The life-sized portrait is now the centerpiece of an exhibition called Empresses of China's Forbidden City at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. Uniquely telling the story from the women's perspective, the exhibition was described by Ren as one that could shatter some of the stereotypes of Chinese women through history. "Many people think that Chinese women always had to practice foot-binding, and were strictly restricted from going outside. This exhibition has paintings showing the empresses going hunting with their husbands," said Ren. One section of the exhibition called "Navigating Politics and Diplomacy" showcases how the empresses, especially Empress Dowager Cixi, who came to power in the late Qing Dynasty, pursued their own political ambitions.