Underground Palace, from the series Ancient Capital: Beijing
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Wang Weixin’s print series Ancient Capital: Beijing depicts the city’s landmarks. Below the sculpture-lined “spirit way” leading to the imperial tombs is an underground palace with walls built of skulls and skeletons. The composition’s rigorous symmetry and architectonic monumentality effortlessly conjures up the grandeur of the Forbidden City.
Trained in the art academies at Hangzhou and Beijing, Wang Weixin experiments with various techniques, such as etching, watercolor, and embossing, to achieve innovative graphic effects. This series exemplifies his ingenuity.
Trained in the art academies at Hangzhou and Beijing, Wang Weixin experiments with various techniques, such as etching, watercolor, and embossing, to achieve innovative graphic effects. This series exemplifies his ingenuity.
Artwork Details
- Dixia gongdian
- Title: Underground Palace, from the series Ancient Capital: Beijing
- Artist: Wang Weixin (Chinese, born 1938)
- Date: 1981
- Culture: China
- Medium: Etching on blind-pressed paper
- Dimensions: Image: 20 3/8 x 23 11/16 in. (51.7 x 60.1 cm)
Overall: 24 1/16 x 32 1/16 in. (61.1 x 81.4 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: On loan from the British Museum
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art