This exhibition showcases nearly 60 paintings from an era of unrivaled historical drama and artistic achievement in China that spans from the late Ming (ca. 1600–1644) and the early Qing dynasties (1644–ca.1700). By adopting a novel, thematic approach centered on the concept of yin, or reclusion, this presentation brings the viewer deeply into the world of the literati—the educated elite who were at the forefront of historical change and voiced their thoughts and ideals through art.
Works included in the exhibition hail from the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, five other public institutions, and six private collections in the United States and Taiwan, as well as the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s permanent collection¯with a number of paintings that have never before been published. They cover a variety of formats—hanging scrolls, handscrolls, albums, and fans—and span a range of subjects including landscape, figures, birds-and-flowers, and fish.
The accompanying catalogue will be the first publication to explore in depth the theme of reclusion in painting and calligraphy within the broader context of political and social changes in the 17th century.
Photo Credit:
XIANG Shengmo, Self-portrait in Red Landscape (detail), 1644. Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper. Collection of Shitou Shuwu.
