MONGOLS CHINA AND THE SILK ROAD : Classical Paintings of Ancient China

Classical Paintings of Ancient China

Opened Dec 29, 2011; On Regular Display
National Museum of China, Beijing
Venue: Gallery S12

The classical painting collection at the National Museum of China covers a wide range of subjects and styles. Limited by the original exhibition space, most of them have not been shown to the public until now. It is the first time since the re-opening of the museum that the exhibition "Classical Painting of Ancient China" is on display, featuring two of the most celebrated pieces in the collection: Qianlong Emperor’s Southern Inspection Tour and Strange Tales of Liaozhai. Qianlong Emperor’s Southern Inspection Tour is composed of 12 scrolls, which 4 of them are on display in this exhibition. Executed by royal court painter Xu Yang during the Qing dynasty, the scrolls illustrate the scenes when Qianlong Emperor visited the south of China to inspect the water systems, social conditions and military preparations. These scrolls serve as a visual record that captures the social conditions and the landscapes during "the Golden Age of Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors." Strange Tales of Liaozhai is based on the classical Chinese tales written by Pu Songling. It is composed of wooden plates and colorful images on silk scroll. The techniques employed are refined and vivid, and the colors are rich and bright. The themes of the tales combine folk attractiveness with literary significance.