Figure paintings

Chen Hongshou, the noted painter, calligrapher and poet, lived between the late 16th and mid-17th centuries, when the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was overturned and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was established. The instability helped shape the style of Chen's work and his views of life. Chen is best known for his figure paintings, in which his subjects often have elongated faces, a thin and weak physique, and exaggeratedly folded drapery. His approach to art suggests the setbacks he encountered in his early life, as well as the conflicts he had to deal with between pursuing social status and retiring from worldly matters. Aloofness and Curiosity, an ongoing exhibition at Xu Wei Art Gallery in Chen's native Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, is showing some 100 works and historical documents drawn from museums across the country to review his art and life. On display are dozens of Chen's figure paintings, with a glimpse of the origin and formation of his art style that elevated him such a significant position in Chinese art history, and for which his work has been highly spoken of by cultural luminaries, including Lu Xun, a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. The exhibition ends on Dec 20.

9 am-4:30 pm, closed on Mondays. Houguan Xiang Alleyway, Yuecheng district, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province.