Shared concerns

Jiang made the work in 1959 as a commission from the newly built National Museum of Chinese History, which in 2003 merged into the National Museum of China. Du wrote about the political and social turmoil he was thrown into, as well as the plight of ordinary people, which gave his work a humanitarian hue.

To echo this strong concern for the people, Jiang depicted the poet sitting on a rock.

His bony jaw, narrow eyes and frowning eyebrows show an aged man still worried about the fate of his nation and people. He gazes into the distance, and wind blows his thin gray hair, accentuating a solemn mood and a loneliness that engulfs him.

The work has created a resonance among its viewers, as Jiang intended. He shared with Du a sympathy for ordinary people, says Ruan Jingjing, a co-curator of the exhibition.