Portrait painting holds an important place in art history. Before photography, the painted or sketched portrait was regarded as the truest record of a person's image; especially for noblemen and celebrities. In the 19th Century, photography emerged to assume much of the role of "immortalizing" prominent figures. Artists began adding more interpretive touches and social commentary to their painting. An exhibition that opened in Beijing Wednesday attempts to reveal the influence of the trend on Western and Chinese painting. Oil portraits of the Western schools, and the two Chinese schools, wash painting and realistic brushwork are quite dissimilar. At this exhibition works from all three styles share a common theme: People. 156 portraits by 52 representative painters in the three fields are on display. The works are representative of both the early and late works of the artists. Zhan Jianjun, the vice chairman of China Artist's Association and the director of the show's organizing committee, considers the event a high quality academic exhibit. Zhan Jianjun, director of Organizing Committee of the exhibition, said, "Since photography was born, portrait artists started to pay more attention to expressing subjective interpretations of the model and of the art form. Today, more and more artists focus on expressing living conditions and social status." It is an unprecedented showing, bringing together portraits in oils, fine brushwork and ink and wash. The exhibition showcases the similarities and differences of the respective schools; providing opportunities for reference and learning. Zhan Jianjun said, "Oil artists would like to borrow something from traditional Chinese painting to enrich their art and add more "Chinese" symbols into it. And artists engaged in traditional Chinese painting have the same wish to learn from oil painting. We hope the arts born in the East and West can join each other. The artists share similar consciousness to art and society, and the only differences are the tools and materials they use to create." Chinese art has been undertaking an introspective review; seeking to hold to valuable traditions of the past while attempting to discover new visions for the future. Comparative exhibitions based on a single theme and embracing different painting styles are seen as one way to advance the discussion and move forward. Landscape and realism have been covered in previous exhibitions. Figure painting will be the next comparative project.