Titian's masterpiece "Flora" breathes vibrancy into Sino-Italian art exchange

SHANGHAI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Italian Renaissance painter Titian's masterpiece "Flora," which depicts a young woman holding out a bouquet of flowers, exquisite and charming, has been on display at an exhibition at the Bund One Art Museum in Shanghai since Friday.

The exhibition titled "The Venetian Painting from the Uffizi Galleries" will continue until July 28, showcasing 49 works of Titian and other Venetian masters.

In 2021, the globally renowned Uffizi Galleries and Shanghai Bund One Art Museum signed an agreement to hold 10 exhibitions within five years, marking one of the most extensive art cooperation projects between China and Italy.

Accordingly, two exhibitions -- "Botticelli and the Renaissance" and "Uffizi Self-Portrait Masterpieces" -- were successfully held in Shanghai.

Describing the exhibition in Shanghai as a unique experience, Anna Bisceglia, curator of the Uffizi Galleries, said, "All colors of the exhibition hall are extracted from Titian's original paintings."

History has further enriched the charm and intricacy of this exhibition. According to Bisceglia, people depicted in Venetian paintings often donned silk and velvet attire, much of which originated from China at the time.

Xie Dingwei, executive director of Bund One Art Museum, said that the exhibitions gave Chinese visitors an opportunity to see the European masterpieces closely.

"Venice was a key city for communication between China and Italy. It was a gateway on the trade route between ancient China and Europe," he said.

"'Flora' represents spring, love and hope, which I hope will bring joy and breath of spring to the art exchanges between our two countries," Xie added.