Modern Chinese Painting & Europe ─ New Perceptions, Artists Encounters and the Formation of Collections

Twentieth-century China experienced the collapse of its imperial system and the rise of a modern nation state. It was a century of war and revolution, as well as a time of reorientation and renewal. In their search for inspiration and reform, Chinese artists travelled abroad, making Europe one of their foremost destinations. Artistic exchange and international interaction at the beginning of the twentieth century allowed museums and scholars in St. Petersburg, Prague, Berlin, Paris and the United Kingdom to be among the first in the West to exhibit, collect and study modern Chinese paintings. This book presents essays by curators and experts who explore early encounters, friendships and exchanges between artists and scholars in China and Europe, including Zhang Daqian’s famous visit with Picasso. Beautifully illustrated, with paintings and historic photographs never previously published, this is the first study that highlights Europe’s key role in exhibiting, collecting and researching twentieth-century Chinese painting.

Michaela Pejcochova is the Curator of the Chinese collection at National Gallery in Prague. Clarissa von Spee is Curator of the Chinese and Central Asian collections at the British Museum.