2. He studied in Japan in his early years, and later served as Professor Peking University, President of Peiping University, Professor of Fu Jen Catholic University and Editorial Board of New Youth magazine. Together with his brother Shen Shiyuan and his younger brother Shen Jianshi, they are called "Peking University Sanshen".
He is famous for his calligraphy. In the early years of the Republic of China, the calligraphy circle was known as "Shen Bei". In the 1940 s, there was a saying in the book circle called "Southern Shen and Northern Wu". Mr. Xu Pingyu, a famous writer, together with Li Zhimin, is known as "two masters in the history of calligraphy in Peking University", saying that Shen Lao's artistic achievements in calligraphy "surpassed Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties and went straight to Song Sijia without blame". Professor Xie, the leader of the late National Cultural Relics Appraisal Group, said: "For hundreds of years, calligraphers have come forth in large numbers, and no one can match them." . Mr. Lin Yin, the late professor of National Taiwan University and director of China Literature Research Institute, praised Shen Lao's calligraphy as "under Mi Yuanzhang (Mi Fei)".