A female perspective

A section at the exhibition is dedicated to portraits of women to reflect the changes of feminine role in society.

The Renaissance era saw a number of commissions from women of the high aristocracy, posed in a graceful and yet distinct manner. Then, beginning in the late 18th century, more women from common backgrounds were depicted in scenes of daily life.

Throughout this trend, female artists tried to lend their subjects a sense of self-consciousness and independence, such as French painter and print artist Marie Laurencin, whose Two Women at the exhibition exemplifies her distinctive aesthetics in showing women with confidence, identity and self-sufficient happiness.

Xu Li, vice-chairman of the China Artists Association and an oil painter, says that, from impressionism to modernism, the works on show lead people on a journey through the centuries, where they can feel the breadth and depth of history, dig into various themes and discover clues that uncover the art of portraiture.