1963年毕业于山东艺术专科学校。之后赴新疆任《喀什日报》美术编辑。

1978年考取中央美术学院美术史系硕士研究生班，在王琦先生和系主任金维诺先生的指导下修习美术理论和中国现代美术史。

1981年起，于中国美术馆从事中国现代美术史和美术博物馆学研究，兼及美术评论。历任研究保管部研究组副组长、部副主任。研究部主任，中国美术馆收藏委员会委员、艺术委员会委员。

现为中国美术馆研究馆员，研究部主任，艺术委员会及其收藏评鉴委员会委员、展览资格评审小组成员；中国美术家协会理事、理论委员会副主任，北京市美术家协会理论委员会副主任；中国书法家协会会员。

曾获“突出贡献”政府特殊津贴；被母校山东艺术学院聘为特邀教授，中央美术学院聘为特邀研究员。

爬格之余，兼事中国书画创作；1996年举办个人书画展；2004年1月，与画家李宝林、姜宝林联合举办了三人画展。

已出版专著《艺海春秋——蒋兆和传》、《20世纪中国著名画家踪影》(与水天中合著)、《中国画与现代中国》、《郭味蕖传》、《中国名画家全集·蒋兆和》、《蒋兆和论》等。

主编《中国美术年鉴1949——1989》、《中国现代美术全集·中国画·花鸟》、《20世纪中国美术——中国美术馆藏品选》、《诗画论》、《李苦禅纪念文集》、《周思聪纪念文集》、《蒋兆和论艺术》、《徐悲鸿》、《傅抱石》、《于非闇》等等，为《首届北京国际美术双年展作品

 刘曦林先生，书法擅长行草书，多书自家文章，且有画意寓书法结构之中。绘画以花卉、竹、石、兰草、水仙见长，注重艺术构思和内在美的表现，时以散文生发画外之意，被誉为当代学者画。

由于从事美术理论及史论的研究，深悟艺术规律，且修养深厚、学识广博，能集众家之长，升华展现出清劲高雅富有思想内涵的艺术风采。

 刘曦林素有文名，在美术史论界很有名望，他画的花卉小品，更是被人称道，堪称“舞文弄墨”的两栖才子。

人的一生可能有许多种偶然，然而当你反观一生，就会发现，在种种的偶然之中，往往体现出人的个性逻辑选择的必然。

1978年，刘曦林以深厚扎实的功底考取了中央美术院“文革”后的第一届研究生。他原本同时报考了国画系和史论系两个方向的研究生，那年国画系招收的是人物画方向，而他喜欢的是花鸟画，招生准则不许报考两个专业，于是他选择了史论系，研究方向是美术理论、中国现代美术史。那时中央美院刚刚恢复，他的导师即日后成为中国美协党组书记的王琦教授。

阴差阳错，尽管刘曦林没有读国画系人物画方向，但他学位论文研究的却是中国人物画大师蒋兆和。刘曦林以此为方向展开了一系列深度研究。他先梳理了国内外有关现实主义艺术的理论，又撰写了《肖像画艺术散记》，然后深入到了蒋兆和的艺术世界。

《流民图》诞生在抗日战争时期的北平，而蒋兆和个人这一段历史和这幅画的定性，引起了极大的争议。同时，这张画又在现代中国乃至世界画坛上都产生过巨大的影响，蒋兆和因此被誉为“东方的苏里柯夫”、“东方的伦勃朗”。刘曦林经过缜密地考证、研究分析，提出了自己对这一重大艺术史现象的三个评价原则：首先要看作品本身的内容；第二要看作品的社会效果；第三要看艺术家一贯的艺术倾向。经过刘曦林的研究，这件在“文革”中被批判为反共卖国大毒草的巨制，如今已成为中国美术馆的镇馆之宝。

在刘曦林身上，我们总能发现许多艺术的回归现象，充满着辨证地扬弃。如今他在中国美术馆研究部主任的岗位上已经名满艺坛，刘曦林的文名之下是人们熟知的经典美术史论。史论著作有《20世纪中国著名画家踪影》（合作）、《中国画与现代中国》、《诗画论》；个案研究有《艺海春秋——蒋兆和传》、《郭味渠传》、《齐白石记》等等。主编的史料工具书有《1949—1989中国美术年鉴》，大型画册《中国现代美术全集》、《20世纪中国美术——中国美术馆藏品选》等。

对艺术创作，刘曦林在一首题画诗中自诩道：“浓浓淡淡腾蛟龙，急急缓缓一挥中。爬格之余闲散墨，拍手称快老青藤。”此诗可令人思味中国古今文人学者一脉相承的人生境界，他们总是把艺术精神生活联系在一起，并特别强调艺术家的综合修养。

此诗也可看出学者型画家的“两栖”实践，对于艺术创造的意义，这一点对当前画坛提高艺术品位也不为一种启示。集》执行主编，《百年美术·馆藏精品》学术主持。

 Liu Xilin, from Linyi, Shandong Province, July 1942. He graduated from Shandong Art College in 1963. He was born in 1942 in Linyi, Shandong Province, and was enlightened by Zhang Maocai, a calligrapher and painter in his early years. He studied in Shandong Art College (the predecessor of Shandong Art College), and was deeply instructed by Mr. Guan Yousheng and Mr. Hebron. Later, he worked as an art editor in Xinjiang Kashi Daily; in 1978, he was admitted as a postgraduate of the Department of Fine Arts History of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; since 1981, he has been engaged in the research of fine arts theory and the creation of calligraphy and painting in the Chinese Art Museum. He is now a researcher in the Chinese Art Museum, deputy director of the theoretical Committee of the Chinese Artists Association, the Editorial Committee of the Chinese Art Magazine, the invited researcher of the Central Invited Professor and author of Yihai Chunqiu - Jiang Zhaozhuan, On Poetry and Painting, Chinese Painting and Modern China, Guo Weiganzhuan, etc.

 He graduated from Shandong Art College in 1963. Later, he went to Xinjiang to work as an art editor of Kashgar Daily.

In 1978, he took the postgraduate course of the Department of Art History of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and studied art theory and modern Chinese art history under the guidance of Mr. Wang Qi and Mr. Jin Weinuo, the dean of the department.

Since 1981, he has been engaged in the study of the history of modern Chinese art and art museums in the Chinese Art Museum, as well as art criticism. Successive deputy head of research group and deputy director of research and custody department. Director of Research Department, member of Collection Committee and Art Committee of China Art Museum.

He is currently a research librarian, director of research department, member of art committee, collection appraisal committee and Exhibition qualification appraisal group of China Art Museum, vice director of China Artists Association and theory committee, vice director of theory Committee of Beijing Artists Association, and member of China Calligrapher Association.

He was awarded a special government allowance for "outstanding contribution". He was employed as an invited professor by Shandong Art Institute, his alma mater, and as an invited researcher by the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

In addition to climbing the grid, he also engaged in Chinese painting and calligraphy creation. In 1996, he held a personal painting and calligraphy exhibition. In January 2004, he held a three-person painting exhibition jointly with painters Li Baolin and Jiang Baolin.

Has published monographs "Yihai Spring and Autumn-Jiang Zhaohe", "Trace of the Famous Chinese Painters in the 20th Century" (co-authored with Shuitianzhong), "Chinese Painting and Modern China", "Guo Wei Gan Zhuan", "Complete Works of Famous Chinese Painters --"Jiang Zhaohe","Jiang Zhaohe Lun"and so on.

Editor-in-chief of China Art Yearbook 1949-1989, Complete Works of Modern Chinese Art, Chinese Painting, Flowers and Birds, Selected Collections of 20th Century Chinese Art, Collections of Chinese Art Museum, On Poetry and Painting, Commemorative Collections of Li Kuchan, Commemorative Collections of Zhou Sicong, On Jiang Zhaohe's Art, Xu Beihong, Fu Baoshi, Yu Feiyin, etc., are the first Beijing International. Art Biennale Works