Famous Chinese Modernist Painter Wu Guanzhong Dies at 90

BEIJING, CHINA -  Wu Guanzhong, known as one of the fathers of modern Chinese art for combining western and Chinese elements in black and white oil paintings, has died. He was 90. He died in Beijing on Friday. Wu's works have become very valuable in recent years. Earlier this month, his oil painting from 1974 depicting the Yangtze River sold for $8.4 million at a Beijing auction. For decades he had been exploring ways of reconciling the two traditions, and in his work shows a mutual influence of Chinese and Western styles. He was a most respected artist and played an important role in contemporary art history, as an artist, a teacher, and an essayist.