In the Garden of Satisfaction

Chinese painting has many faces: landscapes, religious and mythological subjects, genre scenes or portraits. For a long time, a distinction has been made between commissioned works executed by professional painters and those created by educated “amateurs”, which have always been held in higher esteem. These “literati paintings” have many manifestations, but are primarily characterized by a remarkable continuity and a restrained, quiet language. Colour is often omitted entirely, and the world is depicted only in delicate ink traces. For viewers, such works present significant challenges. It is therefore not surprising that, unlike Chinese porcelain, paintings from China only found their way into Western collections much later and to a far lesser extent.

At the Museum Angewandte Kunst, which has extensive Asian collections dating back to the late 19th century, Chinese painting remained a niche topic for a long time. However, around sixty works, some of which are highly significant, are now part of the museum’s Asian Art collection. The stock has been scientifically reviewed in a research project over several years, which began in 2020. To mark the completion of the project, the formerly largely unknown Chinese Painting Collection will be presented in an exhibition at the Museum Angewandte Kunst from March 23, 2024. At the same time, all works will be made accessible to the public with precise descriptions, transcriptions and translations of all inscriptions in the new collection module on the museum website. This will allow the quiet and multi-layered language of these works of art to be experienced in full.

Curator: Stephan von der Schulenburg
Director: Matthias Wagner K
Press contact: Natali-Lina Pitzer, T +49 (0)69 212 75339