He died tranquilly, because of his oldness rather than any fatal disease, sources said.

Li was a professor of the Dongnan University in east China's Jiangsu Province. His works have been regarded as standard textbooks in the fine arts field. China has set up the Li Jianchen foundation to encourage gifted young painters.

Chinese people, who were so versed in their traditional water-ink paintings, did not see watercolor paintings and other modern fine arts until the 17th century when they were brought about by western missionaries.

Li learned watercolor painting in France in the 1940s. His students now live in many countries and regions, including the United States and China's Taiwan.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2002)