Ming Masterpieces from the Shanghai Museum

Stephen Little, curator and department head of Chinese and Korean art at LACMA, discusses  Ming Masterpieces from the Shanghai Museum, which presents ten masterpieces of early Ming dynasty court painting executed in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries in the Forbidden City, in addition to a selection of related Zhe School professional paintings—all from the permanent collection of the Shanghai Museum. His lecture explores the role of imperial patronage of Ming dynasty painters, the uses of paintings as political propaganda, and the revival of earlier Song dynasty (eleventh–thirteenth centuries) painting styles in the early Ming dynasty. This type of professional and court paintings has only recently been recognized as one of the leading and most popular types of Ming dynasty painting. The unifying theme of the exhibition is the role of politics and spirituality in artistic expression.

Brown Auditorium | $10 general admission; $5 LACMA members; free for EAAC members and students with ID | Tickets: 323 857-6010 or purchase online.

Sponsored by East Asian Art Council

Image: Li Zai, The Daoist Adept Qin Gao Riding a Carp, Ming dynasty, 15th century, hanging scroll, Shanghai Museum.