Superb collection of Chinese prints at the Metropolitan

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, USA) showcases some of the finest and most celebrated prints ever produced in China in the exhibition The Printed Image in China, 8th-21st Century.

The more than 130 works on view are drawn from the full range of the Chinese print collection at the British Museum—one of the most comprehensive such collections outside Asia. The exhibition surveys the evolution of the art of Chinese printing, from the time of its inception around the early eighth century through its burgeoning as an artistic medium in the 17th century and its continued vitality as a medium for both popular culture and political commentary in the 20th century.

Works on view include Buddhist prints from the Silk Road, the earliest example of multiple block color printing, striking anti-war images from the Modern Woodcut Movement, and contemporary prints by acclaimed artists.

Highlights of the exhibition include a woodblock image of Avalokiteshvara from the ninth century that was recovered from the desert oasis of Dunhuang. Depicting the deity of infinite compassion, it is a rare example of a printed text and image with hand-tinted color.

Date: until July 29.
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, New York, 10028-0198. USA.
Opening hours: from Tuesday to Thursday from 9.30am to 5.30pm. Fridays and Saturdays from 9.30am to 9.00pm. Sundays from 9.30am to 5.30pm.