent-free venue. This just shows his great academic eminence. When his exhibition was opened in the Institute, the occasion looked most magnificent, with people crowded everywhere in the hall. I have attended many exhibitions at home and abroad, but never have I seen a scene like this!

　　In a time when art is plural and diversified and various art activities are frequently held, why has the exhibition of Mr. Du attracted the eyes the public to such an extent? Why do those who admire modernism worship Mr. Du as well? The reason, I figure out, is whatever time an artist lives in and styles he follows, he is bound to be recognized as long as he can reach a high level. Mr. Du, though not good at dealing with people, social contacts or publicity, has moved generations of people through the power of his works alone.

　　Luo Li, oil painter, dean of the Art Education Department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute

　　These years, I tried to persuade Mr. Du to hold an exhibition, but I failed. Thanks to the constant persuasion of his friends, his exhibition is finally on. The exhibition is so influential that there are masses of people every day and some even call for the prolonging of the exhibition. Nevertheless, the high-level works have unexpectedly evoked a negative reaction, that is, the audience begins to wonder why such a high-quality painter has not had an exhibition before and why such an exhibition is not held until Mr. Du’s retirement. It seems to me that the answer lies in the so-called “Phenomenon of Du Yongqiao.”

　　He has concentrated on only one thing—painting—for decades, not caring about fame, nor good at dealing with public affairs or interpersonal communication. However, on the other hand, Mr. Du has influenced generations in art and teaching. His painting is mysterious yet marvelous, worthy of further study and being carried forward. We can say that Mr. Du is one of the best artists in our country in whatever aspect and it would take a hundred years to produce such an outstanding painter as him. This is no exaggeration, as I know many professionals do think he deserves such praise. But it’s a shame that the general public know a little about his original works.

　　Zhou Chunya, oil painter

　　I had already heard of Mr. Du’s name before I started to learn painting. Later when I saw his original works, I was shocked in my mind and quite convinced of their quality. And later on, the more I know about painting, the greater I think his paintings are. In my mind, Mr. Du is unquestionably a real unadulterated artist, whose painting style has had a great impact on so many people and generations. His influence is so profound and far-reaching that wherever you go, you can find people talking about him and admiring him. I have a feeling that Mr. Du will be increasingly influential as time goes by.

　　Li Jinyuan, traditional Chinese painter, professor of the Fine Arts College of Sichuan Normal University

　　Even if I have not met Mr. Du before, I do think his art is considerably influential to not just the oil painting circle, the watercolor or gouache painters but the whole fine arts field at any time. In fact, a group of well-known traditional Chinese painters with substantial achievements admit that they too have benefited a lot in terms of art from Mr. Du although they have not been directly taught by him. The painting course of most of those traditional Chinese painters started with western oil painting, but the impact of Mr. Du on them in the use of color and art language can still be seen today. Perhaps oil painters are unlikely to imagine the heartfelt appreciation and respect the traditional Chinese painters, such as me and my fellows, hold for Mr. Du. Whether the works of an artist are good or not, there will surely be fair judgment eventually. It is not true that the more fiercely the works are hyped, the more respected they are, and only the layman will be misled in this regard.

　　Zhang Ziqi, traditional Chinese painter, professor of the Fine Arts College of Sichuan University

　　The paintings of Mr. Du are extraordinary both in the color and the expression of his individual feelings. My son is a painter, so I have chances to stay in touch with the young, of whom many are engaged in avant-garde art. However, each of them is convinced by Du’s art, which, I think, is really difficult to achieve! In fact, it is universally known that all painters, be they the older generation or the younger one and whether they deal with the traditional painting or the avant-garde art, are sincerely convinced by his color-using skills. Not all the audience today is engaged in western oil painting; some of them are involved in traditional Chinese painting, sculpture, design, installation art, etc. However, unlike at many other exhibitions where the audience show up merely out of courtesy or for the purpose of social contact, all of the audience at Mr. Du’s exhibition are absorbed in his works. His paintings are most charming and enchanting at all times, so I think that it will be a sad loss for both the painter himself and the whole society if his art is not studied in time.

　　Li Deqing, chief editor of Sichuan Fine Arts Report

　　Free and expressive, the paintings of Mr. Du indicate his profound cultivation both in color and sketching technique. He is very gifted and successful in combining the two aspects, leaving aside his achievements in color. Even in our vast country where there is a strong painting force, few painters can be as accomplished in color as Mr. Du. No wonder I have heard lots of scholars and painting critics saying that he is “a master of color of the Southwest and of the country –a master that is rarely seen in a hundred years”. Mr. Du should be listed in the masters of color in Chinese history. But it is a bitter truth that a master is often marginalized in society for a long time and given the current situation, people like us do not have a power to make a change. In addition, I, together with some other fellows, also think we should have a discussion on the “Phenomenon of Du Yongqiao”. Standing aloof from the worldly affairs, Mr. Du Yongqiang has devoted himself for his whole life time to painting without any hype or imitation, but has finally gained a greater reputation than those who are busy with publicity, a phenomenon which is indeed an enlightenment and revelation for the current painting spectrum.

Based on the sound recording