Xu Beihong Exhibit at the Denver Art Museum

Submitted by ShellyB on December 19, 2011 - 10:07am

I've just walked through the Xu Beihong Exhibit at the Denver Art Museum and was blown away. The exhibit includes ink and watercolor (my favorites), charcoal drawings, pastels, and oil paintings. I loved the way the ink and watercolor works are mounted on very large scrolls surrounded by what looks like exquisite silk fabric in colors and textures that complement the artwork. The pieces are absolutely stunning!

The exhibit emphasizes Xu Beihong's importance and influence in establishing a modern style in Chinese art while maintaining Chinese art's traditional roots. The short informational film played at the start of the exhibit says that he was one of the very first Chinese artists to travel to Europe and train with Western artists, and he brought some of those techniques back to China, sharing what he learned with other artists.

The Denver Public Library has an area on the 3rd floor of the Central Library called Denver Now, dedicated to showing off our collection items relevant to current Denver happenings. Part of this area is now highlighting some of the fantastic Chinese art books in our collection, covering everything from calligraphy to tapestry, including how-to books. Click here for a complete list of all the titles from our catalog in the Denver Now area, and feel free to place holds on any of them that you find interesting.

And when you do come to see this fabulous display at the Denver Art Museum, don't forget to stop by Central and browse the Chinese art books in our Denver Now Area - all of the books are available for immediate check out!