Born in Shanghai, his family were originally from Canton. In his early life, Chen went to Japan to study oil painting. In 1916 he left for Japan again and enrolled at the Kawabata Academy to follow the fa- mous painter Fujishima Takeji. After graduating from the Tokyo Fine Arts School, he returned to Shanghai and set up a western-style studio called Po Yi Studio Art Class. Chen Baoyi taught in several art schools in Shanghai, such as the Shanghai Fine Arts School, the Lida School, the Shen Zhou Girls School and Xin Hua Art Academy. He co-founded Chinese Art Uni- versity with Cai Yuanpei and Ding Yanyong where he taught oil painting with Ding. He organized the Eastern Art Group and the Dawn Club with Wu Shi- kuang and Wang Yachen. Subsequently he organized the Mo Society with Xu Beihong and Pang Yuliang. Chen specialized in oil painting and was famous for his post-Impressionist style. In 1942, he wrote an article to record the art circle of the early Republican period in Shanghai. Chen died in Shanghai at the age of 52.