Biography

Pan Yuliang was a Chinese painter widely recognized as the first woman in China to paint in a Western European style. With subjects including nude bathers, still lifes, and portraits, Pan’s work was influenced by both traditional Chinese painting and French artists such as Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and Édouard Manet. Born Zhang Yuliang on July 14, 1895 in Jiangsu Province, Pan was sold into prostitution by her uncle after her parents died, at the age of 14. She eventually met a wealthy customs officer who bought her freedom, allowing her to study at the Shanghai Art School and later in Italy. She settled in Paris, France in 1937 and went on to teach at the École des Beaux-Arts. Today, Pan’s works are in the collections of the Anhui Museum, the Musée d’Art Modern de la Ville de Paris, the National Art Gallery in Beijing, and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. She died on July 22, 1977 in Paris, France at the age of 82.