A landmark China-UK exhibition opens at the Shanghai Museum, showcasing portraits, manuscripts, and first editions of British literary icons from Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling.
The Shanghai Museum opened a major exhibition on March 18th at its East Branch. Titled “Writers Revealed: Treasures from British Collections and The National Portrait Gallery, London,” the show brings together 135 items linked to 82 writers. These include portraits, manuscripts, first editions, and letters.
The exhibition is jointly presented by the Shanghai Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, London, with support from the British Library and other UK institutions and private collectors. It marks the first time the National Portrait Gallery has shown its collection in mainland China.
Featured writers include William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, William Blake, Virginia Woolf, Arthur Conan Doyle, J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, Kazuo Ishiguro and Zadie Smith.
Portraits and Manuscripts on Display
The exhibition pairs portraits with original writings. It presents writers through both image and text.
Highlights include a portrait of Daniel Defoe with a first edition of Robinson Crusoe. Visitors can also see the only known portrait of Jane Austen, along with her manuscripts and a first edition of Pride and Prejudice.
An oil portrait of Charles Dickens appears beside a manuscript of Great Expectations. A section on J. K. Rowling shows annotated pages and drawings from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Shakespeare and Other Rare Works
A key section focuses on William Shakespeare. The exhibition includes a portrait widely believed to have been painted during his lifetime. The composition is simple and centres on the face.
Also on display is the First Folio, published in 1623. About 235 copies are known to survive. It remains a key source for studying his work.
The exhibition also features the Brontë sisters. A family portrait painted by their brother shows the three sisters together. A faint fourth figure appears in the centre, likely the artist himself, later painted over.
Anna Starling, Deputy Director of the National Portrait Gallery, said the exhibition is especially meaningful as it brings together a large number of portraits—most created during the writers’ lifetimes—alongside their literary works for the first time. She added that she is pleased to share these rare pieces with audiences around the world.
Additional reporting by Wang Ji.
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