Reviving the Past: Antiquity & Antiquarianism in East Asian Art | An Elegant Gathering: Selections from the Collection Honoring Dr. and Mrs. Li

This selection of paintings honors the contributions and generosity of Dr. Chu-tsing Li, Judith Harris Murphy Distinguished Professor of Art History, and his wife, the late Yao Wen Li. Through the generosity of gifts and learned expertise, Dr. and Mrs. Li profoundly shaped the permanent collection of East Asian painting at the Spencer Museum. In 1966 they moved to Lawrence, where Dr. Li established a doctoral program in Chinese art in the Kress Department of Art History. Dr. Li’s expertise in traditional and modern Chinese painting positioned him to recognize many important development in contemporary ink painting and oftentimes to work directly with artist (his association with Wu Guanzhong was central to the purchase of Pine Spirit). In 2001, the Spencer Museum honored Dr. Li’s contributions to the Spencer Museum with the purchase of Li Huayi’s The Silence of Pines on Remote Peaks.