杨新，1940年生，湖南省湘阴人。自幼嘉好绘画，1960年广州美术学院附中毕业后，考入中央美术学院美术史论系，于1965年毕业到故宫博物院工作，从事中国古代书画陈列与研究，从师徐邦达、启功先生学习书画鉴定。1984年作为卢斯基金会访问学者，在美国柏克莱加州大学艺术史系研究和讲学一年。1985年被任命为故宫博物馆陈列部副主任，1987年任命为故宫博物院副院长。为故宫博物院研究员、中国美术家协会会员、中国书法家协会会员、北京市博物馆学会副理事长。
主要学术成果有：《杨新美术论文集》（紫禁城出版社，香港商务印书馆出版）、中国画家丛书《项圣谟》、《程正揆》（上海人民美术出版社出版）、《扬州八怪》（文物出版社出版）《中国传统线描人物画》（湖南美术出版社出版）、大型画册《文徵明》、《项圣谟》（人民美术出版社出版）、《中国绘画三千年》（合作，美国耶鲁大学出版社、中国外文出版社出版）等。主编有：《龙的艺术》、《国宝荟萃》、《故宫博物院藏文物珍品全集》（均香港商务印书馆出版）。其它论文有：《明人图绘中的古物市场》、《文物》、《中国画的得意、写意和会意》（《华学》第三辑）、《八大山人三题》（《文物》1998年第10期）、《四僧小议》（《故宫博物院院刊》1998年第二期）等。

Yang Xin is unripe 1940, person of shade of Hunan Province Hunan. From a child fine good brushwork, after attached middle school of Guangzhou academy of fine arts graduated 1960, take an examination of central academy of fine arts art history talks a department, at graduating 1965 museum of the Imperial Palace works, be engaged in painting and calligraphy of Chinese ancient time displaying with research, amount to from Shi Xubang, open result gentleman to learn appraisal of painting and calligraphy. Visited a scholar as Lusijijinhui 1984, in art of university of California of American Baike Lai history department studies and discourse on an academic subject one year. Was appointed to be museum of the Imperial Palace to expose department vice director 1985, appointed 1987 for assistant dean of museum of the Imperial Palace. Meet a vice-president for museology of academician of calligrapher of academician of artist of researcher of museum of the Imperial Palace, China, China, Beijing.
Main science gain has: " market of paper of Yang Xinmei art " (Forbidden City press, hong Kong business affairs imprints book house is published) , Chinese painter a series of books " Xiang Shengmo " , " Cheng Zhengkui " (publishing house of Shanghai people art is published) , " Yangzhou 8 blame " (cultural relic press is published) " China, press of American Yale press, Chinese foreign language is published) etc. Chief editor has: " the art of dragon " , " national treasure assemble " , " museum of the Imperial Palace hides complete works of cultural relic curiosa " (all Hong Kong business affairs imprints book house is published) . Other paper has: " the ancient objects market in draw of bright person graph " , " cultural relic " , " the meaning of complacent, enjoyable peace conference of Chinese picture " (" China learn " the 3rd collect) , " person of 8 big hill 3 problems " (" cultural relic " 1998.