"It is a dialogue with the artists on the different approaches to presenting a subject, be it a member of the clergy, an aristocratic woman from the time of the Industrial Revolution, or a surreal scene from a dream," he says.

"All together, these painters from different periods of time orchestrated a touching symphony of colors and forms, and of human nature's brightest side. It is a celebration of human society in continuous progress."

An exhibition held in 2018 at the Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing introduced to domestic audiences the assembly of Western art at the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. Its selection of Western portraits toured Liaoning Provincial Museum in Shenyang, Liaoning province, and the Powerlong Museum in Shanghai earlier this year.

Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn