Over 40 never-before-seen historical and contemporary artworks from Korea, China and Japan
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) presents East Asian Paintings & Prints: Recent Acquisitions, on display in the Herman Herzog Levy Gallery, part of the Asian Suite of Galleries on Level 1 of the Philosophers’ Walk Wing, from October 24, 2009 to July 4, 2010. The more than 40 acquisitions, all important examples of paintings, calligraphies, and prints from Korea, China, and Japan, have been acquired in the past 12 years through carefully considered gifts and purchases. The artworks span a period from the 15th to the early 21st century and demonstrate the generosity of donors and the prudent use of acquisition funds to expand the ROM’s already impressive Far Eastern collections. The Museum’s Chinese collections in particular are ranked among the finest outside China.
“Making acquisitions to improve the collection is a key task of any museum,” said Dr. Klaas Ruitenbeek, Senior Curator, Louise Hawley Stone Chair of Far Eastern Art. “In expanding our East Asian collection, we have concentrated on paintings and prints, a crucial area in East Asian art. I believe visitors will be fascinated by the scope and beauty of this exhibition.”
About the exhibition:
East Asian Paintings & Prints: Recent Acquisitions demonstrates how a museum slowly and carefully expands its collections, with the generous support of donors and careful use of its acquisition funds. The ROM strives to collect in specific areas where collections are weak or gaps exist, and endeavours to choose wisely when opportunities arrive and market prices are favourable. However, none of this can be done in a strictly methodical way. There is always an element of surprise, be it for unexpected gifts or works bought from dealers or at auction. As a result, a display of recent acquisitions will likely make for a varied and eclectic exhibition, which is part of its inherent charm.
Highlights:
Upon entering the exhibition, visitors will likely first see the impressive 175-cm-high by 140-cm-wide (69 in. by 55 in.) painting entitled People by prominent contemporary Korean artist Suh Se-ok. With his work defined as both painting and calligraphy, Suh works consistently in black ink only, writing his sparse marks on handmade Korean paper. In this abstract piece, completed circa 1995, the artist uses the Chinese character ren, which means people, as his point of departure. Another Korean highlight artifact is a 19th-century folding screen entitled Fish and Crabs. Created by an anonymous artist, this eight-fold screen with whimsical, yet realistic water denizens is an example of eohaedo, fish-and-crab painting. It shows the influence of the Silhak (Practical Learning) movement that became prevalent in Korea from the 18th century and created an impetus for aesthetic realism in painting. People was donated to the ROM by the artist.
A featured recent acquisition on display in the nearby Bishop White Gallery of Chinese Temple Art is the intricately detailed Chinese Ming Dynasty (15th century) hand scroll entitled The Islands of the Immortals. At 970 cm (32 ft.) long and a slim 32 cm (13 in.) wide, the work was originally intended to be held by hand and unrolled gradually, to view it section by section. The many scenes of the painting depict a legendary paradise called the “Islands of the Immortals” that was home to gods and other worldly immortals central to Daoism, one of the three great religions of China. This acquisition was made possible by the generous support of Mr. & Mrs. A. Charles Baillie.
A further recently acquired Chinese artifact in the exhibition, of note for its use of unusual technique is Album with Fans, created by master finger-painting artist Gao Qipei. Completed between 1697 and 1708, Gao felt that the brush impeded his connection with his art and instead painted directly on paper or silk using his ink-dipped fingers and fingernails. This album of 12 fan paintings is one of the artist’s most inspired and characteristic works. It harmoniously brings together painting, written inscriptions, and seal impressions, many of these hand-carved by the artist himself. The acquisition of Album with Fans was made possible by the generous support of the Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust.
An album of 19th-century Earthquake Prints (namazu-e) sheds light on Japanese culture and folk beliefs. On November 11, 1855, Tokyo (called Edo at the time) was hit by a huge earthquake. 7,000 people died, 5,000 were injured, and 15,000 buildings collapsed. In Japan, it was believed that a giant catfish (namazu) living under the earth caused the earthquakes when it moved. Almost immediately after the quake, woodblock prints such as these appeared that gave information and comments in pictures and words. Many were satirical, and most featured the catfish. After two months, the government forbade publication, as the prints were considered seditious. In all, about 300 different designs of catfish prints are known; this album contains 86. An anonymous collector assembled the prints about two months after the quake. He also wrote an introduction, dated January 1856. This acquisition was made possible by the generous support of the Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust.
Other information:
This exhibition is a tribute to the ROM’s long-standing commitment to East Asian art. The Museum’s outstanding Chinese collection, ranked among the finest outside China, is featured in four galleries located on the main floor of its historic buildings: the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Gallery of China, the Bishop White Gallery of Chinese Temple Art, the Matthews Family Court of Chinese Sculpture, and the ROM Gallery of Chinese Architecture. To the north and south of these, the Gallery of Korea and the Prince Takamado Gallery of Japan give an overview of the art of the two other major East Asian civilizations.
The Herman Herzog Levy Gallery was specially-constructed to showcase fragile, light-sensitive (thus rarely-seen) artifacts to the public, on a rotating basis. The gallery is named after Dr. Herman Herzog Levy (1902 - 1990), collector of East Asian art and long-time friend of the ROM. Thanks to his generous bequest of over $15 million, almost 300 objects of East Asian art were added to the Museum’s collection.
The ROM and the ROM Governors are grateful to the many donors who have supported the growth of the collections through the donation of objects and the establishment of acquisition funds in support of the Museum. The artifacts on display in this exhibition were made possible by the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. A. Charles Baillie, The George Crofts Collection, Mr. R. W. Finlayson, Naoko Matsubara, a gift in memory of Dibs Rhind, Suh Se-ok, Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust, Shanxi Provincial Museum Taiyuan, China, and other donations made to the ROM Governors. Several of the objects on display are certified by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board under the terms of the Cultural Property Export and Import Act.
Exhibit Sponsor: Manulife Financial