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Beauty in small paintings (From Durham Times)
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Beauty in small paintings
2:39pm Friday 5th February 2010
AN EXHIBITION of Chinese paintings from the 19th century has opened at Durham University’s Oriental Museum.
The Splendour of the Colours showcases the museum collection of paintings on pith paper, a technique that seems to have developed in China in the early 19th century in response to demand for small, easily transported souvenirs for the increasing number of Western visitors.
The highly-coloured paintings depict an enormous range of subjects.
Images of daily life vary from picking tea to scenes of crime and punishment.
Other topics range from childhood to smoking opium.
The paintings were usually presented in albums so they would be protected during the long voyage to Europe.
The nature of pith paper means that very fine detail can be achieved in vivid colours. Because so many of the images on display were originally sold in albums, thereby protected from light, many retain their bright colours.
Curator Craig Barclay said: “The delicate nature of pith paintings means that it is difficult to display them in a museum.
“It is a groundbreaking exhibition.
It offers the first-ever opportunity for museum visitors in the UK to see a large number of these amazing paintings, which offer such a wonderful insight into life in China during the 19th century.
“The paintings are extraordinarily beautiful because their colours remain incredibly vibrant.”
He added: “The majority of paintings are from our own very significant collection, one of the important collections of Chinese art and archaeology in Europe.”
Mr Barclay said the display included material from private collections in the Northby Gavin Engelbrecht gavin.engelbrecht@dst.co.uk East, supplemented with items from the museum such as costumes and opium pipes.
The exhibition runs until March 21. The Oriental Museum, on Elvet Hill, is part of Durham University.
Opening times are 10am- 5pm, Monday to Friday, and noon-5pm at weekends.
Entry is £1.50, 75p for children (five-16) and pensioners, free for under-fives and students.
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The Splendour of the Colours exhibition
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