Tianjin Art Museum

Tianjin Art Museum

Situated on Jiefang North Road in Tianjin, the Tianjin Art Museum is a building in the Baroque style. This three-story structure was originally built in 1908 as the French-owned Banque de l'Indochine. The square pilasters rise from the ground to the eaves, emphasizing the vertical divisions of the façade and creating strong contrasts of light and shadow with pronounced relief. Triangular pediments and alternating arched and rectangular windows create an irregular rhythmic effect. The walls are richly adorned with carvings, and the cast iron gate with intricate designs adds to the building’s charm. The entire structure is dignified and graceful, innovative and distinctive, pursuing novelty and variety, showcasing the flexible and free design techniques of the Baroque style. In 1957, this Baroque-style building was converted into the Tianjin Art Museum.

The museum’s collection includes paintings, calligraphy, bronzes, pottery, jade artifacts, seals, inkstones, ink sticks, lacquerware, Tianjin folk art, as well as modern artworks of academic and preservation value. There are 389 first-class relics, including Fan Kuan’s “Snow Scene in a Cold Forest” from the Song Dynasty, Qian Xuan’s “Flowers and Birds” scroll and Bian Lu’s “Peaceful Living” scroll from the Yuan Dynasty, Qiu Ying’s “Peach Blossom Spring” scroll from the Ming Dynasty, and Bada Shanren’s “Flowers on the River” scroll from the Qing Dynasty. Other treasures include the Tang Dynasty copy of Wang Xizhi’s “Cold Cuts Letter,” the bronze vessels Ke Ding and Ke ding, the Shang Dynasty jade tablet of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches calendar, and ceramics such as the Yongzheng famille rose eight-peach overbranch plate and the Qianlong enamel-painted peony, chick, and jade pot spring vase. These are all considered highly valuable cultural relics. The Tianjin Art Museum primarily collects calligraphy, paintings, ceramics, bronzes, seals, bricks, tiles, stone carvings, steles, inkstones, lacquerware, enamels, as well as bamboo, wood, ivory, and stone sculptures—many of which rank among the finest in China. For instance, in the category of paintings and calligraphy, “Snow Scene in a Cold Forest” is the only surviving work by Northern Song artist Fan Kuan on the mainland. Having survived both the Anglo-French Allied Forces invasion and other upheavals, it remains intact and is regarded as the treasure of the Tianjin Art Museum. Other prized items include the Tang Dynasty copy of Wang Xizhi’s cursive script “Cold Cuts Letter,” Li Tang’s “Autumn Waters at Hao Bridge” from the Song Dynasty, Su Hanchen’s “Children at Play,” Bian Lu’s “Peaceful Living” from the Yuan Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu’s running script “Ode to the Goddess of Luo,” and Qiu Ying’s “Peach Blossom Spring” from the Ming Dynasty.

Among the collections at the Tianjin Art Museum, inkstones are particularly exquisite—not only stone inkstones, but also jade, tile, porcelain, iron, clay, agate, and crystal inkstones. The Qing Dynasty’s “Red Cliff Inkstone” and “Black Rain Inkstone,” along with the Ming Dynasty’s “Stone Drum Script Inkstone” and “Lotus Fish Cinnabar Clay Inkstone,” are hailed as miraculous creations of nature and human craftsmanship. Ceramics are also a major highlight of the museum, showcasing masterpieces from historically renowned kilns. Among the fine pieces from renowned kilns such as Jun, Ru, and Ding, the Qing Dynasty Qianlong enamel-painted peony, pheasant, and jade pot spring vase stands out as the most eye-catching, representing the pinnacle of Chinese ceramic craftsmanship at the time.