“Leisure,” by Guan Huinong (1878 – 1956)
The Macau Museum of Art (MAM) will inaugurate an exhibition today titled “Representing Women through MAM Collection – 19th and 20th Century,” which showcases 70 females portraits from both the Western and Chinese traditions.
According to a statement issued by MAM, “the question of the place of women in the art world has been inspiring museums to look back on their collections in order to understand that subject” from two perspectives.
These perspectives are how women have been portrayed in art history and whether or not female artists are present in museum collections.
Historically, access to the artist profession was limited for women. Typically, they would act as a source of inspiration for males artists, “who usually portrayed them within the exact roles they were supposed to play: goddess, mothers, servants or concubines.”
The exhibition, to be showcased until December 10, is organized into four sections: “A Western Tradition in Macau – 19th Century”, “Views of Europeans on China – Late 19th Century”, “Calendars and Posters – Early 20th Century” and “Propaganda – Mid 20th Century”. The works presented are in a variety of media forms such as oil paintings, drawings, watercolors, gouaches, posters, and sculptures.
Works by several famous artists will be exhibited, including George Chinnery (1774 – 1852), Lam Qua (1801 – 1860), Thomas B. Watson (1814 – 1860), Marciano António Baptista (1826 – 1896) and Guan Huinong (1878 – 1956).
The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. – including on public holidays – but is closed on Tuesdays. Admission is free.
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