The Chinese Painting Gallery and the Chinese Calligraphy Gallery at the Shanghai Museum are among the few permanent exhibitions in museums worldwide that showcase a comprehensive history of ancient Chinese calligraphy and painting. With the construction and gradual opening of the East Building of the Shanghai Museum, the upgraded and innovatively reconfigured calligraphy gallery is set to open to the public early next month. On October 18, Pangbai Art visited the calligraphy gallery at the East Building of the Shanghai Museum for an exclusive preview.
The upgraded calligraphy gallery boasts significant improvements in content, function, and space. As it prepares for its opening exhibition, Pangbai Art observed that the museum revealed some of its most cherished national treasures with no reservations. The calligraphy section from the Jin and Tang dynasties features masterpieces like "The Upper Yu Scroll" by Wang Xizhi and "The Duck Head Pills Scroll" by Wang Xie, as well as the famous work "The Grass Script Ku Sun Scroll" by Huaisu, complete with original works and all accompanying inscriptions. The revamped gallery has expanded its exhibition lines, allowing many long scrolls that were previously displayed only partially to be shown in full for the first time. The newly added modern calligraphy section completes the historical narrative of calligraphy at the museum.
Upon entering the calligraphy gallery, visitors encounter an installation piece that also serves as a partition. The hazy "Bamboo Stone," inspired by the classical painting "High Elegance" by Tang-era artist Sun Wei, creates a “Bamboo Planting Hall,” one of the Eight Views of the Gallery, immersing audiences in a tranquil atmosphere where they can appreciate the elegance of Chinese ink and brushwork amid both natural and cultural settings.
Entrance Hall of the Chinese Calligraphy Gallery at the Shanghai Museum
“The permanent exhibitions on painting and calligraphy at the East Building of the Shanghai Museum are also positioned to reflect a continuum of historical narratives. The previous space at People's Square was too limited, but the East Building enhances and improves upon that,” said Ling Lizhong, Director of the Calligraphy and Painting Research Department at the Shanghai Museum.
Pangbai News discovered that the calligraphy gallery features over 70 exhibits, based on the museum's collection, showcasing the evolution of writing from its origins, oracle and bronze inscriptions, great and small seal scripts, running script, standard script, all the way to modern times, spanning the entire evolution of writing and the development of calligraphy. The upgraded gallery demonstrates improvements in content, function, and space.
The "Two Kings" Pieces: "The Upper Yu Scroll" and "The Duck Head Pills Scroll" on Display Together for the First Time in Over 20 Years
The calligraphy and painting gallery has been years in the making. According to the museum, the inaugural exhibition of the calligraphy gallery is bound to present cherished national treasures without reserve. The Jin and Tang dynasties section features works like "The Upper Yu Scroll" by Wang Xizhi, "The Duck Head Pills Scroll" by Wang Xie, as well as the "Grass Script Ku Sun Scroll" by Huaisu. The history of calligraphy must start with the "Two Kings" from the East Jin era; without them, the history of calligraphy would be incomplete. Not only is Wang Xizhi's "Upper Yu Scroll" exhibited, but its rare counterpart, Wang Xie's "Duck Head Pills Scroll," is also displayed alongside, echoing back to the treasured exhibition of Jin, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties in 2002. The last time "The Duck Head Pills Scroll" and "The Ku Sun Scroll" were publicly exhibited was during the "Dong Qichang Exhibition" at the Shanghai Museum in 2019.
Exhibition Scene: Wang Xizhi's "Grass Script Upper Yu Scroll" (Detail)
Wang Xizhi's "Grass Script Upper Yu Scroll" is a letter to a friend, rendered in Tang dynasty copying, with a vigorous and graceful brush style bearing the imprint of cursive script. There’s a legendary story behind this piece: it was initially discovered in the warehouse of a craft company and was later authenticated by Mr. Xie Zhiliu as a work of Wang Xizhi, making it a national treasure rescued from obscurity.
All the inscriptions following this letter are also fully presented, which is extremely rare.
Exhibition Scene: Wang Xie's "Running Script Duck Head Pills Scroll" (Detail)
“Duck head pills aren’t good. I’ll be sure to gather the best and will see you soon,” notes Wang Xie's "Running Script Duck Head Pills Scroll," a short note to a friend or family member, rendered from a Tang copy. The entire text flows smoothly with a rhythmic quality, representing a celebrated achievement in Wang Xie’s cursive script.
Exhibition Scene: Tang Huaisu's "Ku Sun Scroll" (Detail)
The "Ku Sun Scroll" consists of just 14 characters: “Ku sun and tea are exceptional delights, feel free to come.” Written with round strokes and precise forms, conveying elegance and style. Not only does it allow us to admire the mastery of technique and the beauty of flowing lines, but it also helps us feel the inherent quality of the author during writing. Huaisu and Zhang Xu are known for their "wild cursive" styles, often referred to as "Drunken Zhang and Mad Huaisu." “This piece is the only unanimously recognized authentic work among Huaisu's surviving creations,” said Ling Lizhong.
In addition, works such as Su Shi's "Standard Script Offering to Huang Jidao," Mi Fu’s "Running Script Duo Jing Lou Shi Collection," and previously unseen masterpieces by Zhao Mengfu from the Yuan Dynasty, along with Ming Zhao Yunming’s "Cursive Script Red Cliff Fu," and Ming Dong Qichang’s "Running Script Copying Yan Zhenqing's Pei General Poems" are also included in the exhibition.
Seven-Meter Long Scrolls Now Fully Unfolded
From a content perspective, the upgraded calligraphy gallery has expanded the exhibition lines and adjusted the sections, adding a new modern section.
Ling Lizhong stated that visitors can now see many "familiar yet unfamiliar exhibits." What does that mean? Many works that had previously been displayed in the People's Square venue could not be shown in full due to space limitations. Particularly with long scrolls, which were previously featured only in segments, viewers can now appreciate the entirety of the pieces in the new calligraphy gallery. For instance, Ming Zhao Yunming’s "Cursive Script Red Cliff Fu" spans over seven meters long; previously shown only in a three-meter section at the People's Square venue, it is now able to be exhibited fully in the new gallery. Also featured for the first time is the unearthed Zhao Mengfu masterpiece “Running Script Handwritten Collection” which showcases all twelve volumes. This collection comprises letters from Zhao Mengfu to friends such as Fei Gongchen and Wu Guan, written during his middle to late years, representative of Zhao Mengfu’s mature writing style.
Exhibition Scene: Fully Unfolded Ming Zhao Yunming’s "Cursive Script Red Cliff Fu"
Exhibition Scene: Ming Zhao Yunming’s "Cursive Script Red Cliff Fu" (Detail)
Exhibition Scene: Zhao Mengfu’s “Running Script Handwritten Collection” (Detail)
Exhibition Scene: Zhao Mengfu’s “Running Script Handwritten Collection” (Detail)
Other works such as Mi Fu’s "Running Script Duo Jing Lou Shi Collection," and Dong Qichang’s "Running Script Copying Yan Zhenqing's Pei General Poems," previously exhibited, are now shown fully, bringing a fresh perspective to the visuals. The upgraded calligraphy gallery features approximately 70% of its displays with entirely new content.
Exhibition Scene: Mi Fu’s "Running Script Duo Jing Lou Shi Collection" (Detail)
Exhibition Scene: Dong Qichang’s "Running Script Copying Yan Zhenqing's Pei General Poems" (Detail)
Another significant change is the addition of a modern calligraphy section in the East Building’s gallery. “Previously, due to space limitations in the People's Square venue, calligraphy displays only extended up to the Qing dynasty. We had collections that we couldn’t show, resulting in a gap in our modern section. This exhibition rectifies that oversight, providing a more comprehensive history of calligraphy at the Shanghai Museum,” Ling Lizhong stated. The initial modern calligraphy section showcases nearly ten works, all making their debut, including works from Luo Zhenyu, Liang Qichao, Master Hongyi, Huang Binhong, and Shen Yunmo. One particular large character couplet by Li Shutong is visually striking. “The works of Master Hongyi are also a prominent collection at the museum since his disciple, Xia Mianzun, donated a batch of his works,” he added.
Exhibition Scene: Modern Piece by Li Shutong, Standard Script Couplet
Like Following a Series, It Will Take Three Years to Complete the History of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition at the Shanghai Museum
Worldwide, there are very few museums that host permanent exhibitions specifically for ancient Chinese calligraphy and painting. Permanent exhibitions, to some extent, are more important than thematic exhibitions, as their purpose is to educate the public.
