The exhibition “Vibrant Spirit and Elegant Demeanor: Ancient Chinese Figure Paintings Collected by the Liaoning Provincial Museum” opened on December 20, showcasing a selection of national treasure paintings including Nymph of the Luo River. The exhibition features a total of 30 ancient paintings collected by the museum, with one-fourth of them being displayed to the public for the first time. The exhibition will run until March 23, 2025.
The Nymph of the Luo River in the Liaoning Provincial Museum is a copy made by a painter in the Song Dynasty, which largely retains the artistic characteristics of the original work by Gu Kaizhi. The painting presents a relatively complete depiction of the poem Nymph of the Luo River written by Cao Zhi during the Three Kingdoms period, creating a rich mythical atmosphere through vividly portrayed and gracefully drawn characters. Other paintings exhibited alongside include Homeward Bound I Go, Court Ladies in Imperial Costumes, Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, and Portrait of the Monk Ji Gong.
Dong Baohou, deputy director of the Liaoning Provincial Museum, said that the famous paintings exhibited this time are rare treasures in the history of Chinese calligraphy and painting. Due to the need of protecting these handed-down calligraphy and paintings, it takes at least three years to exhibit once such “museum’s most treasured artifacts”. And each exhibition period shall not exceed three months.
The uniqueness of ancient Chinese figure painting lies in its vivid portrayal and profound grasp of the figures’ spiritual temperament. Both the flow of the lines and the use of colors achieve the artistic effect of “vigorous in spirit and perfect in form”.
