Pan Yuliang

Pan Yuliang was a Chinese painter born in 1899 when her name was Zhang Yuliang. Sold to a brothel as a child after the death of her parents, she was raised to become a prostitute. She attracted the attention of Pan Zanhua [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2006-11/14/content_732470.htm Pan Yuliang's painting of bathing nudity, China Daily, Nov 2006] accessed 1 January 2008] a wealthy official, who bought her freedom and married her as a second wife. She began painting, eventually traveling to Paris to study, where she won some acclaim. Her paintings of nude models violated cultural norms in China and generated much controversy. She was forced to move to France to pursue her work. She remained there until her death in 1977.

Her story is loosely told in the Chinese movie "Hua Hun" ("A Soul Haunted by Painting") which was released in 1995 with Gong Li playing the artist. Jennifer Cody Epstein's novel, "The Painter from Shanghai" (NY: Norton, 2008), is based on Pan Yuliang's life.

References

External links

Art-related sites:
* [http://www.expresspaintings.com/Asian_Art/Pan_Yuliang/pan_yuliang.html] - guide to art on the internet
* [http://www.lingnanart.com/chineseMaster/Master_panyuliang_cn.htm] - painting topics