蔡威廉（1904--1939），绍兴城区人，蔡元培先生的女儿。前后 就读于布鲁塞尔美术学院、里昂美术专科学校，专习油画，毕业后成为国立杭州艺专西画教授。是二十世纪中国重要的油画画家，也是中国初期 美术教育家，以肖像画出名 。
蔡威廉1904年6月3日（农历4月20日）生于上海，其母黄仲玉是蔡元培先生的第二位夫人。从出生到成年的二十几年中，蔡威廉不断 过着不安定的生活。因父亲留学德国，年幼的蔡威廉不得不随着母亲在绍兴及杭州等地居住。1912年9月16日，蔡元培携夫人再次出国留学，8岁的威廉即随同出国。次年，蔡元培曾应孙中山之邀短暂回国，同年9月5日即又携夫人及长女威廉、次子无忌、三子柏龄从上海赴法国，到巴黎后，9岁的威廉被送入当地的教会学校读书。1916年冬随父母亲回国，入北京孔德学校念书，成为该校首届毕业生。1923年，威廉又随父母前往比利时，进入布鲁塞尔美术学院学习绘画。自1914年至1927年，蔡威廉前后 三次随父亲蔡元培出国。十几年的游欧生活，使她接受了良好的欧式教育，通晓了法、德等国言语 ，遍览了东方 艺术精华，为她当前 的艺术创作和教学打下了扎实的基础。不久，她接受父亲的建议，再次前往法国，就读于里昂美术专科学校，专习油画。1928年回国，被聘为国立杭州艺专西画教授。次年，与同在该校任教的青年画家林文铮结婚。　
遗憾的是，这样一名 才华出众的女艺术家竟英年早逝，战乱的环境、生活的贫困和琐碎的家务使她过早地消逝 于画坛，36岁即赍志而殁。

蔡威廉非常崇拜意大利文艺复兴时期的艺术巨匠达·芬奇，置信 “1 个画家该当 描绘两件次要 的东西：人和人的思想意图。”曾立志要成为“中国的达·芬奇”。她努力把东方 古代 派精神化入本身 的创作当中 ，画风接近法国后印象派。她擅长画人物画，不仅善于描绘人物的外貌特征，而且能细腻表现人物的内表情 绪。蔡威廉的肖像画用色以黑、白、灰为主调，侧重人物脸部刻画，结构结实，外型 精确 ，充满情趣意味。蔡威廉终身 作有多种自画像，她的自画像抽象 永久 是：素面布衣，朴实无华，神情平淡，冷眼观世，坦然自由 ，1 如她的为人。代表作品有《音乐家李树化像》、《丁玲像》、《农民肖像》等。在中国第1 次全国美术展览中，她的肖像画曾引发 画坛轰动。她特别擅长画大主题和大场面的作品，创作过人物众多的情节性大幅油画《秋瑾绍兴就义图》和《天河会》等。这两件作品分别以理想 和神话中的女性为题材，1 是表现大义凛然、为革命捐躯的女英雄，1 是借神话题材表现女性寻求 自在 与解放的人文主题，取意宏伟，情感强烈，既具有时代特征，又不乏古典意蕴，是初期 西洋画创作中不可多得的佳作。
蔡威廉还是一名 初期 美术教育的先驱者。学成回国后，在父亲蔡元培的支持下，她参与了国立艺专的创始工作，是该校首批教师之1 ，也是该校任职最长的教授之1 。在学校期间，她把次要 精力都投入到了教学工作中。她教学审慎，爱护先生 ，讲话少而启发多，但又严厉 要求，1 丝不苟，在师生中有良好的口碑。她认为，作画不要1 味寻求 “形似”，而应当 力求“神似”，就像翻译1 样，可以直译，也能够 意译，而且意译会更生动。她还非常讲究教学方法，重视 引导先生 的兴味 ，激发先生 的才华。在众人多趋附新潮、热衷走捷径的理想 面前，蔡威廉默默走本身 的路，她给先生 指点 素描时“观察慎重 而锐利，看得准，改得准，要求严厉 ，1 丝不苟”。半个多世纪过去，她的先生 还忘不了蔡先生那句轻柔和悦的口头禅：“不要胡画！

Cai Williams (1904- - 1939) , carry on starts person of the city zone, caiyuan earths up the gentleman's daughter. Read Yubulusaier early or late training school of art of academy of fine arts, Lyons, review only canvas, graduation epigenesis is national Hangzhou art the professor is drawn on the west only. It is 20 centuries China's serious canvas artists, also be educationist of Chinese inchoate art, with portraiture famed.  
Cai Williams on June 3, 1904 (the traditional Chinese calendar on April 20) be born at Shanghai, its mother Huang Zhongyu is the 2nd madam of Mr Cai Yuanpei. From inside be born, cai Williams lives astatic life all the time. Study abroad because of father Germany, year young Cai Williams must be promoted in carry on as the mother reach Hangzhou and other places to live. On September 16, 1912, cai Yuanpei carries a madam to go abroad again study abroad, williams of 8 years old namely be accompanying goes abroad. Second year, caiyuan earths up Ceng Yingsun Zhongshan invite brief go back to the motherland, of the same age carried madam and firstborn daughter Williams again namely on September 5, second child without avoid, 3 child Bai Ling goes to France from Shanghai, after going to Paris, the missonary school that Williams of 9 years old is sent place reads. The winter was followed 1916 parental go back to the motherland, study into school of Beijing aperture heart, become this officer first graduate. 1923, williams heads for Belgium along with parents again, enter Brussels academy of fine arts to learn brushwork. Come from 1914 1927, cai Williams goes abroad 3 times along with father Cai Yuanpei early or late. You Ou of ten years lives, make she accepted good Ou Shi to teach, be proficient in the mandarin character such as law, heart, saw western art elite, for her the following artistic creation and education laid solid foundation. Before long, she accepts father's proposal, head for France again, read at Lyons art training school, review only canvas. Went back to the motherland 1928, be hired to be national Hangzhou art the professor is drawn on the west only. Second year, marry with the young painter Lin Wenzheng that teachs in this school together. 
Regretful is, a such female artists with outstanding talent die young unexpectedly, the poverty of the environment of chaos caused by war, life and trifling housework make she disappears prematurely at drawing altar, 36 years old namely Ji annals and die. 

Cai Williams adores the artistic great master of Italian renaissance period to amount to · fragrance to surprise very much, believe " a painter ought to represent two main things: The thought intent of person and person. " Ceng Lizhi should be become " of China amount to · fragrance to surprise " . In the her effort creation him dissolve of spirit of western modernist school, draw the impressionist school after wind is close to France. She is good at painting character picture, be good at describing appearance feature of the character not only, and the inner mood of character of can exquisite expression. The portraiture coloring of Cai Williams gives priority to tone with black, white, ash, depict of ministry of face of side everybody content, the structure is strong, modelling is accurate, be full of interest interest. Cai Williams lifetime is made have a variety of self-portrait, her self-portrait figure is forever: Element face commoners, simple and unadorned, look is flat, cool detachment observes a life, the calm is comfortable, be like her humanness. Have on behalf of work " musician Li Shu is changed picture " , " Ding Ling resembles " , " farmer effigies " etc. In exhibition of art of whole nation of Chinese first time, her portraiture draws altar sensation since Ceng Yin. She is special the work that is good at drawing big theme and old scene, had created the character's numerous clue sex considerably canvas " Qiu Jin carry on promotes die a martyr to pursue " and " the Milky way is met " etc. These two work part to be subject matter with the female in reality and myth, it is the expressional inspiring awe by upholding justice, heroine that is revolutionary sacrifice one's life, it is material of topic borrowing a god freedom of expressional female pursuit and liberated humanitarian theme, take wish is massive, feeling is strong, have times feature already, there is no lack of again classic meaning accumulate, it is an excellent work of the rare in creation of inchoate West picture.  
Cai Williams still is the precursor that an inchoate art teachs. After learning to go back to the motherland, in father Cai Yuanpei's support falls, she was participated in national art only virgin job, it is this school one of first teachers, also be this school holds a post one of the longest professors. During the school, she throws main energy in teaching job. Her teacher and student is careful, cherish a student, the speech is little and inspire much, but ask strictly again, meticulous, there is good public praise in teachers and students. She thinks, make a picture be not gone after blindly " be similar in shape " , and should do one's best " alike in spirit " , resemble an interpreter same, can metaphrase, OK also free translation, and free translation will be more lively. She returns method of very exquisite teaching, pay attention to the interest that leads a student, arouse the student's talent. In everybody much curry with before the trendy, reality that is fond of shortcut, cai Williams takes his route silently, when she gives a student directive sketch " observation is sedate and keen, look definitely, change definitely, the requirement is strict, meticulous " . Half many century goes, her student still cannot forget Mr Cai the pet phrase of that gentle He Yue: "Do not want Hu Hua!