WELLESLEY, MASS.- Following significant conservation work to repair severe damage to an ancient Chinese silk hanging scroll painting, the Davis Museum at Wellesley College is featuring The Immortal Magu: A Sixteenth-Century Chinese Painting Up Close, an exhibition to highlight this painting of Magu, a beautiful female deity and detail the extensive work required to bring back the painting back to life.

“In September 2022, just after starting my job at the Davis Museum, I saw the painting in storage. I was immediately drawn to its scale, artistic quality, and its important representation of the Immortal Magu. However, the painting had never been known to the public and art historians due to its very poor condition,” said Dr. Yuhua Ding, Kemper Assistant Curator of Collections and Academic Affairs, who curated the exhibition for the Davis. “A year later, we decided to launch the conservation project. Under the guidance of Jing Gao, a world-renowned Chinese paintings conservator who used a combination of both traditional and innovative conservation methods, the painting is now preserved for generations to come.”



Wellesley College alumna, the late Lois Levin (1921-2017, Class of 1942), donated the large Chinese hanging scroll painting to Wellesley for educational use in 1983. It depicts Magu 麻姑, a legendary Taoist immortal deity associated with longevity and beauty and her important transitional representation of Magu from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

To preserve this unique painting, the Davis Museum brought in Gao, a world-renowned paintings conservator. He removed the old backing paper and, using a combination of special paper from Japan, Taiwan, and China, he replaced it to ensure the scroll’s integrity. The painting on the scroll was also washed to bring it back to its original color. He also discovered at least two other conservation efforts done on the scroll before. He plans to discuss his conservation approach with his colleague at TKM Studios, Deborah La Camera, and Wellesley student Berit Raines ‘27 at 4:30 pm on April 8 at Collins Cinema at Wellesley College.



The Immortal Magu: A Sixteenth-Century Chinese Painting Up Close invites visitors to gaze at Magu, the Taoist deity of beauty, and to see the preservation of an immortal who will outlive all.

Curated by Dr. Yuhua Ding, Kemper Assistant Curator of Collections and Academic Affairs, with contributions from Berit Raines (Class of 2027), Idie Park (Class of 2026), and Mark Beeman, Senior Manager of Exhibitions and Collections Preparation, this exhibition is generously supported by funds from the Kathryn Wasserman Davis ‘28 Fund for World Cultures and Leadership and Wellesley College Friends of Art at the Davis. Special thanks to Jing Gao, Studio TKM Associates, and Dr. Heping Liu, Associate Professor of Art at Wellesley College. The conservation of Immortal Magu with Wine Vessels was supported by funds from the Mayling Soong Foundation and Barbara E. Sweeny ‘26 Art Conservation Fund.

The Davis Museum is free and open to the public Tuesdays to Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please call 781-283-2051 or visit https://www1.wellesley.edu/davismuseum/visit/directions.