Great patrons

The exhibition halls are designed to replicate wealthy Italian households during the Renaissance period. Exhibits include original creations by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Shen Qibin, director of the Shanghai Himalayas Museum, worked together with the Bellini couple as co-curator of the exhibition. To best represent the glory of the Renaissance age, Shen has adopted virtual reality technology to re-create the domed roof of the Museo Ideale Leonardo da Vinci.

The Bellini family's heritage can be a source of inspiration for modern wealthy Chinese who are into collecting art.

And in this regard, the Himalayas Museum hopes to establish a long-term cooperation with the Bellinis, says Shen.

"The Bellini family's collection will go on tour to other cities of China, too" he says.

The tour will seek to introduce the family to wider sections of Chinese society.

"We want to promote the core idea of the Renaissance," Shen says. "Contemporary China shares a lot in common with the Renaissance period in Italy. Although this is an exhibition largely focused on antique artworks, it is highly relevant to today's China. That's why we decided to have the exhibition in the country."

The museum in Vinci, Leonardo's birthplace in the province of Florence, has been dedicated to research and study of Da Vinci for a long time. It has brought to the exhibition in Shanghai a 1.11-meter-tall sandstone sculpture by Michelangelo, Arrotino Lanfranchi, depicting a kneeling man sharpening his knife. Also among the artworks on display in Shanghai are original paintings by Raphael and Da Vinci, as well as other important artists during the Renaissance.