Shanghai 1908: Nagao Uzan and China’s first painting exhibitions
Location
Lingnan University / Online Session via Zoom
Start Date
20-5-2021 10:10 AM
End Date
20-5-2021 11:40 AM
Description
In the spring and autumn of 1908, a Japanese hotel named Rokusantai or Liusanting in Chinese, became Shanghai's first location to have public exhibitions of private collections with Chinese ancient paintings. Nagao Uzan, a Japanese Sinologist, calligrapher, art connoisseur, and a long-time resident, initiated the exhibitions. There were more than 20 local collectors displaying their private collections. The exhibitions were reported in major newspapers and the newly established art periodicals Chinese Famous Painting and Chinese National Glories featuring collotype techniques that highlighted the uniqueness of Chinese ancient art. The success of exhibitions disclosed a unique Sino-Japanese relationship at the time when Chinese intellectuals viewed Japan as a role model for political and cultural reforms. The exhibitions highlighted Nagao's large social network that was associated with the rise of new social elites during the social transformation of the end of Qing period. Represented by modern Chinese merchants and modern publishers, the new social elites began to take patrimony as "collective heritage" rather than "private enjoyment." The exhibitions hence transformed the means of viewing artwork from a traditional experience associated with "elegant gathering" to a modern experience that emphasized the independence of art and was inclusive of public participation. Along with contemporary issues such as the National Essence Movement, the aesthetics of the exhibitions combined with a Japanese perspective towards Chinese art demonstrated another aspect of understanding Japan's role in a period of turmoil when China oscillated between calls for reforms to save the Empire and new thoughts to found a new nation.
Recommended Citation
Ding, Y. (2021, May). Shanghai 1908: Nagao Uzan and China’s first painting exhibitions. Presented at Then and Now: Collecting Art and Exhibiting Cultures in Asia Conference, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
Shanghai 1908: Nagao Uzan and China’s first painting exhibitions
Lingnan University / Online Session via Zoom
In the spring and autumn of 1908, a Japanese hotel named Rokusantai or Liusanting in Chinese, became Shanghai's first location to have public exhibitions of private collections with Chinese ancient paintings. Nagao Uzan, a Japanese Sinologist, calligrapher, art connoisseur, and a long-time resident, initiated the exhibitions. There were more than 20 local collectors displaying their private collections. The exhibitions were reported in major newspapers and the newly established art periodicals Chinese Famous Painting and Chinese National Glories featuring collotype techniques that highlighted the uniqueness of Chinese ancient art. The success of exhibitions disclosed a unique Sino-Japanese relationship at the time when Chinese intellectuals viewed Japan as a role model for political and cultural reforms. The exhibitions highlighted Nagao's large social network that was associated with the rise of new social elites during the social transformation of the end of Qing period. Represented by modern Chinese merchants and modern publishers, the new social elites began to take patrimony as "collective heritage" rather than "private enjoyment." The exhibitions hence transformed the means of viewing artwork from a traditional experience associated with "elegant gathering" to a modern experience that emphasized the independence of art and was inclusive of public participation. Along with contemporary issues such as the National Essence Movement, the aesthetics of the exhibitions combined with a Japanese perspective towards Chinese art demonstrated another aspect of understanding Japan's role in a period of turmoil when China oscillated between calls for reforms to save the Empire and new thoughts to found a new nation.