Labour’s Family

Qian Songyan was also known by his courtesy name Yan and literay name Qiluzhuren. Born in Yixing, Jiangsu province, he carried on his family tradition and started to learn poetry, calligraphy, and painting at a very young age. He entered the Third College of Education of Jiangsu when he was twenty and learned art under the tutelage of Hu Tinglu. He then taught mountain and water painting and poetry at Wuxi Art College . From 1957 and onward, he worked as a painter and the president of Jiangsu Academy of Painting, President of Jiangsu Artists Association, and executive member and advisor of China Artists Association. His painting style was influenced by Shi Tao, Shi Xi,and Shen Zhou and the artist excelled in depicting landscapes in Jiangnan, literally meaning “the south of the Yangtze River.”