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Hong Kong Museum of Art receives over 350 Chinese painting and calligraphy artworks from Chih Lo Lou (with photos)
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     The Hong Kong Museum of Art today (July 19) announced that Chih Lo Lou Art Promotion (Non-profit Making) Ltd has generously donated its private collection of 355 Chinese painting and calligraphy artworks to the museum for its permanent collection. Of the donated works, the most outstanding pieces comprise Chinese painting and calligraphy artworks from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, rare treasures well known among the international art and museum community. The donation attests to the collector's recognition of the museum's efforts to conserve art treasures and promote historic arts. Furthermore, it recognises Hong Kong's leading role in the preservation of Chinese art and cultural heritage as well as its status as a hub for cultural exchange between the East and the West.
 
      Chih Lo Lou Art Promotion (Non-profit Making) Ltd was established by the late Mr Ho Iu-kwong (1907-2006) in 1985 with a mission to preserve Chinese painting and calligraphy and promote the art and cultural heritage of China. His studio was named Chih Lo Lou, meaning "bliss", for the pleasure that one derives from appreciating ancient masterpieces, and alludes to a Chinese saying that it is blissful to perform good deeds. The collection is one of the three major private collections of ancient Chinese painting and calligraphy in Hong Kong.
 
     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, attended the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Donation Ceremony today at Government House and presented a certificate of appreciation to Chih Lo Lou Art Promotion (Non-profit Making) Ltd, which was represented by its Chairman, Mr Ho Sai-chu. Mrs Lam also commended the selfless and passionate dedication of the late Mr Ho Iu-kwong - the original owner of the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy - in preserving Chinese cultural heritage.
 
     The donated works span from the Song dynasty to the 20th century, with late Ming and early Qing paintings and calligraphy being the most numerous, and chronicle the aesthetics of different times and regions. The collection comprises works by members of the Four Ming Masters, including Wen Zhengming and Tang Yin, and their followers. Among others, the works reflect the supremacy of the Suzhou art circle; Lan Ying during the late Ming dynasty; and the Songjiang School of painting led by Dong Qichang, who advocated the theory of the Northern and Southern schools of painting and established a proprietary orthodoxy followed by Wang Shimin and Wang Hui of the Four Wangs of the early Qing dynasty. In addition, the collection also includes innovative and individualistic works by Hua Yan and Jin Nong, members of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou during the mid-Qing dynasty.

     The collection is being donated unrecompensed by the Ho family to the Hong Kong Museum of Art for permanent preservation and exhibition. When the museum reopens at the end of 2019, a dedicated gallery named the "Chih Lo Lou Gallery of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy" will be established for permanent display of the collection. A curator and a supporting team will organise exhibitions and undertake research and educational initiatives to promote Chinese art through the collection. Hong Kong residents and art enthusiasts from around the world will be able to visit and appreciate this remarkable collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy and reflect on, as well as empathise with, the vision and dedication of the late Mr Ho.
 
     The most significant and prestigious artworks in the collection are those by the Ming loyalists in the Qing dynasty, which depict their lofty aspirations and noble integrity. The patriotic and principled Ming loyalists coped with their desolation by immersing themselves in travel, painting and writing. Their virtue and nobility still shines from the artworks they left behind. Mr Ho Iu-kwong held high regard and admiration for artists of this period. He also insisted that the artist's temperament should take precedence over the artwork's quality, and thus resolved to collect only works by artists of irreproachable character. The Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy includes works by members of the Four Monks, namely Bada Shanren and Shitao; also Cheng Sui and Dai Benxiao of the Huangshan School; Cantonese loyalists Kwang Lu and Li Suiqiu; and also Huang Daozhou, Fu Shan, Yang Wencong, Chen Hongshou and Gong Xian.
 
     Holding the belief that we should all contribute to society, Chih Lo Lou donated its invaluable collection to the Hong Kong Museum of Art for permanent exhibition and education purposes. This generous act not only justifies Mr Ho's tireless mission in preserving traditional Chinese art and culture, but also continues his philosophy of recognising Chinese noble virtue. Chih Lo Lou has published more than 40 publications and organised international academic symposia on Chinese art and literature, sparing no effort in advocating traditional Chinese art and culture. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Art Museum of the Chinse University of Hong Kong have each organised well-received exhibitions and international academic symposia related to the Chih Lo Lou Collection in the past.
 
Ends/Thursday, July 19, 2018
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Over 350 masterpieces from the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy have been donated to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The donation ceremony was held today (July 19). This painting, "Peach Blossom Retreat" by Tang Yin (1470-1523), was displayed at the ceremony. Tang followed the Northern Song academic style, with refined and delicate brushwork.
Over 350 masterpieces from the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy have been donated to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The donation ceremony was held today (July 19). Picture shows the first scroll of a set of 12 hanging scrolls, "Landscapes" by Lan Ying (1585-ca. 1664). For this set of hanging scrolls, Lan imitated the painting styles of old masters across the Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties. This set of works was executed with monumental compositions.
Over 350 masterpieces from the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy have been donated to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The donation ceremony was held today (July 19). Picture shows a hanging scroll, "Fish" (partial) by Bada Shanren (1626-1705). Bada Shanren depicted the lofty aspirations of the swimming fish with only a few brushstrokes and expressed sorrow over his lost country.
Over 350 masterpieces from the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy have been donated to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The donation ceremony was held today (July 19). This painting, "Pines and Rock" by Huang Daozhou (1585-1646), was displayed at the ceremony. Huang was fond of painting pine trees. This painting depicts four clusters of pine trees from different areas to represent the aloofness and noble virtues of the Ming loyalists.
Over 350 masterpieces from the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy have been donated to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The donation ceremony was held today (July 19). This landscape work depicting poems of Huang Yanlü by Shitao (1642-1707) was displayed at the ceremony. Shitao painted this album based on his friend Huang's travel journal of his journey around the Fujian and Guangdong area. This is a representative piece of Shitao's mature period. There were originally 32 leaves in this album. Twenty-two leaves are in the Chih Lou Lo Collection of painting and calligraphy, four are now in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing, and the remaining leaves are in unknown hands.
Over 350 masterpieces from the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy have been donated to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The donation ceremony was held today (July 19). This landscape by Wang Jian (1598-1677) was displayed at the ceremony. Wang was a member of the Four Wangs of the early Qing dynasty who practised the orthodox painting style, with delicate brushwork. There is a series of fans painted on golden paper by Wang in the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy.
Over 350 masterpieces from the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy have been donated to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The donation ceremony was held today (July 19). This landscape by Wu Li (1632-1718) was displayed at the ceremony. Wu was a student of Wang Jian. He became a Jesuit in Macao in his later years. Like Wang, he practised the orthodox painting style, but the spatial composition in his painting also exhibits Western influence.
Over 350 masterpieces from the Chih Lo Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy have been donated to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The donation ceremony was held today (July 19). Picture shows a landscape painting for celebrating the birthday of Mr Ho Iu-kwong by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983). In celebration of Mr Ho's 60th birthday in 1966, many of his artist and collector friends, including Zhang, sent him paintings as birthday gifts. This painting not only exhibits Zhang's famous splash technique from his later years but also reflects the friendship between Mr Ho and the artist.