The artistic works of China's late master artist Peng Youxian are now on show at the China National Museum of Fine Arts in Beijing.

Born in 1906 and died in 1949, Peng Youxian was considered the contemporary of renowned Chinese master artists Liu Haisu and Pan Tianshou. Peng Youxian later went on to refine his art in France, studying graphics and decoration. In 1947, the Chinese artist took it upon himself to design a stately gift for the wedding of England's Queen Elizabeth, receiving high praise an appreciation from Her Majesty.

Best remembered for his drawings of plant and animal images including birds, flowers and tigers, Peng's works are a perfect hybrid of Western and traditional Chinese artistic forms. The 50-odd pieces on display in Beijing are representative of his rigorous and powerful artistic style. His talent for ceramic work is on display. His ceramic designs are aesthetically simple, practical and modern, and they still look contemporary and graceful in the eyes of today's art lovers.

(Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2004)