Shanghai Museum to reopen with an exhibition on Da Vinci next month

The Shanghai Museum will reopen to the public after two months of renovation on December 10 with the exhibition "Who is Leonardo da Vinci?"

There are 18 works of Renaissance art from the collections of Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Complesso Monumentale della Pilotta, and Casa Buonarroti, as well as 18 masterpieces of ancient Chinese painting from the Shanghai museum. The event is co-organized by the Shanghai museum and the Encyclopedic Institute of Treccani, Italy, and is supported by the consulate general of Italy in Shanghai.

This is the first time the Shanghai museum has presented an original exhibition of the dialogue between Eastern and Western art, as well as the most vivid representation of Leonardo da Vinci's (1452-1519) original works ever unveiled in China.

Da Vinci's 1490 painting "The Lady with Disheveled Hair" is unquestionably the exhibition's highlight. The painting is allowed to leave Italy once every five years. The exhibition also features 11 valuable manuscripts by the master, as well as two sketches by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564).

Both Chinese and Western painting have gone through similar historical periods, particularly around the 15th century. Artists from both countries took divergent paths in their artistic beliefs and methods.

The 18 Chinese paintings that reverberate with Renaissance art include "Watergate Gristmill" (907-960) and "Lady with Fan in the Autumn Breeze" by Tang Yin (1470-1523), both of which claim to be the "best of the best" from the Shanghai Museum's collection.

Exhibit Info

Date: from December 10 to April 14, 2024 (closed on Mondays), 9am–5pm

Address: 201 People's Avenue

Admission: 100 yuan, 80 yuan on museum's WeChat mini-program (上海博物馆)