Jin Shangyi is the most important painter in contemporary China. He is the Chairman of Chinese Artists Association and the ex-president of Central Academy of Fine Arts. He has influenced generations of Chinese painters and has contributed a lot for the dissemination of classic oil painting in China. Born in 30s, Jin Shangyi has experienced almost all of the historical periods of Chinese contemporary art. He has gained his fame as a historical painter in 50s. But he found that he did not want to spend his time depicting great historical events. What he wanted to do was to express his feelings toward human lives by depicting interesting individuals. He wanted to ¡®portray¡¯ a certain historical period by portraying interesting individuals. Jin Shangyi has borrowed a lot from traditional Chinese paintings such as Buddhist mural paintings. When he got the chance to visit European countries in mid 80s, he noticed that classic oil painting would be a better way to make his dreams satisfied. However, what Jin Shangyi wanted to do was not to borrow something directly from western artists, but to combine the skills of classic oil painting with the spirit of traditional Chinese painting. In other word, he wanted to find a kind of art language that would be totally new for this world. When he produced Tajik Bride in 1983, people realized that Jian Shangyi has entered a new period in his career as a painter. The Prayer, which was produced in 1987, is one of the most outstanding paintings by Jin Shangyi in this new period. The Prayer depicts a pretty minority girl who is praying to the God that she believes in. The girl is well-dressed and the expression on her face tells us that she is deep in the emotion of trust and reverence. She firmly believes that her God would listen to her, would grant her real peace, would give her what she need for her life, and would lead her soul to the heavenly home that she longs for at last. All of these complicated feelings are expressed cleared in the simple painting. Compared with western classic oil painting, it is easy to see that Jin Shangyi¡¯s art language is much simpler and is somewhat decorative. The painting is dominated by black, white, and grey, while the transitions between colors are unbelievably delicate and sensitive. The peacefulness of the girl reveals to us the general spirit of Chinese minorities. These people believe in their Gods so much that their faith makes them simple and kind. They pay their attention to their internal world rather than the outside world, which keeps them in perfect peace. The Prayer is a beautiful painting, while it is also a sophisticated painting. It indicates to us the way to find peace for ourselves in our troubled world.