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 catching a butterfly
Xie Zhiliu Chinese
Not on view
Like his friend Zhang Daqian, whom he accompanied to Dunhuang, Xie Zhiliu was obsessed with Chinese painting history. He used his time among the ancient murals of the desert oasis to expand his horizons as a painter and an art historian. Like Zhang, Xie was fascinated by the female figures he saw there—especially the brightly colored examples from the Tang dynasty (618–907). According to Xie’s inscription, this was made shortly after his return from Dunhuang using techniques he learned from studying the Tang murals.
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