Zhou Yitao, an art professor at the South-Central University for Nationalities in Wuhan, Hubei province, recalls at a dinner more than a month ago Liu Shouxiang, a retried professor of the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, had said that selling paintings was good, although it held back an artist in some ways.

Liu had hoped to gain more artistic leverage before the age of 70, Zhou says.

Liu was unable to fulfill that wish. The Wuhan native died from novel coronavirus pneumonia, aged 62, at the city's Jinyintan Hospital on Feb 13. The news spread on social media platforms such as Sina Weibo and WeChat, as posts circulated mourning the loss of Liu, a leading watercolor specialist.

Some users shared his artworks, which showcase proficient techniques and a striking sense of aesthetics.

Watercolor was introduced to China more than three centuries ago, and has become a popular form of fine art.