Virginia is set to be a ‘state of art lovers’ this autumn, as an exclusive new exhibition, Forbidden City at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VFMA), will reveal rare and ancient artefacts drawn from the world-famous Palace Museum in Beijing.
Opening on 18 October 2014 (until 11 January 2015), this one-of-a-kind exhibition takes visitors to the museum in historic Richmond on a journey through an ancient palace once forbidden to the public – and offers a rare peek into the hidden worlds of the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties through their ancient, rich and elaborate artefacts.
The most extensive collection in the US to be drawn from Beijing’s Palace Museum, travellers will discover the significant roles of religion, imperial rituals, court painting and imperial family life in the Forbidden City. Featured works include large portraits, costumes, furniture, court paintings, religious sculptures, and fine decorative arts such as bronzes, lacquer ware, and jade.
Fans of Asian art will also be pleased to learn that new exhibition Water and Shadow: Kawase Hasui and Japanese Landscape Prints will also open at the VMFA on 15 November 2014 (until 29 March 2015) – offering the opportunity to discover a visually compelling selection of Japanese woodblock prints, paintings and didactic material which explore the search for identity in Japan during the early Taisho period. The exhibition includes the dynamic early work of Kawase Hasui (1883-1957), the Japanese master landscape artist.
To find out more about Forbidden City at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, visitwww.vmfa.museum/exhibitions/forbidden-city
To find out more about Virginia and the Capital Region USA, visit www.capitalregionusa.co.uk