常书鸿，1904年4月6日出生于杭州市，1918年考入浙江省立甲种工业学校（浙江大学前身）预科，学习染织专业，1923年染织毕业，留校任教。

1925年任省立工业专科学校美术教员，1926年，学校转为浙江大学工业学院，任本科美术教员。

1927年6月，带职自费赴法国留学，11月考入法国里昂美术专科学校预科学习。一年后提前升入专科，学习油画。

1936年受教育部部长王世杰之邀，回国任国立北平艺术专科学校教授。

1938年抗战爆发后，随国立艺专迁校云南，任代理校长之职。

1940年离开艺专，任教育部美术教育委员会常委，兼秘书。

1942年9月国立敦煌艺术研究所筹委会成立，任副主任。

1943年3月到达敦煌。

1944年元旦，敦煌艺术研究所成立，任所长。

1951年敦煌艺术研究所归属中央人民政府文教委文化事业局，转名为“敦煌文物研究所”，任所长。

1956年7月1日加入中国共产党。

1958年元月，“敦煌艺术展”在日本东京开幕。

1982年3月，调任国家文物局顾问，敦煌文物研究所名誉所长，举家迁往北京；同年4月回母校浙江大学参加85周年校庆，10月在学校与夫人李承仙合作绘制大型油画“攀登珠峰”。

1993年8月，完成《九十春秋——敦煌五十年》回忆录

1994年4月6日在北京进行回忆录首发式。

1994年6月23日在医院逝世。依照遗嘱常书鸿的骨灰一部分被安放在北京八宝山革命公墓，一部分被安放在敦煌莫高窟前，生前画作捐献给了浙江省博物馆。

 早年

常书鸿自幼喜欢艺术，而他的父亲是个信奉实业救国的人，执拗地把他送到工业学校去读书。无奈之下，他选择了与绘画有关的染织专业，并参加了由画家丰子恺等人组织的西湖画会。

留学法国

为了进一步深造，1927年他去了法国，在法国他把一切时间都用来学习法文和绘画，后来终于考上了里昂中法大学的公费生，毕业后他又取得了里昂市公费奖学金，并转到巴黎高等美术学校继续深造。留学十年间，他取得了卓越的成就，许多油画作品获金奖或被国家博物馆收藏。虽然在法国获得了令人羡慕的荣誉和良好的生活条件，但他始终不忘报效祖国。

“敦煌图录”改变一生命运

1935年秋，常书鸿在巴黎塞纳河畔一个旧书摊上，偶然看到由伯希和编辑的一部名为<敦煌图录>的画册。全书共分六册，约400幅有关敦煌石窟和塑像照片，他十分惊奇，方知在中国还有这样一座艺术宝库存在，而且在国外引起了轰动，中国人却不知，他内心感到一种震撼。为了敦煌艺术宝库，他放弃了优越的生活条件和工作环境，毅然回到了祖国。回国之后，他一直挂念着莫高窟的保护工作，向往着早日实现梦想。

功夫不负有心人。在国民党元老于右任的建议下，终于促成了设立敦煌艺术研究所的设想。常书鸿为首任”敦煌艺术研究所"所长，担负起了筹备“敦煌艺术研究所"的重任，终于实现了他的夙愿。

1943年3月27日，常书鸿肩负着重任，经过几个月艰苦的长途跋涉，终于到达了盼望已久的敦煌莫高窟。初到莫高窟，他心旷神怡，犹如步人仙境，心情非常激动，彻夜难眠。但是，这种感觉很快就消失了。因为接着面临的是重重困难，生活条件非常艰苦，与在法国的条件相比简直是天壤之别。到了1944年的秋天，教育部正式批准成立“敦煌艺术研究所”，常书鸿任所长。

然而，正当他们干得起劲的时候，想不到的事发生了。刚刚成立不到一年的“敦煌艺术研究所”，因政局不稳，财力紧张，教育部宣布解散。这是1945年春天，对于任何困难他们都能克服，而对于这个消息，他们实在是无法理解。然而常书鸿决定领导着大家继续干下去。

1945年冬天，常书鸿告别工作了三年的敦煌，带上一双儿女，到重庆奔走呼吁。经过近一年的四处奔走，常书鸿最终说服当时国民政府中央研究院院长傅斯年。傅斯年批准恢复敦煌艺术研究所，并拨发卡车一辆、物资若干。1946年，常书鸿带领着他新招收的许多学生回到敦煌，把他的一生奉献给了敦煌艺术。

 1934年，发起成立“中国艺术家学会”参加者有常书鸿、王临乙、吕斯百、刘开渠、陈之秀、王子云、余炳烈等20多人。

在此期间，常书鸿所绘油画《梳妆》、《病妇》、《裸女》静物画《葡萄》等作品，曾多次参加法国国家沙龙展。《葡萄》后来被时任法国教育部次长亲选，收归法国国有，《沙娜画像》被巴黎近代美术馆收藏（现藏于蓬皮杜艺术文化中心）。

《裸妇》在1934年里昂春季沙龙展中获得美术家学会的金质奖章并被收藏，现藏于里昂国立美术馆。常书鸿在法国国家沙龙展中先后获金质奖章三枚、银质奖章二枚、荣誉奖一枚，并因此成为法国美术家协会会员、法国肖像画家协会会员。

 在常书鸿几十年的艰苦生活中，经历了妻离子散、家破人亡的种种不幸和打击，克服了难以想象的困难，但他仍然义无反顾，为保护莫高窟默默地奉献。

在他辛勤工作的几十年中，组织修复壁画，搜集整理流散文物，撰写了一批有很高学术价值的论文，他还临摹了大量的壁画精品，多次举办大型展览，出版画册，向更多的人介绍敦煌艺术，他的奉献精神得到了高度赞扬，为保护和研究莫高窟做出了卓越的贡献。

 1948年夏天，常书鸿在南京举办了“敦煌画展”。8月28日蒋介石冒雨去参观，展览随后移至上海，参观人数增加数倍。

在此期间，常书鸿收到友人告诫，蒋帮末日已到，希望提高警惕，保护国宝。果然时隔不久，国民政府教育部的一位司长送来秘密指示。这个通知是让常书鸿把敦煌展览的临摹品要一块送到台湾去。常书鸿觉得不妥，这批画一旦离开大陆送到台湾，可能就没有回归之日了。

随后，常书鸿以展览尚未结束为由拖延了一段时间。而私下，他赶快把一部分临摹品放在了南京，一部分转移到杭州。等人家再来催问，常书鸿又装糊涂，说都已经运回敦煌了，这样子总算没有拿走。

 画作

《葡萄》 （收藏于法国蓬皮杜艺术中心）

《沙娜画像》 （收藏于法国蓬皮杜艺术中心）

《攀登珠峰》 （收藏于浙江大学）

《玄中寺》 （七扇屏风 藏于日本枣寺）

《丝绸之路飞天》 （障壁画 藏于日本法隆寺）

著作

《九十春秋——敦煌五十年》 回忆录

 Chang Shuhong, born in Hangzhou on April 6, 1904, was admitted to Zhejiang Provincial First-Class Industrial School (the predecessor of Zhejiang University) in 1918 to study dyeing and weaving. He graduated from dyeing and weaving in 1923 and remained in school for teaching.

In 1925, he served as an art teacher in the Provincial Technical College. In 1926, he became an undergraduate art teacher in the Institute of Technology of Zhejiang University.

In June 1927, he went to France to study at his own expense. In November, he was admitted to the French Academy of Fine Arts in Lyon. A year later, he advanced to a specialty to study oil painting.

In 1936, at the invitation of Wang Shijie, Minister of Education, he returned to China to become a professor at the National Peiping Art College.

After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in 1938, he moved to Yunnan with the National Arts College as acting principal.

He left the College of Arts in 1940 and served as the Standing Committee and Secretary of the Art Education Committee of the Ministry of Education.

In September 1942, the Preparatory Committee of the National Dunhuang Institute of Art was established as Deputy Director.

It arrived at Dunhuang in March 1943.

On New Year's Day, 1944, the Dunhuang Institute of Art was established as president.

In 1951, the Dunhuang Institute of Art belonged to the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Cultural and Educational Commission of the Central People's Government and was renamed the "Dunhuang Institute of Cultural Relics" as its director.

He joined the Communist Party of China on July 1, 1956.

In January 1958, the Dunhuang Art Exhibition opened in Tokyo, Japan.

In March 1982, he was transferred to Beijing as a consultant of the State Administration of Cultural Relics and honorary director of the Dunhuang Institute of Cultural Relics. In April of the same year, he returned to Zhejiang University, his alma mater, to attend the 85th anniversary of the school. In October, he worked with his wife, Li Chengxian, to draw a large-scale oil painting "Climbing Mount Everest".

In August 1993, he completed the memoir of Ninety Spring and Autumn-Fifty Years of Dunhuang

The first edition of the memoir was held in Beijing on April 6, 1994.

He died in hospital on June 23, 1994. According to the will, part of Hong's ashes were placed in the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing, part in front of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, and his paintings were donated to the Zhejiang Museum.

Early years

Chang Shuhong loved art since he was a child, and his father was a man who believed in saving the nation by industry and sent him stubbornly to an industrial school to study. Unfortunately, he chose the major of dyeing and weaving related to painting, and participated in the West Lake Painting Fair organized by painter Feng Zikai and others.

Studying in France

In order to further his studies, he went to France in 1927. In France, he spent all his time studying French and painting. Later, he was admitted to Lyon University of China and France as a public student. After graduation, he obtained a scholarship from Lyon City and transferred to Paris University of Fine Arts for further study. Over the past ten years, he has made remarkable achievements. Many of his oil paintings have won gold prizes or been collected by the National Museum. Although he has won enviable honor and good living conditions in France, he has never forgotten to serve his motherland.

"Dunhuang Tulu" Changes Life Fate

In the autumn of 1935, Chang Shuhong happened to see a picture album entitled "Dunhuang Atlas" edited by Bercy at an old bookstall along the Seine River in Paris. There are about 400 photographs of Dunhuang grottoes and statues in the six volumes of the book. He was very surprised that there was such a treasure of art in China, and it caused a sensation abroad. But the Chinese did not know it. He felt a shock in his heart. For the sake of Dunhuang art treasure house, he abandoned the superior living conditions and working environment and resolutely returned to his motherland. After returning home, he has been concerned about the protection work of Mogao Grottoes and yearns for the early realization of his dream.

Everything comes to him who waits. Under the proposal of the Kuomintang elder Yu Youren, the idea of establishing the Dunhuang Art Research Institute was finally promoted. Chang Shuhong, the director of the Dunhuang Art Research Institute, took the responsibility of preparing for the Dunhuang Art Research Institute and finally realized his long-cherished wish.

On March 27, 1943, Chang Shuhong shouldered an important task. After months of hard journey, he finally arrived at the long-awaited Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. When he first arrived at the Mogao Grottoes, he was relaxed and happy, just like walking in a fairyland. He was so excited that he could not sleep all night. But that feeling soon disappeared. Because then there are many difficulties, living conditions are very difficult, compared with the conditions in France is a world-wide difference. In the autumn of 1944, the Ministry of Education formally approved the establishment of the Dunhuang Institute of Art, with Chang Shuhong as its director.

However, just as they were working hard, something unexpected happened. The Dunhuang Institute of Art, which has just been established for less than a year, was dissolved by the Ministry of Education because of political instability and financial constraints. It was the spring of 1945, and they were able to overcome any difficulties, but they couldn't understand the news. However, Chang Shuhong decided to lead us on.

In the winter of 1945, Chang Shuhong said goodbye to Dunhuang, where he had worked for three years. He took a pair of children with him and went to Chongqing to appeal. After nearly a year of running around, Chang Shuhong finally persuaded Fu Sinian, then president of the Central Academy of the National Government. Fu Sinian approved the restoration of the Dunhuang Institute of Art, and allocated a truck and a number of materials. In 1946, Chang Shuhong led many of his newly recruited students back to Dunhuang and devoted his life to Dunhuang art.

In 1934, more than 20 participants, including Chang Shuhong, Wang Linyi, Lus Bai, Liu Kaiqu, Chen Zhixiu, Prince Yun and Yu Binglie, initiated the establishment of the Chinese Artists Association.

During this period, Chang Shuhong's oil paintings "dressing up", "sick woman", "naked girl" still life painting "grape" and other works have participated in the French national Salon Exhibition many times. The Grape was later selected by the then deputy director of the French Ministry of Education and was nationalized in France. The Portrait of Shana was collected by the Museum of Modern Art in Paris (now in the Pompidou Art and Culture Center).

"Naked Women" won the Golden Medal of the Society of Artists at the Lyon Spring Salon Exhibition in 1934 and is now in the Lyon National Museum of Art. Chang Shuhong has won three gold medals, two silver medals and one honor medal in the French National Salon Exhibition, and has therefore become a member of the French Artists Association and the French Association of Portrait Painters.

In the summer of 1948, Chang Shuhong held the Dunhuang Painting Exhibition in Nanjing. On August 28, Chiang Kai-shek visited the exhibition in the rain, and then moved to Shanghai. The number of visitors increased several times.

In the meantime, Chang Shuhong received warnings from friends that the end of the Jiang Gang had arrived. He hoped to be vigilant and protect national treasures. Sure enough, shortly afterwards, a director of the Ministry of Education of the National Government sent secret instructions. This notice is for Chang Shuhong to send a copy of Dunhuang Exhibition to Taiwan. Chang Shuhong thought it was inappropriate that once the paintings left the mainland and were sent to Taiwan, there might not be a day for their return.

Subsequently, Chang Shuhong delayed the exhibition for a period of time on the grounds that it had not yet finished. Privately, he quickly put some copies in Nanjing and some in Hangzhou. When people came to ask him again, Chang Shuhong pretended to be confused and said that they had been shipped back to Dunhuang, so he did not take it away at last.