Her art evolved within the flux of conflicting dichotomies of East and West, tradition and modernity, male chauvinism and emerging feminism.

Due to her "lowly" background, she was often ostracized and did not fit into the model of the "modern Shanghai lady" — a young woman whose arts education added to their femininity and beauty.

She was honored as the first Chinese female artist to paint in the Western style, and received five solo exhibitions in China from 1929 to 1936.

[5] Despite the controversy, Pan gained favor in the art world of the Republic of China (1912–49), alongside fellow female painter Guan Zilan, for their embodiment of modernity.

[11] In China, women artists were generally constricted to depictions of nature and, occasionally, portraiture, but nudes were considered improper.

[15] Her story is loosely told in the novel Hua Hun (A Soul Haunted by Painting) (1984) by Shih Nan.

Later, It was adapted as a Chinese film directed by Huang Shuqin, A Soul Haunted by Painting which was released in 1994, starring the actress Gong Li as the artist.

The Huangmei opera The Female Painter from the Brothel (風塵女畫家), starring Ma Lan, is also based on her life.

Jennifer Cody Epstein's internationally bestselling novel The Painter from Shanghai (2008) is also based on Pan Yuliang's life, and has been translated into sixteen languages.

Epstein, who worked as a journalist in Hong Kong and China, spent ten years writing and researching the book.