An Ashmolean gallery is a fitting memorial to a scholar who devoted almost seven decades to studying and collecting Chinese art.

Prof Michael Sullivan, who has died aged 96, is remembered in the form of the Khoan and Michael Sullivan Gallery, which opened in 2000 in honour of the Oxford don and his wife.

Prof Sullivan, an Emeritus Fellow at St Catherine’s College, began collecting Chinese paintings in the 1940s with his wife. Together, they built up a collection which became one of the most important groups of modern Chinese art in the Western world.

Born in 1916, Prof Sullivan read architecture at the University of Cambridge.

He spent time with the International and Chinese Red Cross organisations in China in the 1940s and remained in the country for many years.

He also taught at the University of Singapore and at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and was appointed Head of the Department of Oriental Art at Stanford University before joining St Catherine’s College in 1980.

In March this year, he was awarded the American Friends of Shanghai Museum’s Award for Excellence in Chinese Art, to mark his lifetime contribution to the study and preservation of Chinese art.

The prize grant was used to buy an early 20th-century ‘Scholar’s Rock’, which is now on display in the Sullivan Gallery.

Scholar’s Rocks are naturally occurring or shaped rocks traditionally appreciated by Chinese scholars.

Roger Ainsworth, the Master of St Catherine’s College, led tributes to the academic.

He said: “Michael Sullivan was a much-loved figure in college, and, right up to his death was seen here almost daily.

“During his time as a Fellow, his profile as a leading international expert in this field became very widely recognised, with many honours coming his way.

“He had only recently returned from a major three-week lecture tour in China, which in itself was a major feat for a 96-year-old.

“He relished interacting with a wide variety of people of differing interests, and he particularly enjoyed imparting his great knowledge to our students and young research assistants, who were enormously grateful for his time.

“His death leaves a very large void in our community.”

The Ashmolean’s director Christopher Brown also paid tribute.

He said: “One of the foremost scholars of Chinese art since the 1950s, Michael was a long-standing friend and generous supporter of the Ashmolean over many years.

“The museum’s chinese painting gallery was named in honour of Michael and his wife, Khoan, and last year a Festschrift volume for Michael, A Life in Chinese Art, was published by the Ashmolean.”

The museum’s Chinese art curator, Dr Shelagh Vainker, added: “Michael’s work was pioneering.

“His Chinese Art in the Twentieth Century was the first book to address the subject and his contributions to the field continued until the end of his life.

“His engagement with China, where he is deeply venerated, lasted more than 70 years.”

Oxford University history of art scholar Craig Clunas said: “Michael Sullivan’s contribution to our understanding of China’s art is a huge one, from his authorship of the first English language PhD on Chinese painting, through his tireless advocacy of the art of the 20th century, to his championing of living artists and their work; he leaves behind a legacy which is an inspiration for the future to all scholars in the field.”

Mr Sullivan’s wife Khoan died in 2003. They did not have any children. Prof Sullivan died on September 28. Funeral details are yet to be announced.