Sun Zongwei (1912-1979) was from Changshu, Jiangsu Province. In his youth, he already practiced drawing. He entered the Art Department of the Central Art School in 1934 and took up teaching. While a student, he gravitated to the progressive student movement and studied Marxist art theory. In the early years of the Anti-Japanese War, he joined the propaganda work organized by Guo Moruo and went to the front to sketch war scenes. He was present at the Battle of Tai'erzhuang in 1938. In 1940, he became an assistant of Zhang Daqian and joined the research team working on the Thousand Buddha Cave at Dunhuang, Gansu Province. Later, he went to Qinghai Province. In 1942, he returned to Chongqing to teach at the Chinese Art Academy. He joined Xu Beihong at the National Peiping Art Academy in 1946. In 1956, he became a professor at the Central Drama Academy.

Sun was known for his proficiency in both oil painting and Chinese painting. Some of his works have been included in the collection of the China Art Institute.