(From left to right): Vase, probably 19th century, Famille noire porcelain, 27 x 10 1/2 in., Henry Clay Frick Bequest @ The Frick Collection; Dragon Jars with Cover (Pair), Qing Dynasty (1644−1911), Kangxi Period (1662−1722), Hard-paste porcelain with underglaze blue, 3 3/8 x 3 9/16 in. Bequest of Childs Frick in memory of Frances Dixon Frick, 1965 @ The Frick Collection; Vase, Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong Period (1735-1796), Hard-paste porcelain with polychrome overglaze and underglaze blue, 21 x 10 1/2″ @The Frick Pittsburgh
Looking East from Fifth Avenue: Chinese Porcelain at The Frick Collection
Friday, March 20, 2026 from 6–7pm
Stephen A. Schwarzman Auditorium
Free with registration
Join Yifu Liu, Anne L. Poulet Curatorial Fellow, for an illuminating lecture tracing the evolution of Chinese porcelain at The Frick Collection—from Henry Clay Frick’s earliest acquisitions to the museum’s most recent additions. Alongside the famille noire vases, polychrome enameled jars, and mounted wares that Frick cherished, the lecture will introduce lesser-known yet highly valuable imperial porcelain from the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns; blue-and-white wares from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century; and Kangxi export dishes produced for European markets. Liu will examine the historical circumstances surrounding the formation of Frick’s porcelain collection, reevaluate its cultural relevance today, and explore its relationship with the European art for which the museum is best known.
Speaker bio:
Yifu Liu is the 2024–26 Anne L. Poulet Curatorial Fellow at The Frick Collection and a PhD candidate in the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University. His research explores cultural exchange and the hybridization of artistic practices between Europe and China in the eighteenth century. At the Frick, he is organizing an exhibition on eighteenth-century French fashion plates, Ruffles & Ribbons: Fashion Plates from the Time of Marie Antoinette, opening April 1, 2026. He is also conducting research on Chinese porcelain in the Frick’s permanent collection. Independently, Liu has curated shows in contemporary art galleries with a focus on Chinese art in a global context.
Don’t miss out and register here for this enlightening talk today!