Dong Xiwen facts for kids

Dong Xiwen (Chinese: 董希文; pinyin: Dǒng Xīwén; 1914 – 8 January 1973) was a famous Chinese painter. He is best known for his important 1953 painting, The Founding Ceremony of the Nation. This painting shows the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Early Life and Education

Dong Xiwen was born in 1914 in a place called Keqiao, which is in Shaoxing, China. He went to high school in Hangzhou. In 1932, he started studying civil engineering at Zhejiang University.

Becoming an Artist

But Dong Xiwen's true passion was art. In 1933 and 1934, he went to art schools in Suzhou and Hangzhou. He finished his art studies in 1939. After that, he even studied art for a short time in Hanoi, Vietnam.

From 1942 to 1946, Dong Xiwen worked at the Dunhuang Art Research Institute. Here, he spent time copying ancient wall paintings. These paintings were very old and beautiful. In 1946, he became a teacher at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beiping (which is now Beijing).

His Role in History

Dong Xiwen supported the student activities of the Chinese Communist Party. This was a big political group in China. In July 1949, he helped paint the first portrait of Mao Zedong at Tiananmen Square. Mao Zedong was the leader of China at that time. Dong Xiwen joined the Communist Party in December 1949.

The Founding Ceremony of the Nation

Between 1952 and 1953, Dong Xiwen created his most famous painting. It was called The Founding Ceremony of the Nation. This painting showed a very important moment in Chinese history.

Later Career and Art Style

Dong Xiwen became a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He also helped design the sculptures for the Monument to the People's Heroes. This monument is a famous landmark in Beijing.

Dong Xiwen's Unique Style

Dong Xiwen was very good at painting portraits. His oil paintings mixed different styles. He used Western techniques, like realism, which means painting things exactly as they look. He learned this from the Renaissance art period.

But he also added traditional Chinese art styles. He used bright colors, like those he saw in the ancient Dunhuang wall paintings. This made his art very popular and unique.

Changes to His Famous Painting

After 1949, art in China was sometimes affected by political ideas. His famous painting, The Founding Ceremony of the Nation, was changed a few times. These changes happened because of political reasons within the Communist Party. For example, some figures were removed from the painting at different times. Later, a new copy was made that looked like the original painting.

In 1969, Dong Xiwen faced some difficulties because of political changes. He passed away from cancer on January 8, 1973.

Major Works

• Oil paintings:
  • 《苗女赶场》 (1943)
  • 《哈萨克牧羊女》 (1947)
  • 《迎接解放》 (1949)
  • The Founding Ceremony of the Nation 《开国大典》 (1953)
  • 《春到西藏》 (1954)
  • 《密云春水》 (1964)
• Collected works:
  • 《长征路线写生集》
  • 《董希文画集》
  • 《董希文素描集》
• Art writings:
  • 《从中国绘画的表现方法谈到油画中国风》 (About Chinese painting styles in oil painting)
  • 《素描基本练习对于彩墨画教学的关系》 (About drawing practice and traditional Chinese painting)
  • 《绘画的色彩问题》 (About color in painting)