A special exhibition marking the centenary of the first meeting between two prominent 20th-century artists, Pu Xinyu (1896-1963) and Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), opened at Ledao Hall (Ledao Tang, or Hall of Delighting in One's Principles) of Prince Kung's Palace Museum on Sept 15.
Organized by the museum, the exhibition revisits their friendship, creative practices, and artistic pursuit. Known as "Southern Zhang and Northern Pu", the two artists engaged in extensive artistic exchanges that offered a window into the changing landscape and diverse artistic ecology of modern Chinese painting.
The story began in 1926, when Pu and Zhang first met in Beijing. Two years later, they formally established their friendship at the Garden of Gathered Splendor (Cuijin Yuan) of Prince Kung's Palace. Their association continued to foster artistic exchanges between northern and southern China, contributing to greater interaction between regional aesthetics and artistic traditions. By the 1930s, the epithet "Southern Zhang and Northern Pu" had become widely used to describe their artistic influence and attainments, as well as the vibrant period of artistic exchange and coexistence they represented.
Rather than simply juxtaposing works by the two artists, the exhibition uses the centenary of their first meeting as a starting point to explore their artistic paths, social networks, and approaches to painting and calligraphy, presenting Zhang and Pu within a shared context. It also reconstructs the wider art-world network in which they participated, encompassing gatherings, collaborations, exhibitions, art dealing, personal introductions and connections, and collecting.
The exhibition is divided into five sections: "The Art of Pu Xinyu", "The Art of Zhang Daqian", "North-South Connections", "Southern Zhang and Northern Pu", and "The Artistic Network of 'Southern Zhang and Northern Pu'".
Featuring 48 sets of paintings and calligraphic works from 10 museums and cultural institutions, including Prince Kung's Palace Museum, the Palace Museum, the National Art Museum of China, and Tsinghua University Art Museum, the exhibition is the first in the museum's new research exhibition series focusing on Pu Xinyu's artistic exchanges. It runs through Dec 13, 2026 and is closed on Mondays.
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