Over the last 40 years, The Met's collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy has grown to be one of the greatest in the world. Replete with masterpieces dating from the Tang dynasty (608–917) to the present, the collection encompasses the vast historical sweep of the brush arts of China, from meticulous court painting to fiercely brushed dragons to lyrical paintings by scholars.
This exhibition, presented in two rotations, highlights the gems of the permanent collection in a chronological display, with an emphasis on works from the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties.
The exhibition is made possible by the Joseph Hotung Fund.
Emperor Huizong (Chinese, 1082–1135; r. 1100–25). Finches and Bamboo (detail). Northern Song dynasty (960–1127). China. Handscroll; ink and color on silk; Image: 13 1/4 x 21 13/16 in. (33.7 x 55.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, John M. Crawford Jr. Collection, Purchase, Douglas Dillon Gift, 1981 (1981.278)