Repentant Monk: Illusion and Disillusion in the Art of Chen Hongshou

October 25, 2017–January 28, 2018

Chen Hongshou is a major figure in Chinese art of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. This exhibition explores his visually compelling work and his response to the turmoil of his times.

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Chen Hongshou: Su Wu and Li Ling with Attendants, 1635; ink and color on silk; 50 x 19 in.; BAMPFA, purchase made possible through a gift by an anonymous donor.

Upcoming
Films
Upcoming
Events
Selected
Objects
Past
Films
Past
Events

Past Events

Saturday, January 27, 1 PM
Richard Vinograd and Philip Kafalas on Chen Hongshou

The two scholars present lectures that deepen and expand our understanding of the late Ming-dynasty painter's work, life, and times.

BAMPFA
Friday, January 26, 6 PM
Wang Fei: Guqin Music Inspired by Repentant Monk

Performer and scholar Wang Fei guides us a special musical journey through masterpieces for the guqin, a traditional seven-stringed Chinese instrument.

BAMPFA
Saturday, January 13, 11:30–1 PM or 1–2:30 PM
Gallery + Studio: Landscapes Real and Imagined

Use drawing, watercolor, and stamping to create your own landscape inspired by the paintings of Chen Hongshou.

BAMPFA

For ages 6 to 12 with accompanying adult(s)
Saturday, November 4, 1 PM
Lecture by Patricia Berger: A Crisis of Faith: Chen Hongshou’s Buddhist Paintings

Art historian Berger explores Chen Hongshou’s enigmatic Buddhist paintings, which offer a glimpse into a cataclysmic moment in Chinese history. Followed by a discussion with Robert Sharf.

BAMPFA
Selected Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
Guided Tours: Repentant Monk: Chen Hongshou

Explore a great Chinese painter’s work and his turbulent times with a tour of Repentant Monk: Illusion and Disillusion in the Art of Chen Hongshou.

BAMPFA
Saturday, October 28, 1 PM
Shi-yee Liu and Tamara Bentley on Chen Hongshou

Two scholars present talks illuminating different periods in the work of Chen Hongshou.

BAMPFA
Thursday, October 26, 12 PM
Curator's Talk: Julia White on Chen Hongshou

The curator of BAMPFA’s Chen Hongshou exhibition offers insights into the artist’s mindset as the world around him dissolved into chaos.

BAMPFA

Past Films

Repentant Monk: Illusion and Disillusion in the Art of Chen Hongshou

October 25, 2017–January 28, 2018

This exhibition is the first to focus solely on Chen Hongshou, a major figure in Chinese painting of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Highlighting a selection of his best extant work, including figure, landscape, and bird-and-flower paintings drawn from BAMPFA’s holdings as well as collections worldwide, the exhibition demonstrates why Chen (1599–1652) has long been regarded as one of the most visually exciting artists of his time. His iconic manner of painting figures in the styles of ancient masters lends an aura of antiquity to his work, which is equally enlivened by distinct expressions of irony, humor, and pathos. His landscape paintings reflect his vast knowledge of past traditions, while his bird-and-flower paintings display a remarkable freshness and modernity that has tremendous appeal for viewers today.

The exhibition title, Repentant Monk: Illusion and Disillusion in the Art of Chen Hongshou, refers to the sobriquet that Chen adopted in 1646, shortly after the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644, and goes to the heart of the art on view. Chen used the name “Repentant Monk” (Hui Seng, 悔僧) in seals and signatures for only a short period, but his paintings continued to reflect this state of mind throughout his life. Caught in a time of social and political chaos and fraught with guilt and regret over the deteriorating situation for artists loyal to the Ming, Chen was seriously disillusioned, a condition that can be sensed clearly in his later paintings.
The exhibition is accompanied by a unique audio guide, available in English and Mandarin, featuring musician Devendra Banhart and entrepreneur and collector Jerry Yang reading the artist’s inscriptions.

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Audio Tour: Hear the artist's own words come to life, as read by Devendra Banhart and Jerry Yang.

Repentant Monk: Illusion and Disillusion in the Art of Chen Hongshou is organized by Senior Curator for Asian Art Julia M. White. The exhibition is made possible with lead support from The American Friends of the Shanghai Museum and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation. Additional support is provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation; Henry Luce Foundation; Bonhams US and Hong Kong Chinese Paintings Group; Jane DeBevoise in honor of Professor James Cahill; the Asian Art Endowment Fund; Air China; Hok Pui and Sally Yu Leung; Fred Levin & Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation in memory of Ben & A. Jess Shenson; Jenny and James Wan; Sunday and David Yu; John Deng; Arnold and Jr-jye Chang; J. Sanford and Vinie Zhang Miller; NanHai Art; and an anonymous donor. The catalog is made possible with major support from the Bei Shan Tang Foundation. The audio program is generously funded by Kadist, a contemporary art nonprofit located in San Francisco and Paris. Special thanks to musician Devendra Banhart and entrepreneur and collector Jerry Yang for contributing readings in English and Mandarin, respectively.

Supporter

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation

Supporter

Henry Luce Foundation

Supporter

Air China

Repentant Monk: Illusion and Disillusion in the Art of Chen Hongshou

October 25, 2017–January 28, 2018

Selected Exhibition Objects

Painting

Su Wu and Li Ling, with Attendants (Farewell of Su Wu and Li Ling)

Chen Hongshou

Painting

Untitled (album of birds, flowers, and landscapes)

Chen Hongshou

Past Events

Richard Vinograd and Philip Kafalas on Chen Hongshou

Wang Fei: Guqin Music Inspired by Repentant Monk

Gallery + Studio: Landscapes Real and Imagined

Lecture by Patricia Berger: A Crisis of Faith: Chen Hongshou’s Buddhist Paintings

Guided Tours: Repentant Monk: Chen Hongshou

Shi-yee Liu and Tamara Bentley on Chen Hongshou

Curator's Talk: Julia White on Chen Hongshou

Past Films