Repin's brilliant student comes to Beijing

To be regarded as the artistic equal of a celebrated teacher like Ilya Repin, the painter behind Volga Bargemen, is no small distinction. Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955) was one of the few to come close to that standard, earning recognition from Repin himself as an outstanding student.

In less than two weeks, dozens of Fechin's paintings and drawings from Russian museums and private collections will go on view in Beijing at an exhibition devoted to his work. The exhibition runs from Sept 29 to Feb 14 at the National Art Museum of China.

Born in Kazan, Fechin inherited the tradition of Russian realism while developing a distinctly expressive style of his own.

The exhibition will highlight his achievements in portraiture and genre painting.