An oil painting “A-Ma Temple, Macao (1840)” acquired by the King of France, Louis Philippe I.
The Macao Museum of Art (MAM) under the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government, in collaboration with the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macao and the Alliance Française de Macao, hold, the exhibition “Auguste Borget: A Painter-Traveller on the South China Coast”, as part of Le French May 2016, which will be inaugurated on Wednesday, 29 June, at 6:30pm, at the Gallery of Special Exhibitions located on the 2nd floor of the Museum. On the inauguration day, the exhibition will be open to the public until 8pm. The exhibition “Auguste Borget: A Painter-Traveller on the South China Coast” allows visitors to have a glimpse of the folk customs of Macao and its surrounding areas in those days through the objective and delicate perspective and concise drawing style of Borget’s documentary works. The exhibition showcases over 120 exhibits collected by cultural entities from Macao, Hong Kong, France and the United Kingdom as well as private collectors, including sketches, watercolours, oil paintings, prints and antique books. French painter and traveller Auguste Borget (1808 - 1877) embarked in October 1836 on a four-year long voyage around the world. In July 1838, Borget arrived in China, visiting Macao, Hong Kong, Guangdong and Fujian provinces. During his stay in China, Borget observed the local customs and documented all he saw and heard with illustrations and text. In an age before photography, his works serve as a precious historical record of the South China coast. The exhibition “Auguste Borget: A Painter-Traveller on the South China Coast” will be held from 30 June to 9 October. All residents and visitors are welcome to witness this example of Sino-French cultural and artistic exchange. The Macao Museum of Art, located at Av. Xian Xing Hai, is open daily from 10am to 7pm (no admittance after 6:30pm; closed on Mondays). Admission fee is MOP5 and is free on Sundays and public holidays. For enquiry, please call MAM through tel. no. 8791 9814 during office hours, or visit www.MAM.gov.mo.