Theater of life

Figure paintings, as a category of classical Chinese painting, appeared much earlier than the iconic mountain-and-water and flower-and-bird genres. First appearing on pottery and in caves, then on silk and paper, figure paintings reached their peak during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties. Fine examples include Figure, Dragon and Phoenix, a silk painting from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and Nyushi Zhen (admonitions of the instructress to the court ladies), a hand-scroll painting dated between the fifth and seventh centuries. The role of figure paintings was mainly educational to communicate morality and ethics. The rich traditions and evolution of classical figure paintings are navigated at an exhibition underway at Long Museum's West Bund space through Dec 12.On show are dozens of storytelling paintings by some 20 modern artists known for depicting figures and showing the interior lives of their subjects, inspired by fairy tales, historic events, classical literature and folk operas.

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