Olansa Cuttings

Chinese Prints

The Ashmolean — a great museum even when it’s not exhibiting prints — will soon close the doors to its exhibition of Chinese Prints, 1950–2006. If you are anywhere near Oxford before 2 March 2008, please go and see it! Actually this is the second of two parts. The first was late last year, but I didn’t even notice as the little one was on her way. I caught this half with only a week to go.

It didn’t matter that the artists were unfamiliar to me. Or that there were obvious propaganda elements in many exhibits, putting forward political messages that I’d be uncomfortable to endorse. The execution of many pieces was perfection. My favourites include Zhao Yannian, Protest, 1956; Li Huanmin, Reading Hard, and Grazing, both 1962; Yu Qihui, Comrades-in-arms — Lu Xun and Qu Quibai, 1998; Zhang Chaoyang, Heroes and Heroines are all around, 1970; Wang Jieyin, We Are The Force Criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius, 1973; and Xu Kuang, The Master, 1978. You may get some idea of the way the content leans from the titles! All the pieces I name here are printed with oil-based ink and some wouldn’t look out of place in a Western-tradition collection. But there’s a vigour to them that I can only envy.

I bought the accompanying book. It’s worth obtaining if you’re interested. You can order it from the museum shop or from Amazon. No, they’re not paying me for the plug!

Dürer and friends

Just across the centre of Oxford from the Ashmolean, there is an exhibit of German Masters at the Christ Church Picture Gallery. The full title is Holbein, Dürer and beyond - German drawings and prints from the Christ Church Collection. It runs until 30 March. There is no shortage of interesting items. But for anyone who loves early European prints, there are examples of Dürer’s Small Passion series, and some of his other woodcuts and engravings. Peerless. I’m going back to see it again at least once before the close.