Massimo Ambrosetti, Italian Ambassador to China (left) with Fang Shizhong, director general of the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism Photo: Courtesy of the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai

The world class "A Dialogue with the World: Exhibition Series of Arts and Cultural Relics" : Who is Leonardo da Vinci? Dialogue between Renaissance and Chinese Painting exhibition kicked off on December 10 at the Shanghai Museum with an aim to foster cultural exchanges and promote mutual learning between China and Italy.

Curated by experts from both countries, this exhibition brings together 18 authentic Renaissance art treasures alongside an equal number of ancient Chinese paintings. 

Among these remarkable works are da Vinci's oil painting La Scapiliata (The Lady with Disheveled Hair) and 11 folios from his Codex Atlanticus manuscript, as well as two precious sketches by Michelangelo, and important paintings by some of da Vinci's disciples. 

Moreover, the exhibition shows Chinese masterpieces from various periods, such as Transport Carts at the Sluice Gate of the Five Dynasties, Liang Kai's A Plain Line Drawing of Taoist Deities from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), and A Lady Holding a Fine Silk Fan in the Autumn Breeze by Tang Yin, who was one of the Four Great Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Painters.

These diverse artworks simultaneously make their appearance in the exhibition halls of the Shanghai Museum, conveying to visitors the harmony between East and West with their distinct features and perfect fusion of art and science.

Visitors will have the opportunity to encounter the fundamentally different expressions of art between the two parts of the world during the same era, as well as witness the similarities in Eastern and Western artistic styles that span a millennium.

Guests attending the opening ceremony included Massimo Ambrosetti, Italian Ambassador to China and Fang Shizhong, director general of the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism. 

Ambassador Ambrosetti, in his address, commended the long history of the Chinese and Italian civilizations as witnessed through this exhibition, as it can boost cultural dialogue between the two countries. 

This exhibition marks its first-ever endeavor to undertake a comparative study of Eastern and Western painting. 

Employing the unique approach of dialogue, it aims to transport visitors on a transcendent and unimaginable journey across time and space, guiding them to appreciate two artistic landscapes. 

The exhibition will run until April 14, 2024 at the Shanghai Museum.