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Liang Shitai

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Liang Shitai is now recognized as a pioneer of early Chinese photography. Liang Shitai photographs from the Stephan Loewentheil China Photography Collection were displayed as part of the exhibition Vision and Reflection: Photographs of China in the 19th Century from the Loewentheil Collection, held at the Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing in 2019. The exhibition displayed 120 photographic “masterpieces” of 19th century China, including two albumen prints by Liang Shitai of Qing dynasty officials.

In contrast to the foreign photographers working in China at the time, Liang Shitai's work is notable for its adoption of the stylistic and aesthetic influence of traditional Chinese painting. Incorporating his background as a painter, many of Liang Shitai's images feature hand-painted embellishments, another identifying factor that separates his work from many of his peers. Liang Shitai's photographs are extremely scarce today, and can be found in prestigious collections such as the Stephan Loewentheil China Photography Collection, the Library of Congress, and the J. Paul Getty Museum Collection.

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