Save-the-date | Monsieur Loo

The KVVAK is pleased to announce a lecture-filled afternoon on Saturday May 24 engaging in the exploration of the life and legacy of C.T. Loo (1880–1957), one of the most influential figures in the history of Asian art collecting.

C.T. Loo (1880–1957) remains a figure of fascination in the history of Asian art. His life reads like a novel—rising from humble beginnings in Zhejiang, China, to traveling with diplomat Zhang Jinjiang to France as his personal servant, reinventing himself in Paris as a cultivated tastemaker, and ultimately becoming one of the most influential dealers and connoisseurs of Asian art. Through his extensive network, he helped shape the collections of major institutions in the West, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the British Museum (London), and the Museo Nazionale d’Arte Orientale (Rome).

Operating from his Paris gallery, The Pagoda, and from his New York gallery, C.T. Loo & Company, Loo connected collectors, scholars, and institutions, shaping Western perceptions of Asian aesthetics. His network and business practices remain a subject of scholarly interest, particularly in provenance research and the ethics of collecting.

Key pieces in the Royal Asian Art Society’s (KVVAK) collection passed through his hands, as did many highlights of the Musée Guimet and other institutions around the world. This event brings together Geraldine Lenain, biographer of C.T. Loo and President of the Friends of Musée Guimet, alongside experts from the Rijksmuseum and Musée Guimet amongst others, to examine Loo’s impact while fostering a broader dialogue on the history of collecting and museum practices between France and the Netherlands.

Through keynote presentations and discussions, we will explore how Loo’s extraordinary life and work continue to shape contemporary perspectives on Asian art, museum collections, and the evolving cultural exchange between European institutions

For more information contact Marie-Anne Souloumiac (KVVAK) through secretariaat@kvvak.nl

Please register using the form below, non-members can fill in ‘0000’ as their membership-number.