Exhibition celebrates Suzhou artists from Ming Dynasty on

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Six Centuries of Art, an exhibition on now at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing through Sunday, reviews artistic creations since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) of the historic city of Suzhou and its neighboring areas in East China's Jiangsu province.

It begins with an important showcase of classic ink-brush works from the Wumen School which arose from Suzhou, historically called the land of Wu.

Wumen is hailed as one of the most influential painting schools in Chinese art history. Leading artists include the "four great painters of Ming" – Shen Zhou, Tang Yin, Wen Zhengming and Qiu Ying. Their style influenced several succeeding artists include the "four great painters surnamed Wang" of the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) – Wang Shimin, Wang Jian, Wang Hui and Wang Yuanqi.

The exhibition shows representative works of these painters on loan from Beijing's Palace Museum.

Throughout the 20th century, Suzhou has produced generations of artists who revolutionized the art of Chinese painting by incorporating oil painting techniques, and who are devoted to the art education of modern China.

Pioneering painters such as Wu Hufan, Yan Wenliang and Pang Xunqin are featured at the exhibition.