The journey of ink: intertwined histories of Chinese and French art

In the early 20th century, Chinese ink painting went through a remarkable transformation as artists redefined the medium with modern techniques and international influences. While some Chinese artists traveled overseas to study Western painting, others focused on reviving the traditions of literati painting.

Take Zhang Daqian, for example. His mastery was deeply rooted in replicating classical Chinese paintings, yet his extensive time spent abroad exposed him to modern Western art, including Abstract Expressionism.

Eric Lefebvre, director of Musée Cernuschi told ShanghaiEye reporter that in 1956, Zhang Daqian had a very large show in Paris and after this beautiful show, he donated this painting of lotuses. He said, "This painting is very characteristic of Zhang Daqian, a bold manner. When you look at it, you can really feel the wind in the lotuses in the night. When we think about Zhang Daqian's painting, of course, we think about the Chinese background, the Chinese poetry, the long tradition of Chinese painting. But at the same time, he was also someone who traveled a lot around the world, from Japan to India to South America and also in Europe, especially in France and Switzerland. And somehow it also influenced his own painting."

Chinese painting skills were also transmitted to Western audiences in the 20th century. A rare collection of lesson drafts by Pu Quan, a descendant of the Qing imperial lineage, showcases techniques essential to landscape painting.

Eighty-nine masterpieces by 36 Chinese artists, including Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, Zhang Daqian, and Lin Fengmian, are currently on display at the Bund One Art Museum in Shanghai. These works, on loan from the Musée Cernuschi in Paris, highlight the museum's role as one of the pioneering institutions of Asian art in Europe since its opening in 1898. Significant donations, such as those from diplomat, scholar, and collector Guo Youshou in the 1950s, have greatly enriched the museum's collection of modern and contemporary Chinese paintings.

Eric Lefebvre said, "Even if we've been collecting them for decades, it's really the very first time that we have an exhibition of the museum collection here in China. We realize when looking at this exhibition how important are the cultural exchanges. They were very important in the past and in order to have a better understanding of these artworks, we need to go on showing them all around the world to improve the research, share the pleasure of looking at the paintings, and also more professional aspects, for instance, the restoration and conservation of those paintings."

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, the exhibition aims to continue the journey of ink, creating new stories of cultural exchange between the two nations.