The Pauline and Joseph Degenfelder Lecture 2017: How to Read Chinese Paintings

Speaker: Maxwell K. Hearn, Douglas Dillon Chairman of the Department of Asian Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Chinese way of appreciating a painting is often expressed by the words du hua, “to read a painting.” How does one do that? Because art is a visual language, words alone cannot adequately convey its expressive dimension. In this lecture, Mike Hearn will visually analyze select paintings and calligraphies from the encyclopedic collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and elucidate what makes each a masterpiece.
Spanning a thousand years of Chinese art from the eighth through the seventeenth century, the lecture will examine multiple layers of meaning-style, technique, symbolism, past traditions, and the artist’s personal circumstances-in the treatment of landscapes, flowers, birds, figures, religious subjects, and calligraphies in order to illuminate the main goal of every Chinese artist: to capture not only the outer appearance of a subject but also its inner essence.

[@johnmccann373]

Mike Hearn is one of the greatest treasures of the Met! Very erudite, speaks excellent Chinese, and has made the Asian Art collection at the Met one of the worlds greatest, and every nice and accessible man. A great leader in the Museum world.

[@joeyfotofr]

I studied with a great teacher of Chinese culture - The late, Kai-yu Hsu, scholar, calligrapher, poet, painter and photographer - I can not wait to share Dr. Hearn's lecture with my nine year old granddaughter who got Chinese brushes, ink and rice paper for her birthday last month. I expect my granddaughter will understand, because Maxwell Hearn is also a great teacher. This was an unforgettable lecture...jt

[@chjunrui]

I have Mr. Hearn's book: How to read Chinese paintings but I learn more in this lecture. Thanks!

[@phyllisjeanfulton]

Thank you so very much. I’ve loved Oriental Arts since I was in Japan for 18 months in mid 1960s. I just had no other connections except for the Cultural Gardens inve loved so much and my stack of Chinese and Japanese Art booksas well as Mr. Henry Li Professor of Chinese Art here on the West Coast. I’m appreciative of it and seek it out wherever I go.

[@catherinedesbois3249]

❤😊 Vraiment très très intéressant ! Lumineux ! Quel délice ! Merci infiniment !

[@kunxie7025]

Very informative lecture. Enjoy it!

[@maximme]

i see where Jackson Pollard gets his inspiration

[@chiulianwong36]

Good job Mike

[@tingjing2572]

Great lecture! Thanks so much!

[@Sirgromulus]

Joe D.

[@chiulianwong36]

公石