Online Exhibition — Heritage Series

Fine artist Dora Fugh Lee was born to a noble family in China. A direct descendant of Empress Xiaoxianchun, Dora grew up during the most tumultuous times in China’s history: Emperor PuYi’s abdication; two invasions by Japan; World War II and the Chinese civil war. Her life and art are explored revealing why her work is so compelling. Dora is considered one of the last Chinese Literati Painters.

Click to learn more about the Dora Fugh Lee: A Life in Art Documentary

Washington DC. View down Pennsylvania Ave during the holidays. One of my favorite views of the wide avenues that reminded me of the broad and majestic avenues of the old imperial city of Beijin (Copy)

1997 Trafalgar Square, London. A trip with Handel, Sarah, Hannah as a baby. They are on the steps. Sarah was pregnant with the twins. (Copy)

1980 Rome, Italy. I went to Europe by myself. While in Rome, I came across this lovely fountain near the Pantheon. I sat down on the street and captured it. (Copy)

1980 Innsbruck, Austria. A fortunate and beautiful view from my hotel window. (Copy)

1985 NYC. Near New York University where Sarah lived in 1985. The horse carriages were trotting down the busy street. (Copy)

1979 Washington, DC. Connecticut Ave below Dupont Circle. I love the closely packed and different colored buildings that contrast against the busy drab streets. I especially liked the red car. (Copy)

1977 New Orleans, Louisiana. Horse-drawn carriages for tourists. I enjoyed the delicious beignets in the shop nearby. (Copy)

2001 London. Oil sketch. Such a beautiful city with elegant architecture. So many tourists there. (Copy)

1971 Bethesda, MD. A home in Bethesda we pass on the way to Mimi Hom’s, Sarah and April’s piano teacher. I painted this while Sarah & April were taking lessons waiting to pick them up after (Copy)

Early 1970s, Washington, DC. Sears Building, 7th and Pennsylvania. From all directions, you can see the towers. The Apex Building had Apex Liquor store on the ground floor. (Copy)

Early 1970s, Washington, DC. Luther Place Memorial Church, 15th & Mass (Copy)

Early 1970s, Washington, DC. Georgetown, M St. and Wisconsin Ave. The gold dome gracefully peaks above the busy-ness of the streets. One of my favorite view. (Copy)

Early 1970s, Washington, DC. National Shrine with the mosaic’d dome (Copy)

1974 Washington DC. Luther Place Memorial Church, 14th & Vermont Ave. Another favorite subject and view. (Copy)

1974 Washington, DC. Chinese Community Church (11th and L St) where our family attended every Sunday. Richard directed the choir there for over 40 years. (Copy)

Mid 1970s. Scott Circle. Helen, still in grade school, is in the car with me as I paint. (Copy)

1974 Washington DC. (Copy)

1974 Washington DC (Copy)

Late 1970s, Washington, DC. Sears Building with the Capitol in the background (Copy)

Late 1970s, Washington, DC. Oliver Carr’s grandfather built this building on Massachusetts Ave. Capitol in the background. (Copy)

Washington, DC. National Cathedral (Copy)

1975 Washington, DC. 14th St, Washington Monument in background (Copy)

1978 Washington DC. Georgetown in the winter. No leaves on the trees (Copy)

Vancouver, Canada (Copy)

Washington, DC. Bistro (Copy)

1970s, Washington DC. After church on Sundays in the summer, we’d come to the Wharf to buy a bushel of crabs from Captain Jesse’s boat. Always from Jesse’s, never anyone else’s. (Copy)

1980 Washington DC. Church in the Springtime (Copy)

1980s, Washington DC. M Street at night, near Aline’s restaurant (Copy)

1983 Washington DC. Georgetown, Wisconsin Ave (Copy)

Washington, DC. Rooftop view of the Treasury Bldg from 1440 NY Ave (Copy)

Beijing, China. Summer Palace in Beijing. Interesting contemporary watercolor of a very traditional scene.K (Copy)

Chinatown San Francisco (Copy)

Washington, DC. Luther Place Memorial Church on 12th St Massachusetts Ave. (Copy)

Washington DC. The Franklin School, one of the first public schools, built after Civil War (1869). 13th and K Streets. Today it houses the Planet Word Museum. (Copy)

1985, Washington DC. Visiting Sarah in Greenwich Village on NYU campus. Painted this from her living room window (Copy)

Early 1990s, NYC. Metropolitan Museum of Art visiting Sarah in NYC (Copy)

Washington DC. The Williard Hotel at night. (Copy)

Washington DC. The Williard Hotel where both Helen and Handel were married. A very European Impressionist style of painting that DFL was influenced by. (Copy)

1972 Thomas Cook, a good friend of DFL (Copy)

1972 Pearl Buck. DFL went to Pearl Buck’s home to visit and also did a bust of her (Copy)

1971 Portrait of DFL’s father, Philip Fugh (Copy)

Copied this Mary Cassat painting at NGA to learn oils from the masters (Copy)

1983 Sarah sleeping with her cat, Paco (Copy)

Helen studying 1983 (Copy)

Richard watching tv 1984 (Copy)

1985 Sailboats (Copy)

Sarah sleeping with Spock the great dane, instead of studying (Copy)

Philip Fugh (Copy)

DFL copy of Prince Pu’s painting. His seal “approves” her work (Copy)

DFL’s copy of Prince Pu’s painting. (Copy)

DFL copy of Prince Pu’s painting. His seal “approves” her work (Copy)

DFL’s copy of Prince Pu’s painting (Copy)

DFL copy of Prince Pu’s painting. His seal “approves” her work (Copy)

DFL copy of Prince Pu’s painting. His seal “approves” her work and describes the painting (Copy)

DFL copy of Prince Pu’s painting. His seal “approves” her work and he writes a poem (Copy)

This is sideways. DFL 1974 painted in DC of flower/grass (Copy)

1973 Summer, DFL painted dried lotus (Copy)

1991 in Beijing painted from Handel’s house. Rooftops in BJ (Copy)

DFL’s own painting, not a copy (Copy)

DFL’s copy of Prince PuRu’s painting (Tokyo) (Copy)

DFL’s Chinese cabbage (Copy)

DFL’s grass, Spring in DC (Copy)

1977 Sept DFL chrysanthemums from her backyard garden (Copy)

Live shrimp (Copy)

DFL’s fresh mushrooms (Copy)

1981 Oct 1st time DFL ever saw lychees in Canton, China (Copy)

1981 Summer, a potted plant in the living room (Copy)

In HongKong, DFL spotted these pretty red birds on a branch (Copy)

1986 Winter (Copy)

Still Life at Helen Plaum’s house in Bakersfield, CA (Copy)

Somewhere in China (Copy)

1991 Beijing, Looking at rooftops from Handels’ home (Copy)

7 year old Helen (Copy)

James Wanveer (Copy)

Charles Freer (Copy)

Philip Fugh (father) (Copy)

12 yo Sarah (Copy)

Pearl Buck 1976 (Copy)

Downtown NYC, Zuccotti Park at Night. View from Sarah’s apartment (Copy)

Central Park, NYC (Copy)

HongKong (Copy)

Early 1970s, Washington, DC. Georgetown, M St. and Wisconsin Ave. The gold dome gracefully peaks above the busy-ness of the streets. One of my favorite view. (Copy)

Early 1970s, Washington, DC. National Shrine with the mosaic’d dome (Copy)

Wickenburg, AZ November 1998. Whole family vacation on a ranch in the Sonoran Desert. I picked up a seemingly soft cactus fruit and my palm was immediately spiked with hundreds of tiny needles. (Copy)