Library stages book exhibition of Western art

More than 100 valuable titles covering a wide variety of Western art are on display at Run Run Shaw Library until January 17. The Library has received the collection, mostly rare out-of-print books, from Donald Stone, Professor of English, City University of New York.

The collection features a number of published works about art masters, such as Van Gogh, Seurat, Pissarro and Paul Klee, as well as publications by renowned art galleries and museums around the world.

A visiting professor of the Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics in 2001, Professor Stone is an art historian who has built up his collection of art books since his college days. He has an in-depth knowledge of western art, painting and architecture, as well as Chinese civilization. When he visited CTL, he delivered a series of lectures on the impact of Chinese culture on European art, and he also developed links with CityU Library.

Among the collection¡¦s highlights are 25 titles from the Skira Taste of Our Time series, which Professor Stone began collecting in the 1950s. He will continue to donate books from the Skira series over the next few years. "While I was putting together the CityU collection, a great many memories came flooding back. I'm very pleased to have found a welcome home for these treasured books," said Ms Peggy Fung, CityU's Assistant Librarian of Acquisitions.

"We full-heartedly welcome this new addition," she said. "We have few books on art, because we don't have an arts school. This donation will definitely enrich our Library¡¦s Western art holdings."

"Professor Stone is a connoisseur of western art. Many titles in his collection are valuable out-of-print editions," said Professor Zhang Longxi, Chair Professor of Comparative Literature and Translation of CTL and Director of the Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies, at the donation ceremony held on 12 December 2002 . "Now, near his retirement age, he would like our Library to be the new home of his collection. The donation is really good reference materials for our students, faculty, and staff when they do research on western arts and culture." Professor Zhang, himself a lover of both oriental and western arts, is the matchmaker of the donation.

Among the collection's highlights are 25 titles from the skira Taste of Our Time series, which Professor Stone began collecting in the 1950s. He will continue to donate books from the skira series over the next few years. "While I was putting together the collection, many memories came follding back. I'm very pleased to have found a home for these treasured books," said Ms Peggy Fung, CityU's Assistant Librarian of Acquisitions.

"We full-heartedly welcome this new addition. We have few books on art, because we don't have an arts school. This donation will definitely enrich our Library's Western art holdings."

Books that will be of help to CityU's research and teaching are most welcome, according to Ms Fung. "We will also be pleased to consider books of more general interest," she added. For those who may want to offer their own collections for donation to the University, the Library has set up a dedicated telephone number: (852) 2194-2252.