Tang Yihe's oil painting July 7, 1937.

The last work of Chinese oil painter Tang Yihe (1905-44) was a canvas titled July 7, 1937, named after the date of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident that marked the beginning of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45).

Tang portrayed a group of college students who march along a street calling for people to stand up against the approaching invaders. The students in the picture were modeled on those who attended Wuchang Fine Arts School in Wuhan, in Central China's Hubei province, where Tang had taught since graduating from Paris' National School of Fine Arts in 1934.

The painting Tang produced in 1940 was a draft intended for a huge piece of work. But he was unable to do the work because of the war and a shortage of material.

Tang died in a shipwreck a year before the country won against the Japanese invaders. He may not be well-known to people today, but the painting is reminiscent of the patriotism of his generation when the country was facing a major crisis.

July 7, 1937 is on show with around 300 paintings and sculptures at Beijing's National Art Museum of China. The exhibition celebrates the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

Wu Weishan, the director of NAMOC, says the works on display span a century and reflect the creativity of generations of artists.