Paintings of plum trees on display at Liu Haisu Art Museum

"Searching for Plum Blossoms in Snow," an exhibition of a cluster of paintings with the theme of plum trees, is on show at Liu Haisu Art Museum through May 14.

As the opening of a series of exhibitions on ancient Chinese traditional imagery paintings, the plum-themed exhibition will be followed by shows featuring bamboo, then pine, all with works from the museum's collection.

Plum, pine and bamboo are recognized as three distinctive symbols that represent the unique spirit of Chinese culture – unyielding and highly elegant. They have been widely and repeatedly reflected by the brushstrokes of generations of Chinese artists.

Celebrated as the largest exhibition to display works from the museum's ancient collection since its opening, 27 paintings are on display to the public.

A painting titled "Crow in Winter" from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (AD 907-979) is one of the oldest paintings in the museum's collection, and viewers could appreciate its beauty through the delicate brushwork and vivid modeling of the work. Visitors can view the original painting and also look more closely via a special VR work.

Another rare painting to be appreciated is "Plum Blossom with Daffodils," painted during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The highlights of the exhibition are several paintings by Liu Haisu (1896-1994), featuring plums in different periods.

Liu, a stellar name in China's modern art history, was one of the pioneers of modern Chinese art and art education. He was one of the first Chinese artists to introduce and learn from Western modern painting.

When viewing these paintings, viewers can appreciate the changes of color and arrangement by the master, who honed his technique by incorporating Western modern art techniques.

Exhibition info:

Date: Through May 14 (closed on Mondays), 9am-5pm

Venue: Liu Haisu Art Museum

Address: 1609 Yan'an Road W.

延安西路1609号