Lecture sheds light on Chinese painting exhibition

"The Journey of Ink" at the Bund One Art Museum is the first exhibition in China from the famed Musée Cernuschi in Paris, France. It is also the first large-scale showing of an overseas collection of original Chinese paintings in the country.

In a bid to "dig out" the background of the exhibition, Eric Lefebure, director of Musée Cernuschi, presented a public lecture at the museum last Saturday, addressing the "eruption of modern Chinese painting on the French art scene after World War II."

The Musée Cernuschi, officially known as Musée des Arts de l'Asie de la Ville de Paris, first opened its doors in 1898, establishing itself as one of the pioneering institutions of Asian art in Europe. It is also the largest and earliest established Asian museum in Europe.

Over the first half of the 20th century, significant archaeological findings in China and Vietnam considerably enhanced the collection's scope. Today, the museum boasts approximately 15,000 artifacts from China, Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea, offering a comprehensive panorama of East Asian cultural richness and depth.

Lefebure said the foundation of its collection was 5,000-odd pieces acquired by Franco-Italian collector Henri Cernuschi during his extensive travels in Asia.

"He took a trip in Asia to explore the artistic origin of Buddhism from 1871-1873," Lefebure said.

Lefebure especially recommended calligraphy written by Kang Youwei (1858-1927) that is displayed at the entrance of the ongoing exhibition in Shanghai. The refined courtly script favors the more vigorous and bold style characteristics of Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) stele inscriptions with a robust aesthetic, and was a reflection of Kang's reformist ideology. It was also the first contemporary Chinese piece collected by the French museum.

Lefebure also talked about the "First Exhibition: Contemporary Chinese Painting" held at Musée Cernuschi in 1946.

The exhibition featured 120 Chinese contemporary paintings including 10 by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), whose inspirations came from his sojourn in Dunhuang; and Zao Wou-ki (1921-2013), one of the most world-renowned Chinese artists.

"At that time, Zao was only 26 and still lived in China," Lefebure said, "It was the first time that the French audiences saw these Chinese contemporary paintings, which received positive responses from the French art critics."

In the turbulent 20th century, Chinese ink painting underwent a profound transformation, redefining itself through its traditional medium while engaging with modern techniques, historical introspection, and international influences.

Chinese artists traveled to Paris following World War I, where they sought to deepen their engagement with authentic Western artistic disciplines. Among the pioneers were Xu Beihong (1895-1953), Pan Yuliang (1895-1977), Sanyu (1901-1966), and Lin Fengmian (1900-1991), who immersed themselves in rigorous Western art education.

The global journeys of such artists were instrumental in this evolution, embedding the genre with a dialogue that spanned continents — from Asia to Europe and the Americas.

Lefebure also spoke of several others, including Guo Youshou (1901-1978) and Zhou Lin, who promoted contemporary Chinese paintings in France at that time.

Guo received his doctoral degree in Paris. Fluent in English, French, German and some other languages, he was the first director of the Division of Education at UNESCO.

In 1953, Guo donated 76 Chinese paintings to Musée Cernuschi, the most important Chinese collection ever received by the museum, which included works by Zhang Daqian, Lin Fengmian, Qi Baishi (1864-1957), and another 24 Chinese artists. Guo maintained a deep friendship with the museum and, in 1958, he donated two oil paintings by Pan Yuliang. Two paintings by Walasse Ting (1929-2010) had previously been given to the museum by Guo in 1955. In the 1970s, he donated another 40 paintings by Ting.

"Since 1946, Musée Cernuschi has actively engaged with modern and contemporary Asian art through thoughtfully curated thematic exhibitions. Its robust acquisition strategy, supported by generous donations from collectors and contributions directly from artists, has fortified its unique standing in Europe," Lefebure said. "Noteworthy donations include a group of Chinese ink paintings of the 1940s from Dr Guo Youshou in 1953. These pieces have played a pivotal role in crafting the museum's distinguished collection of modern and contemporary Chinese paintings."

This year marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between China and France, coinciding with the Sino-French Cultural and Tourism Year. Earlier, Shanghai launched a series of global cultural exchange projects called "Our Water: Flowing from Shanghai – Intercultural Dialogues among World Cities." This exhibition and public lecture are one of a series of events.

"The Journey of Ink: Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings from the Musée Cernuschi" is showing at the Bund One Art Museum through January 5, 2025.