相距甚远的年代、不同的国籍背景、相异的艺术手法，但紫禁城就像一枚磁石将他们紧紧联系在一起。郎世宁将西方油画的创作元素糅入中国传统艺术中，为清宫留下了浓墨重彩的一笔;姜国芳则立足于本土文化，采用西方的表现手法，把紫禁城带出了中国。机缘就像一个巨大的罗盘，虽时隔近三百年，却让这两位与紫禁城有着不解之缘的艺术家在意大利的特雷维索(Treviso)相遇了。
作为此次展览的策展人，阿德里亚诺•马达罗(Adriano Madaro)是一位意大利的学者和社会活动家，曾来中国考察170多次，他对中国文化极其痴迷。说来也巧，这样大规模的展览却缘于一次偶遇。两人见面便一如多年的老友，所思所想均惊人的一致。马达罗便正式邀请姜国芳加入到他在2011年于意大利举办的清代宫廷文物展。此前，马达罗已在意大利成功举办了三次中国文化展览，分别为：《丝路遗宝展》(2005.10.22~2006.5.4)、《辽宋金元文物展》(2007.10.20~2008.5.11)、《明代文物展》(2009.10.24~2010.5.9)。作为中国历史上最后一个封建王朝，清朝将成为“丝绸之路和中国文明”这一大型系列展收篇之作的主题。
参观了姜国芳的工作室，大量的紫禁城系列作品让马达罗耳目一新、惊叹不已，他便确定要将其作品带到意大利展出。当代中国有很多反映清宫生活的艺术作品，如戏剧、文学、音乐、电影等，但这其中唯独没有油画。此次清代展的展品都是历史文物，其中包括努尔哈赤的登基宝座、康熙穿过的铠甲以及末代皇帝溥仪用过的一些饰品，这些极珍贵的文物均由北京故宫博物院提供，共150多套件。与以往文物展览不同，此次展览有郎世宁的宫廷绘画和姜国芳的紫禁城油画作品参展，这是此次展览最为出彩的一幕。
马达罗认为：姜国芳是中国当代唯一的以清宫题材为主体的新“宫廷”画家，其作品风格是继承西方古典主义的精神同时又传递了当代的唯美主义的审美取向。他经过近三十年的不断探索与实践，创作近三百多幅紫禁城系列油画作品，这些作品体现出中国传统文明中最灿烂的部分。姜国芳在艺术上特点是：将中国传统绘画中装饰性和制作性运用到油画创作中，其作品构图大量采用中堂对称的手法，使作品富有神圣的庄严之美。他的大多数宫女系列作品又汲取现代人对美的追求，他笔下女性不仅具有真善美的普遍性，而且突出了东方女性中那种端庄贤慧内敛的气质。姜国芳近些年在欧洲及世界各地所举办的大型个人画展都产生了极大的影响，人们认同他的最主要原因是他运用世界上大多数人都能读得懂的艺术语言，向人们展示出紫禁城鲜为人知的魅力，并引起人们对人类传统文明与现代文明互相关系的思考。早在2005年7月，姜国芳就接受了意大利罗马省主席恩里克的特别邀请，在罗马威尼斯宫举办了他的紫禁城系列大型画展。意大利总统钱皮阁下亲自为其展览提供了荣誉赞助并发贺电，热情赞扬姜国芳在艺术上的成就，展览在当地引起巨大的反响。让人们不禁地联想起意大利画家郎世宁。从那以后，人们就习惯将姜国芳与郎世宁两位“紫禁城”画家联系在一起。
郎世宁，一位真正意义的清朝宫廷画家。他于康熙年间就来到中国，侍奉过康雍乾三朝帝王，郎世宁虽然位居正三品却在紫禁城里战战悚悚地窝了五十一年，他的创作是在巨大皇家体制所控制下进行的。尽管如此，郎世宁对中国宫廷绘画的贡献是不可取代的。中国传统的宫廷绘画是以工笔画为主，其艺术特点是：构图平面装饰性，色彩夸张并以固有色为主，人物肖像画多为程式化，造型手段多以单线平涂为主。而郎世宁将西方古典油画中的科学性融入进来，比如：造型中的结构、形体、比例、明暗;人物肖像画的形似，色彩的条件色与光色，还有西方绘画中所強调的空间感、立体感、质感和人体的解剖。这些西方绘画中的基本规则运用到郎世宁的清宫绘画、创造出郎世宁画派，这对于中国传统宫廷绘画来说是历史性进步。
郎世宁与姜国芳的作品能在这样一个场合巧遇，其根本原因是各种文化的本质其实是相通的。即使艺术形式存在差异，但只要作品表达的是最基本的艺术诉求——即真善美的真实流露，这样的艺术就是可以被全人类所接受的，无论是何种民族或何种国度。文化无所谓差异，只是呈现的形态不同而已。郎世宁的紫禁城与姜国芳的紫禁城能有这种隔空的对话恰恰证明了这一点。
此次展览时间横跨2011年与2012年，2011年10月是辛亥革命百周年纪念，而又恰逢意大利的中国文化年，且是中意两国开启外交关系的四十周年纪念。这极其巧妙的碰撞对海峡两岸的同根同祖同文有着积极的意义，同时对中意两国未来的文化交流事业的推进也是不言而喻的。
When Jiang Guofang Met Lang Shining
Back to the year 1715, a young Italian preacher made a long journey to the Mysterious China and contributed a lot to the development of China palace painting—he is the palace painter Lang Shingning. In 1987, a Chinese oil painter began his discovery road of Forbidden City, he found a different forbidden city with his unique angle of view and superb skill, and brought his oil painting series to the original place—Forbidden City. Then in the summer of 2005, invited by Mr. Enrico Gasbarra, the governor of the Province of Rome, Italy, Jiang Guofang held his personal exhibition in the Palazzo Venezia. Then in Berlin Art Center, France Palace and B & M Theocharakis Foundation in Athens, Greek, he has held excellent personal exhibitions in these sacred artistic palaces and aroused great strong reactions and sensational. On September 15th, 2010, H.E. President Papoulias of the Hellenic Republic received Jiang Guofang in the presidential palace.This is Chinese oil painter Jiang Guofang.
Though different eras, nationalities as well diverse artistic expressions, the Forbidden City is just like a magnet which links the two painters closely. Lang Shining added western art elements into the traditional Chinese art, while Jiang Guofang's art is based on the local culture with western elements added, he brought the Forbidden City onto the world stage. Although 300 years passed, the two artists finally met in Treviso.
As the planner of this exhibition, Adriano Madaro is an Italian scholar and social activist, he has been to China for more than 170 times and is very obsessed with China culture. It's a coincidence that the exhibition could be held successfully. As soon as they met, Madaro and Jiang Guofang became good friends. In 2009, Madaro has formally invited Jiang to join the exhibition themed in Qing Dynasty which would be held in October 2011. Madaro has successfully held three Chinese culture exhibitions which are: Treasures on Silk Road(Oct 22, 2005~May 4, 2006), Royal Treasures of Liao, Song, Jin, Yuan Dynasties (Oct 20, 2007~May 11, 2008) and Royal Treasures of Qing Dynasty (Oct 24, 2009 ~ May 9, 2010). As the last dynasty in the feudal history of China, Qing Dynasty will become the theme of Silk Road and Chinese Civilization series exhibitions.
Madaro was totally fascinated by Jiang Guofang's works. There are many ways to introduce the Forbidden City tsuch as opera, literature, music, film and etc, but oil painting is not included. The royal treasures to be showcased in Trevsio are all historical objects, total more than 150, they are all stored up in the Forbidden City. Different to the former exhibitions, Lang Shining and Jiang Guofang's works are the highlights of this exhibition.
Madaro said Jiang Guofang is the only contemporary oil painter who make the Forbidden City come alive. He combines the western classical and modern aesthetic elements. His Forbidden City Series is of the style of neoclassicism with the creation concepts of magnificence, sacredness, aesthetics and visual pleasure. In the past few decades, he continuously explored and practiced, and created more than 300 oil paintings themed in Forbidden City which perfectly transmits the most precious China culture to the whole world. He introduces traditional decorative elements into the oil painting, symmetrical balance composition of is a distinct character of his works. The majority of his oil paintings that make court lady the main figure both take the modern artistic style and embrace the mysterious elegance which are unique to Chinese women. For the past years, he has successfully held many influential exhibitions in Europe and around the world, it's purely out of the common artistic language he used. He perfectly explains the fancy and mysterious Forbidden City to the whole world, and get people to think about the mutual relationships between the traditional civilization and modern civilization. As early as 2005, he was invited by Mr. Enrico Gasbarra, the governor of the Province of Rome, Italy, Jiang Guofang held his personal exhibition in the Palazzo Venezia. The exhibition was supported honorarily by H.E. President Ciampi. During the opening ceremony of the exhibition hosted by Mr. Enrico Gasbarra, the President's Office sent a congratulation letter and highly praised his achievements. From then on, people naturally links the two painters who are world-renowned with the Forbidden City.
While Lang Shining is a decent palace painter in Qing Dynasty. During Kangxi 's reign in the Qing Dynasty, he became a Jesuit, then went to China as a missionary and served as an artist for the court. His skill as an artist was appreciated by the Emperor Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong and he spent many years painting various subjects. His style was a unique blend of European sensibility with Chinese technique and themes. The large scale of the painting also suggests a European influence. Lang Shining's style was based on the emphasis on color, perspective, and light found in Italian Renaissance art. Following the taste and tradition of painting in China, Lang Shining was able to forge a new style that combined elements with his Western training in art. His paintings were done with Chinese materials but often incorporate Western techniques of shading and atmospheric perspective, imparting a sense of realism to the native themes. It's a huge advances for China palace painting development.
The reason why Jiang Guofang and Lang Shining's works could meet in Italy is all kinds of cultures have universe roots. So long as the art serves for the true emotions, even the forms vary, and art could be understood by all people. Culture do not vary very much, the only difference is the expression forms. The conversation between Jiang Guofang and Lang Shining is the best illustration for this.
This exhibition will stretch over from 2011 to 2012, it happens to be the Centennial anniversary of Xinhai Revolution in China, China Culture Year in Italy, also marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and the People's Republic of China. Such coincidences boost the development of culture exchange between Italy and China greatly.