陈履生，1956年生于江苏扬中市。1985年毕业于南京艺术学院美术系美术历史及理论专业，获硕士学位。在校学习期间两次获得刘海粟奖学金。1985年分配到人民美术出版社，先后任古典美术编辑室编辑、主任。2002年调中国画研究院，任研究部主任，研究员。2004年调中国美术馆，任学术一部主任，《中国美术馆》月刊常务副主编。2010年调中国国家博物馆任馆长助理，2010年11月至2016年8月任中国国家博物馆副馆长，现为中国国家博物馆研究员。

30余年来潜心研究美术历史及理论，并从事美术批评、美术创作。获中央美院首届“张安治教授美术史论奖学基金”，获“北京市文联2001年文艺评论二等奖”，获文艺报2005年“年度理论创新”奖，获第十六届中国新闻奖报纸副刊作品复评暨“2005全国报纸副刊作品年赛”银奖，获文化部2006年优秀专家称号，获第五届北京中青年文艺工作者德艺双馨奖。出版著作（包括编著）50余种，其中有《红旗飘飘》、《新中国美术图史1949-1966》、《以“艺术”的名义》、《革命的时代：延安以来的主题创作研究》等；发表各种论文数百篇。先后多次在国内外举办个人画展，出版有个人画集7种、文集5种、影集3种。建有陈履生美术馆和油灯博物馆。

同时兼任中国汉画学会会长，中国美术家协会理事，北京美术家协会副主席，北京文艺评论家协会副主席，北京博物馆学会副理事长，中国美术家协会理论委员会副主任，北京美术家协会中国画艺委会副主任，全国文物与博物馆专业学位研究生教育指导委员会委员，中国画学会常务理事，齐白石艺术国际研究中心学术委员会主任，贵阳孔学堂书画研究院院长，西安美术学院新中国美术研究所所长，深圳美术馆艺术总监。北京大学艺术学院、南京艺术学院、吉首大学、广州美术学院、中央民族大学美术学院、北京外交学院、台湾师范大学客座教授，澳门城市大学人文社会科学学院特聘教授。

Chen Lyusheng was born in 1956 in Yangzhong City, Jiangsu Province. In 1985, he obtained his master's degree in art history and criticism at the Department of Fine Arts, Nanjing University of the Arts. He has won many awards, including the first of Central Academy of Fine Arts Professor Zhang Anzhi Scholarship Found for Criticism in the History of Fine Arts, Second Prize of the Beijing Literary Association Award for Art Criticism (2001), the Annual Award for Theoretical Innovation issued in 2005 by the newspaper Journal of Literature and Art, a Silver Medal of the 2005 Annual National Competition of Newspaper Supplements/ the final round of selection for The Sixteenth National News Award. In 2006, he was selected by the Chinese Ministry of Culture as an Outstanding Scholar, and won the fifth Award for Young Artists for Virtue and Artistic Achievements. From Nov 2011 to Aug 2016, he was the deputy director of the National Museum of China. Now he is a Senior Research Fellow of the National Museum of China.

For the past thirty years, Chen Lusheng has been dedicated in research into art history, theory and criticism, while persisting in his creative works in fine arts.  He has won many awards, including the first of Central Academy of Fine Arts “Professor Zhang Anzhi Scholarship for Criticism in the History of Fine Arts”, Second Prize of the “Beijing Literary Association Award for Art Criticism (2001)”, the “Annual Award for Theoretical Innovation” issued in 2005 by the newspaper Wen Yi Bao, a Silver Medal of the “2005 Annual National Competition of Newspaper Supplements”/ the final round of selection for “The Sixteenth National News Award”. In 2006 he was enlisted by the Chinese Ministry of Culture as an “Outstanding Scholar”, and won the fifth “Award for Young Artists for Virtue and Artistic Achievements”. He published more than 50 books (including compiled), which mainly The Art History of People’s Republic of China: 1949-1966, In the Name of ‘Art’, and Revolutionary Art: since the Yan’an Era 1942-2009, along with over hundreds articles. He frequently holds on solo exhibitions, both in China and abroad, and has published seven catalogues of his paintings, five anthologies and three photography albums. He also owns a private Museum of Oil Lamps.

Chen Lyusheng holds a concurrent post the president of Chinese Institute of Han Dynasty's Art, a council member of China Artists Association, deputy director of Beijing Artists Association, deputy director of Beijing Literary Critics Association, vice president of Beijing Museums Association, deputy director of the Theoretical Committee of China Artists Association, deputy director of the Committee of Chinese Painting of Beijing Artists Association, a member of the National Master of Cultural Heritage and Museology Education Steering Committee, an executive council member of Chinese Painting Institute, director of Academic Committee of Qi Baishi International Research Centre, the president of the Institute of Painting and Calligraphy at Confucius Academy of Guiyang, Director of the Institute of Fine Arts in New China at Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts, Artistic Director of the Shenzhen Art Museum.

He also serves as guest professor at School of Arts Peking University, Nanjing University of the Arts, Jishou University, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, and Academy of Arts &Design Central University for Nationalities, China Foreign Affairs University and National Taiwan Normal University, special professor of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Social of City University of Macau.