The show Loneliness of Wild Ducks marks Lin Fengmian's contributions to modernizing Chinese painting and fine-arts education.[Photo provided to China Daily]

After Zao entered the school in 1935, he got so bored with the regimented training of Chinese painting at the time that he sometimes skipped classes.

During one major exam, he drew a circle in ink, calling it "a rock". This angered his instructor and ink master Pan Tianshou.

Pan wanted Lin to dismiss Zao. But Lin persuaded Pan to be more patient.

After Zao graduated, Lin offered him a teaching assistant's position at the same school while also encouraging him to study abroad.

In 1948, Zao moved to Paris, where he gained international fame as an abstract painter.

In the 1970s, he visited Shanghai and found his old headmaster going through a difficult time during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

Wang says the uniqueness of Lin's art adds luster to 20th-century Chinese art history.

"He is a master, who deserves our respect."

If you go

9 am-5 pm, Mondays closed, through March 5. 12 Chaoyang Gongyuan Nan Lu. 010-6502-5171.