At a crossroad on the Silk Road

Visitors at the ongoing exhibition Dimension of Civilizations at MOCA Yinchuan in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Photo provided to China Daily

The museum spells out its mission in it's inaugural exhibition. Called, Dimension of Civilizations, the exhibition features 200 oil paintings, 70 antique maps and hundreds of contemporary Chinese and Islamic artworks.

Lyu Peng the chief curator and an art historian, says the show presents "different perspectives to observe the dimension of different civilizations". He says the juxtaposition of Chinese and foreign artworks enables viewers to "compare the common aspects shared by cultures and the differences still so obvious today".

Lyu curated a section of late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) oil paintings, which were created by foreigners in Canton (today's Guangzhou) and their Chinese students. The canvases capture the landscape, local customs and daily life in China and became popular souvenirs among foreign businessmen and travelers. Such paintings are often referred to as "exported paintings".

Lyu says these paintings are not simply commodities, but are a disappearing chapter of Chinese art history.

Giuseppe Castiglione is widely recognized as an important figure who introduced oil painting to Chinese emperors and the nobility. Lyu says the "exported paintings" are testament to the way ordinary Chinese embraced Western realistic art.

Many paintings on show are rarely displayed, even in museums in Beijing and Shanghai. Of note, are the works of British painter George Chinnery and his Chinese student Lam Qua. Lam mastered the technique of painting British landscapes and developed a highly personal style, becoming the first Chinese portrait painter exhibited in the West.