The Catholic University of Leuven announced on Wednesday that it has received a prestigious collection of reference works from Zhejiang University in China.
The collection, titled 'A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings,' spans nearly 2,000 years of Chinese art and is valued at approximately €100,000.
Comprising 62 volumes, the collection includes around 12,400 reproductions. It weighs 1.8 tonnes and took almost 20 years to produce.
This makes it the most extensive and complete compilation of Chinese paintings ever published.
The first volume was symbolically presented to KU Leuven on Wednesday at a dedicated ceremony. The remaining volumes will be gradually added to the university library’s shelves.
With these new works, KU Leuven becomes the first and only institution in Belgium to offer a comprehensive overview of two millennia of Chinese paintings. The collection will be available to researchers, students, and anyone interested.
