Introduction
The National Palace Museum has remained passionately devoted to expanding its collection ever since its establishment in Taipei in the 54th year of the Republic of China (1965). In addition to updating our acquisition strategy annually, we also created a donation system that encourages gift-giving by the owners of collections compatible with our mission, so that masterpieces in held private hands may become available for public appreciation.
The exhibition in this gallery showcases a selection of fine works donated to the National Palace Museum over the years. We hope it will spur further research into this aspect of our collection, promote gift giving, and entice the general public to join in the enjoyment of these cultural treasures. The works in this exhibition are primarily by painters who were formerly active in Beijing and Shanghai, including Wu Chang-shih (1844-1927), Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Chen Hengke (1876-1923), Chen Nian (1876-1970), Wu Hufan (1894-1968), Pu Ju (1996-1963), Chang Dai-chien (1899-1983), Wang Xuetao (1903-1982), and Xie Zhiliu (1910-1997). We offer our deepest gratitude to the donors who elected to allow these works to emerge into the public light. At the same time, we look forward with great anticipation to people of all backgrounds assisting in the grand project of ensuring that the National Palace Museum remains one of humanity’s most prized shared possessions.