Speaking about Jin's contribution, Fan Di'an, head of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, says: "He is quite sensitive to the developments in international art education, and insightful about the needs of Chinese society. So, he established the design and architecture departments. And he always visits the graduates' exhibitions."

Jin is still critical of himself. And some of the works shown in the current exhibitions have his own comments.

For Tajik Bride, Jin says: "There is still room of technical progress. Young painters today do better than this."

And as for Bada Shanren, Jin says he was "not relaxed enough and therefore the brushwork was not smooth".

Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn