This article introduces the paintings and graphic art on Chinese themes by Zdeněk Sklenář, the eminent Czech artist who became interested in Chinese culture in his youth. In 1955, he had the opportunity to visit Peking as one of the organizers of a Czechoslovak exhibition. During his stay, he kept a diary which, together with the testimony of the surviving observers, and the archives of the Ministry of Culture became the source of my writing. He met with the cultural elite (Ai Qing, Li Keran, Guo Moruo etc.) and formed friendships, visited historic sites and collected antiques. Consequently, he created more than 30 unique oil paintings and many more book illustrations inspired by ancient Chinese ornament and the seal script.