The exhibition aims to publicize the beauty of ancient ardor trees in Shanghai in a combination of innovative and traditional methods. Altogether, visitors can see 49 paintings in the exhibition depicting the characteristic ancient trees in Shencheng city in the traditional Chinese way. The exhibition will last for one month.

Shanghai is not rich in ancient arbors, having only 1,566 across 79 species, most of them, including eight that are more than 1,000 years old, are ginkgo trees. The majority of Shanghai's ancient arbors stand in ancient temples, tombs, residences and gardens in counties, mostly in Songjiang district.

Chinese traditional painting and ancient arbors are both common but are rarely seen together. How can the vigorousness of the trees be depicted with ink, and the force of branches be tasted from brush strokes? The 49 paintings will provide us with the answer with a telling and enriched history of Shanghai ancient arbors, coupled with an aim to provoke people's awareness in protecting ancient trees.

Using women as the objects in Chinese painting is common in the long history of Chinese art. Its earliest record traces back to warring states period when it first appeared on silk. Every era in Chinese history expresses its idea of beauty in its particular version. Thus groups of great artists make big contributions to the art boom by creating many well-known paintings and through their artworks we are able to understand what life looked like in ancientChina.

Throughout the whole history of China, the paintings of the beauty were always restricted by the economy, culture and politics of the time. The painting of beauty became an independent style of figure painting since the early Southern and Northern Dynasties. The absolute protagonists in such paintings are all kinds of ancient beauties.

Lunch Break Girl

The Tang Dynasty was the most prosperous era of Chinese painting of beauty, which has stepped into a new stage. Especially during the 100 years of the mid-Tang Dynasty, stable politics, strong national strength, prosperous economy and harmonious ethnic contribute much to de development of the Chinese art. It is worth pointing out that one of the world’s most famous Chinese painting--Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers was created during this era. Zhou Fang---the painter of this painting became a representative artist of the time. Of course, there are many other outstanding painters apart from Zhou Fang, such as Zhang Xuan, Lu Lengjia and Sun Wei. There are over 200 famous painters emerged. Painters of the time put much emphasize on a rich mixture of society. As a result, the easygoing life of ancient women was especially displayed on the paintings. In a word, painting of the Tang Dynasty was apeak of Chinese painting history..

What do you know about the famous painting Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers? This painting was created by Zhou Fang, one of the most influential painters during the Tang dynasty. He was not an ordinary person; instead he had a noble background. Born and grew up in such a background, he was influenced so much that enable him to reflect his thoughts in his artworks. And most of his paintings of beautiful women are evaluated as incredible masterpieces. During the period is of Mid-Tang dynasty, Chinese painting has far-reaching significance at that time. Abundant techniques and topics were applied in the paintings. With passion to real life, outstanding creativity, and remarkable painting skills, large numbers of splendid painting were created.

Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers painted by Zhou Fang showed us the peaceful life of court ladies in the Tang Dynasty. In this painting, we can see there are five beauties wearing similar beautiful clothes, rambling in the garden, playing with pets or enjoy the colorful flowers. Under the depictions of Zhou Fang, the scene of leisurely life rouses our complex feelings. This kind of court life is the real reflection of the noble through the descriptions of beauties. The pattern of figure painting in the Tang dynasty altered from rough to delicate.

After the Tang dynasty, painting of beauty continued to make innovations in the descriptions of women in the Song dynasty. Women at the bottom of society start mounting the stage of figure painting. And then compared with the beauty of nature, paintings of beautiful women suffered a decline in Yuan dynasty. The stage of Traditional painting became mature in Ming dynasty. In Qing dynasty the beauty of femininity and morbid became a new theme.