National Art Museum of China explores Lingnan School of painting with art from Au Ho-nien
Beijing’s National Art Museum of China (NAMoC) kicked off the latest exhibition in its Donation and Collection Exhibition Series on Friday. Titled In the Pursuit of Eminence in Ink and Brush – The Au Ho-Nien’s Art Exhibition, the exhibition memorializes the achievements of the Lingnan School of painting through the art work of one of the school’s outstanding artists: Au Ho-nien.
Also known as the Cantonese school of painting, the Lingnan School refers to one of the many painting schools in the Lingnan region, an area that includes South China’s Guangdong Province, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hainan Province, Hong Kong and Macao.
The school was originally created by Gao Jianfu, Gao Qifeng and Chen Shuren, also known as “The Three Greats of Lingnan,” in Guangdong Province, during the late 19th century.
At the time, China was experiencing a wave of western art, which kicked off a revolution in Chinese art. Modern art forms combining both Chinese and Western themes and techniques were adopted by many artists at the time.
As an outstanding artist of the Lingnan School, Au studied under Zhao Shao’ang, a second-generation master of the school. Continuing the tradition of merging Chinese and Western painting styles, Au established a major name for himself with his remarkable artworks.
“Au’s work shows the inherit Chinese art spirit that was passed down to the artist,” said NAMoC director Wu Weishan during a media conference at the opening.