Cao Zhen caozhen0806@126.com STEP into the serene world of Chinese paintings created by an array of masters from the 19th-20th centuries at the newly opened “The Breeze From the Sea” exhibition at the He Xiangning Art Museum. As part of the art museum’s regional cultural research series, the exhibition showcases precious Shanghai School of Painting pieces by masters such as Ren Xun (1835-1893), Fei Danxu (1802-1850), Wu Changshuo (1844-1927) and Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), to name a few. The paintings are on loan from Nanjing Museum, Tianjin Museum, Suzhou Museum and Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy. Since the mid-19th century, Shanghai, as a trading port, has become an economic center in East China. The city’s openness and inclusiveness led to its cultural diversity, which attracted artists from neighboring Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and beyond. Painters in the Shanghai School included those who lived in Shanghai or frequently traveled there to sell paintings from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. Some of them learned from their late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) predecessors, and some learned from Western art and Chinese folk art. They integrated poetry, calligraphy and seal carving into their paintings, creating distinctive styles. For about 100 years, these artists formed associations, and honed their skills in Shanghai, a city where the East and the West coexisted. The Shanghai School style gradually developed, eventually becoming one of the most important painting trends in modern China. The exhibition elucidates the Shang School of Painting’s 100-year history through three sections: “Elegance and Fashion,” “Purity and Artlessness” and “Openness and Inclusiveness.” Visitors can observe the paintings’ eclectic artistic character. In technique, there are both meticulous and heavy-color free-hand brushworks. Subjects in the paintings are rich and varied, including figures, folk stories, fruits, flowers, birds, daily life and more. Representative Shanghai School paintings are vivid and appreciated by both the elite or cultured individuals and the general public alike. According to Lu Shanshan, one of the curators of the exhibition, the Shanghai School of Painting, during a period of cultural change and innovative ideas and intellectual currents, captured the essence and spirit of Chinese culture while embracing and adapting to modern influences. With a creative spirit, this group of masters played a significant role in revitalizing and modernizing Chinese painting. “In addition to Shanghai School of Painting, Shanghai School can also be used to describe other aspects of Shanghai’s culture, such as music, literature and theater. Its unique charm has a far-reaching impact,” said Lu. Dates: Until Oct. 22 Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mondays Tickets: Free Venue: He Xiangning Art Museum, Nanshan District (何香凝美術館) Metro: Line 1 to OCT Station (華僑城站), Exit C | 