The painter used art as a form of activist rebellion against the Japanese invasion.(Photo/Xinhua)

The painter used art as a form of activist rebellion against the Japanese invasion. The piece was donated to the museum after he passed away. It is now one of the 100,000 items the museum has collected since it opened in 1963. 660 pieces are carefully selected for this particular occasion.

"On this 50-year anniversary exhibition, the National Arts Museum is rolling out many of its prized collections from the archive. The centrepiece of the exhibition has to be this painting "Father" by artist Luo Zhongli. The old man’s visage really speaks to half a century of hardship and tumultuous history, through which the museum has grown. At the same, the steady gaze also speaks plenty of expectations for the future," CCTV reporter Julian Waghann said.

Much has changed since the museum’s conception. At the time of its construction, the museum was one of the 10 most important buildings of the new Republic. Its visionary design, by Chinese architect Daì Nìan Cí, has allowed for the rapid expansion of the museum.