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Masterpieces of Northern Song Painting and Calligraphy

This one-month exhibition just concluded three days ago at the Nezu Museum in Tokyo, but it is worth a revisit. The Song period (960–1279) was a pinnacle in the history of Chinese painting and calligraphy, and works from that period were regarded as classics by later generations. Starting in Japan’s medieval period (1185–1573), Japanese connoisseurs […]

The Heart of Zen

The Heart of Zen features two extraordinary ink paintings, Persimmons (popularly known as Six Persimmons) and Chestnuts, on view in the United States for the first time. Attributed to the 13th-century monk Muxi (Muqi), these exquisitely subtle compositions were painted in China and then crossed the ocean to Japan, where they have been designated Important […]

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Unrestrained Brushes, Sophisticated Elegance — Paintings by Ren Bonian

Ren Bonian (任伯年, 1840–1895) was a pioneer in the history of modern Chinese painting. He was a representative figure of the early stage of the Shanghai School, characterized by the combination of meticulous techniques and sketching ideas in both flower-and-bird painting and figure painting. He took inspirations from Chen Hongshou, Zhu Da, Yun Shouping, Chen […]

A Grand View of Artistic Intention — Selected Calligraphy Since the Song Dynasty

This one-month special exhibition on Chinese calligraphy just concluded a week ago at Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou. It showcased many rubbings and handwritings of calligraphy from masters since the Song dynasty. Chinese calligraphy has always used “intention” as the aesthetic standard, requiring calligraphy creation to have “true intention” and express the emotion and interest […]

Golden Light Shines Miles Away — Bronze Civilization in Southwest China

From the Pre-Qin to the Qin and Han periods, various regions in the southwest entered the Bronze Age successively, giving birth to a brilliant ancient bronze civilization that shines like stars. This left a rich and colorful mark in the history of ancient Chinese civilization. This special exhibition at Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan […]

China’s Hidden Century

The British Museum in London is hosting a special exhibition of the nineteenth century China. Between 1796 and 1912 Qing China endured numerous civil uprisings and foreign wars, with revolution ultimately bringing an end to some 2,000 years of dynastic rule and giving way to a modern Chinese republic. This period of violence and turmoil […]

The Brilliance of the Song Dynasty in Modern Times

The Brilliance of the Song Dynasty in Modern Times is the ongoing special exhibition at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, which was the capital of the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). It showcases 37 sets of calligraphy and painting artworks (including 13 Class One cultural artifacts) from the Song to Qing dynasties. These works […]

Ode to the Red Cliff

Su Shi (1037–1101), who is widely known as Su Dongpo, was a renowned figure in the fields of literature and calligraphy who lived during the Northern Song dynasty. In the third year of Emperor Shenzong’s Yuanfeng reign period (1080), Su was exiled to Huangzhou, the site of the modern city of Huanggang in Hubei province. […]