He left brief comments on Ren's works, such as, "What a marvelous piece of art", "I've dreamed about it for months", and, "The happiness of acquiring this work makes me jump."

Xu Ji, a co-curator of the exhibition, says Xu Beihong often talked about Ren with guests at home and showed them his collection of Ren's art. He also passionately introduced Ren's talent and pioneering spirit to Europeans.

Xu Beihong had studied at Ecole nationale superieure des beauxarts, the top fine-arts school in Paris, in the 1920s.

In May 1933, he curated an exhibition in the French capital, displaying paintings by prominent Chinese artists, including Ren and master painter Qi Baishi.

Xu Ji says Xu Beihong was "not only a connoisseur but also a cultural ambassador", who was devoted to bringing great Chinese art, such as Ren's paintings, to the world.

Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn