北京大学教授，艺术学院副院长，兼任中国美术家协会理事，中国美术家协会理论委员会秘书长，北京国际双年展策划委员，国家社科基金艺术类项目评审委员，以及教育部高校艺术教育指导委员会委员。1960年生于浙江宁波，1988年获得北京师范大学文学博士学位，1993至1994年，在英国埃塞克斯大学(Essex University)做博士后研究。1996至1999年，担任中国美术学院美术史论系主任。1998年2月至5月，成为哈佛大学美术系高级访问学者。1996至2000年，担任中国美术学院美术史论系教授。2000年至今担任北京大学教授。

主要著作有《接受之维》、《美术心理学》、《绵延之维--走向艺术史哲学》、《艺术的深度》等，译著有《传统与欲望--从大卫到德拉克罗瓦》、《毕沙罗传--光荣的深处》和《注视被忽视的事物--静物画四论》等。曾获霍英东教育基金会第五届全国高校青年教师奖（研究类）一等奖。

  Professor of Peking University, Vice-Dean of the College of Art, Member of the Board of Directors of the Chinese Artists Association, Secretary-General of the Theoretical Committee of the Chinese Artists Association, Planner of the Beijing International Biennale, Assessor of Artistic Projects of the National Social Science Fund, and Member of the Art Education Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education. Born in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, in 1960, he received a doctorate in literature from Beijing Normal University in 1988. From 1993 to 1994, he did postdoctoral research at Essex University in England. From 1996 to 1999, he served as chairman of the Department of Art History of China Academy of Fine Arts. From February to May 1998, he became a senior visiting scholar in the Department of Fine Arts of Harvard University. From 1996 to 2000, he was a professor in the Department of Art History of China Academy of Fine Arts. He has been a professor of Peking University since 2000.

The main works include The Dimension of Acceptance, Art Psychology, The Dimension of Continuity - Towards the Philosophy of Art History, The Depth of Art, etc. The translations include Tradition and Desire - From David to Delacroix, Biography of Pizarro - The Depth of Glory, and Four Theories on Stilllife Painting. He has won the first prize of the Fifth National Young Teachers Award (Research) of the Foundation for Education of Huo Yingdong.