Repentant Monk: Illusion and Disillusion in the Art of Chen Hongshou

October 25, 2017–January 28, 2018

This exhibition is the first to focus solely on Chen Hongshou, a major figure in Chinese painting of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Highlighting a selection of his best extant work, including figure, landscape, and bird-and-flower paintings drawn from BAMPFA’s holdings as well as collections worldwide, the exhibition demonstrates why Chen (1599–1652) has long been regarded as one of the most visually exciting artists of his time. His iconic manner of painting figures in the styles of ancient masters lends an aura of antiquity to his work, which is equally enlivened by distinct expressions of irony, humor, and pathos. His landscape paintings reflect his vast knowledge of past traditions, while his bird-and-flower paintings display a remarkable freshness and modernity that has tremendous appeal for viewers today. 

The exhibition title, Repentant Monk: Illusion and Disillusion in the Art of Chen Hongshou, refers to the sobriquet that Chen adopted in 1646, shortly after the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644, and goes to the heart of the art on view. Chen used the name “Repentant Monk” (Hui Seng, 悔僧) in seals and signatures for only a short period, but his paintings continued to reflect this state of mind throughout his life. Caught in a time of social and political chaos and fraught with guilt and regret over the deteriorating situation for artists loyal to the Ming, Chen was seriously disillusioned, a condition that can be sensed clearly in his later paintings.

The exhibition is accompanied by a unique audio guide, available in English and Mandarin, featuring musician Devendra Banhart and entrepreneur and collector Jerry Yang reading the artist’s inscriptions.

https://bampfa.org/program/repentant-monk-illusion-and-disillusion-art-chen-hongshou

陳洪綬（1598年－1652年），字章侯，號老蓮、雲門僧、遲雲、弗遲、悔遲、悔已遲、悔僧、遲和尚，浙江省紹興諸暨人，明代畫家。

悔僧：陳洪壽sic藝術的幻覺與幻滅

2017年10月25日 - 2018年1月28日

本次展覽是第一個專注於明末清初中國畫主要人物陳洪壽sic 的展覽。該展覽重點展示了他最好的現存作品，包括從BAMPFA的館藏和全球收藏品中抽取的人物，風景和花鳥畫作，展示了陳（1599-1652）長期以來被認為是最多的作品之一視覺上令他興奮的藝術家。他以古代大師風格繪畫的標誌性繪畫形象為他的作品帶來了古老的光環，同樣具有諷刺，幽默和悲傷的獨特表現。他的山水畫反映了他對過去傳統的豐富知識，而他的花鳥畫展現出非凡的新鮮感和現代感，對今天的觀眾具有極大的吸引力。

展覽名稱“ 懺悔僧”：陳洪壽藝術中的幻覺和幻滅，指的是1646年1646年明朝淪陷後不久陳水扁sic 所採用的綽號，並進入了藝術的核心。陳在封印和簽名中使用了“懺悔僧”（Hui Sant，悔僧）這個名字只有很短的一段時間，但他的畫作在他的一生中繼續反映出這種心態。在社會和政治混亂的時代陷入困境，對忠於明朝的藝術家日益惡化的情況充滿了內疚和後悔，陳被嚴重破滅，這種情況在他後來的畫作中可以清楚地感受到。

該展覽伴隨著一個獨特的音頻指南，提供英語和普通話，音樂家Devendra Banhart和企業家以及收藏家Jerry Yang閱讀藝術家的銘文。