Smaller works

Of the many art trends initiated by intellectuals in the past, one was painting and writing on fans made of paper and silk. In these limited spaces, artists were able to portray rich worlds of landscapes, animals and plants, and made these miniature worlds reflections of their emotions and thoughts. Fine examples of the kind by a number of great artists can be found in the collections of a number of museums.

The Gentle Breeze Comes By, an exhibition running until April 29 at the China National Academy of Painting, is a display of paintings and calligraphy on fans created by its resident artists, as well as other work of smaller sizes. They cover the three main genres of classical Chinese painting: mountains and water, flowers and birds, and figures, and display a brushwork brilliance that delivers aesthetic and cultural values.

9-11:30 am, 1:30-4:30 pm, daily. 54 Xisanhuan Beilu, Haidian district, Beijing. 010-6841-2606.