From January 2, to February 28, 2002, The Ruth and Sherman Lee Center for Japanese Art will host an exhibition of select masterworks of Japanese Literati painting from the Addiss-Seo Nanga Collection, on long term loan to the Lee Center.

Looking at Nanga (Japanese paintings of the literati tradition) is like listening to the echoes of the hearts of the artists who devoted their lives to the pursuit of art and scholarship. This exhibition of painting and calligraphy seeks to examine the inspiration and artistry behind the literati way of life of the 18th and 19th century artist. Japanese literati painters were self-proclaimed amateurs, producing art for art's sake, rather than for money, and looking to the Chinese scholar-artist as their model.

The art of the Japanese Literati (Bunjin) show a wide variety of subjects and styles, combined with an often humorous, playful, and unconventional approach to the original Chinese paintings. The artists used their Chinese-inspired paintings as a means to display their inner nature and personal style

This exhibition of hanging scrolls, folding screens, albums and handscrolls marks the first chance to view never-before exhibited works from the renowned Addiss-Seo Nanga Collection. This collection, now housed at the Lee Center, includes nearly 400 paintings, 500 books, 13,000 original photographs of seals and signatures, and over 21,000 slides of paintings. Together with paintings and research material acquired with the help of Professor James Cahill, this makes the Lee Center the largest center worldwide for Nanga research.

Please contact Curator Sandra Sheckter for more details about research opportunities at the Lee Center.

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