On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Lady with flower
Zhang Daqian Chinese
Not on view
Zhang Daqian spent the years 1941 to 1943 in the remote desert oasis of Dunhuang, where he devoted himself to intensive study of the site’s ancient mural paintings. For Zhang, one of the most striking discoveries in the murals was the depiction of female figures, which had a robustness and solidity very different from the willowy, languid figures of more recent painting. Zhang, who had come to Dunhuang in search of unexplored avenues from history that might help restore the vigor of Chinese painting, was inspired by these figures, which he saw as the antidote to a withering tradition. In the years after his desert sojourn, Zhang expended significant energy painting figures such as this one, which were directly inspired by the murals of Dunhuang.
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