Lotus. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Shi Lu believed that to reform classic Chinese painting, one should "stretch one hand to traditions and the other to real life".

His works hail both the magnificent plateau views of northwestern China and everyday life of the villagers inhabiting the plateau.

Shi Dan, the painter's daughter, says the latest donation includes ink paintings and pencil and pen drawings, which have already been categorized in chronological order.

She says that thanks to the sorting, researchers can get a quick and clear idea of how her father explored various subjects and styles, starting from the late 1930s.

Among the donated items are sketches and drafts of Shi Lu's most iconic work Fight in Northern Shaanxi. The ink painting depicts Mao Zedong standing on a cliff against a background of mountains. It shows the late Party leader's confidence while confronting the Kuomintang armies in the late 1940s.