Recorded or Rendered Work

Artists Look at Art: Activating the Peter Townsend Collection of Chinese prints at the National Gallery of Australia

Claire Roberts, Carol Cains, undefined Xu Bing, undefined Liu Ding, undefined Liu Qingyuan, Pamela See, undefined Shen Jiawei, undefined Wang Zhiyuan, Carol Lu Yinghua, undefined Cai Tao, undefined Li Kang, Catherine Townsend, undefined Huang Yuan, undefined Wang Renyin, Titania Huang Yuhan, Beatrice Thompson

National Gallery of Australia | Published : 2023

Abstract

In 1985 the National Gallery of Australian acquired 278 woodblock prints collected by British-born Peter Townsend during his period of residence in China between 1942 and 1951. The acquisition of this group of works, known as the Peter Townsend Collection, was made possible by the vision and generosity of the Australia-China Council. The collection consists of woodcuts and wood-engravings created during a period of great political, social and economic upheaval. The prints represent the modernisation of an ancient Chinese art form. Artists drew inspiration from European and American expressionism and Soviet-style Socialist Realism as well as traditional Chinese folk styles, resulting in stri..

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University of Melbourne Researchers