University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

This exhibition was the first to focus solely on Chen Hongshou (1599-1652), a major figure in Chinese painting in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The show featured a selection of his best work, including figure, landscape, and bird-and-flower paintings, drawn from the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)’s holdings as well as collections worldwide. The works enabled viewers to explore Chen’s response to the social and political turmoil around him, demonstrating why Chen has long been regarded as one of the most visually exciting artists of his time.

Chen Hongshou: Su Wu and Li Ling, with Attendants (Farewell of Su Wu and Li Ling), 1635 (detail); hanging scroll, ink and color on silk; University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.