Origins of modern art development in China on show
An early Western painting class at Shanghai Fine Arts School
"Beijing Qianmen" (1922), on canvas, by Liu Haisu
The exhibition "Modern Art Education Context in China," currently underway at Liu Haisu Art Museum, sheds light on 170 years of development in China's modern art public education.
Organized by Chinese Artists' Association and Shanghai Education Commission, the exhibition includes three separate tiers of displays, namely "Documentary Exhibition of China's Modern Art Education," "Exhibition to Celebrate the 110th Anniversary of the Founding of Shanghai Fine Arts School" and "Exhibition Celebrating the Centenary of the Launch of Fine Art Department at Shanghai University."
According to the organizer, the exhibition walks visitors through a unique collection of ancient textbooks, manuscripts of renowned artists, teaching portfolios and some rare historical materials to answer the questions, "What is the origin of China's modern art?" and "Where would China's modern art lead to?"
One of the highlights is a thread-bound book published in 1880 that introduces some Western painting techniques, including perspective drawing, sketching and composition methods.
Shanghai Fine Arts School, established in 1912, is widely considered as the "opening page" of China's modern art history. It built an advanced art platform at that time to nurture not only art professionals but also the stars of tomorrow.
The exhibition displays a collection of historical pictures and materials to show the school's seminal influence on the promotion of China's modern art education and the development of Shanghai-school culture.
Artworks created by big-name artists such as Wu Changshuo (1844-1927) and Liu Haisu (1896-1994) are also on display.
Exhibition info:
Date: Through October 23 (closed on Mondays), 10am-5pm
Venue: Liu Haisu Art Museum
Address: 1609 Yan'an Rd W.
