Studio: international art (46.1909)

Chinese Pictures

THE GODDESS WANG-MU WITH MONKEY MING DYNASTY

mast.

■


-

c

HINESE

BERLIN.

PICTURES

IN

The accompanying illustrations have
been selected from an exhibition of Chinese
paintings recently organised by the Berlin Royal
Academy of Arts. This exhibition proved an
artistic event of the first order. There was hardly
a connoisseur among the visitors, and nothing but
scepticism seemed to greet these far-travelled
foreigners; yet their qualities soon won for them a
complete victory. Never, indeed, has there been
in Europe an occasion to study Chinese painters
so thoroughly. Here, in a collection of 230
pictures, was a comprehensive view of Chinese
art from the eighth to the eighteenth century,
from the Tang to the Tsching dynasty.

The more people studied the stronger grew the
regret towards the close of the show that no
citizenship had been granted to such aliens.
Germans are well trained in admiration for
Japanese art, and here they could look into its
116

foundations. They could recognise the sources of
its decorative cleverness, spiritual aperpi and re-
finement of taste and feeling, but they discovered
far richer stores in realistic faithfulness and sensi-
tive charm. An astonishing accord of the Asiatic
and the European soul became perceptible. The
exotic character vanished, the mysteries of cult
and custom did not perplex, one felt attracted by
the truly human element, that fraternising feature
of all genuine art.

The paintings exhibited were all water-colours,
mostly painted on silk, but some on paper made of
vegetable fibre. Much of their splendid colouring
had faded away, some had been damaged by damp
and time, and others looked rather indifferent.
For all that they called up lively reminiscences of
days spent in studying in Continental galleries.

CARP

MING DYNASTY