Wu Qingxia (1910–2008)
Wu Qingxia, birth name Wude Shu, also known as Longcheng Nushi and Zhuxiang Gezhu, was a renowned modern female painter from Changzhou, Jiangsu. She began painting at a very young age, gaining recognition by her teenage years. Wu had profound skills in landscape, figure, and bird-and-flower paintings. In her middle age, she became known for her paintings of carp and reed geese, establishing a unique style that brought her fame. In the 1960s, she created the "Nine Carp Picture," which was printed in hundreds of thousands of copies, gaining widespread popularity. Her lifelike carp paintings earned her the nickname "Carp Wu."
"Geese by the Reeds"
Wu Qingxia's bird-and-flower paintings followed the traditions of Yun Shouping, Hua Yan, and Bian Shoumin, while also reflecting contemporary influences. Her accurate depictions and adept combination of fine and freehand brushwork resulted in vibrant, clear, and graceful paintings, appreciated by both refined and popular audiences. This reed geese painting, inspired by Bian Shoumin, is one of her favored subjects. The composition highlights the desolate autumn atmosphere with an open river and dark clouds, while the geese's varied postures add pastoral charm. Compared to Bian Shoumin's simple and concise style, Wu Qingxia's work exhibits a bright and accessible modern touch.
Wu Xizai (1799–1870)
Wu Xizai, originally named Tingyang, courtesy name Xizai, later changed to Rangzhi and also known as Ranzhi to avoid the name taboo of Emperor Tongzhi, had the pseudonym Wanxue Jushi and his studio was called Shishenxuan. He was from Yizheng, Jiangsu. A student in his early years, he became a disciple of Bao Shichen. Wu excelled in philology, calligraphy, painting, and especially seal carving. He lived a life of poverty, earning his living by selling calligraphy and seal carvings, traveling between Yangzhou, Taizhou, and other places. His regular and running scripts followed Bao Shichen, who was a theorist rather than a skilled practitioner in calligraphy, so Wu’s regular and running scripts were less remarkable. However, his seal script and seal carving, influenced by Deng Shiru, transformed ancient simplicity into beauty, and his influence was far-reaching in later generations studying Deng.
"Seven Character Couplet in Seal Script"
The couplet features vigorous, flowing, and graceful lines, rooted in Deng Shiru but imbued with Wu’s unique elegant and fluid style. The brushwork is not yet fully mature, indicating an early work of Wu Xizai.
Translation of couplet: "The principles of mountains and lakes are evident, I can engrave the inscriptions on metal and stone."
Chen Hengke (1876–1923)
Chen Hengke, courtesy name Shizeng, pseudonym Huaitang, and also known as Xiudao Ren, was the grandson of Chen Baozhen and the son of Chen Sanli, from Xiushui, Jiangxi. He was a pioneer in the modern transformation of Chinese freehand figure painting and a forerunner of modern Chinese cartoon art. Chen emphasized the national, inherited, and contemporary nature of art, opposing complete Westernization and refuting any arguments that belittled or denied Chinese painting. He authored works such as "History of Chinese Painting" and "Research on Chinese Literati Painting." Chen's landscape painting was greatly influenced by Shen Zhou, Shitao, and Kun Can, known for its sharp, robust brushwork.
"Inviting Cool Beneath Green Leaves"
The inscription on this piece states that he saw a similar painting by Zhang Ruitu (pseudonym Ershui), so he emulated it. While his brushwork indeed shows Zhang's boldness, it also incorporates elements from Shitao and Kun Can, adding his originality. The rocks are rendered with dry brushstrokes, while the trees are painted with wet brush, creating a contrast between dryness and wetness, achieving a profound and distant atmosphere. The upper left inscription reads: "Inviting coolness with green leaves, seen in Ershui Shanren's brush, painted by Shizeng Chen Hengke." Below the inscription is the red seal "Shizeng."
Zhang Xiong (1803–1886)
Zhang Xiong, courtesy name Shoufu, pseudonym Zixiang, and also known as Yuanhu Waishi, was from Xiushui, Zhejiang, and later lived in Shanghai. He was a prominent painter of the early Shanghai School. Zhang excelled in painting flowers, drawing inspiration from artists such as Zhou Zhimian, Yun Shouping, and Hua Yan, and his works were known for their clear and elegant colors with a bold and ancient charm. He was particularly skilled in painting large peonies with a strong presence. Zhang also painted landscapes, figures, and seal carvings and was an avid collector of calligraphy, painting, and stone inscriptions. Along with Ren Xiong and Zhu Xiong, he was known as one of the "Three Xiongs of Shanghai."
"Fairy Dwelling in the World" (1883)
Zhang Xiong rarely painted landscapes, and this scroll was created when he was eighty-one years old, showing his stability and maturity, mainly following the style of Wang Hui. The foreground features proud pines and unique trees lying on slopes. The middle and distant scenes depict secluded valleys, layered green hills, and a moist and lush atmosphere, conveying a sense of leisurely mountain living. The inscription, composed by Zhang Xiong himself, captures the essence of the painting: "A person in the mountains, an immortal in the world, looking up at the clouds and listening to the spring. Quietly imagining, it seems as if it's right in front of me. When will I be able to join?" This expresses the artist's reclusive feelings.
Tang Ken (1876–1950)
Tang Ken, courtesy name Qilin, was a descendant of Tang Jinchuan, hailing from Wujin (now Changzhou), Jiangsu. In 1905, he traveled to Japan to study law at Chuo University. During the Republic of China period, he held various local military and political positions in Zhili, and later served as the acting magistrate of Yixing County. After the War of Resistance Against Japan, he retired to Shanghai, refusing to take any puppet government positions, and made a living by selling his art. Tang was a talented writer, poet, calligrapher, and painter, known for his keen appreciation and extensive collection of art, earning considerable fame in his time.
"Political Discourse in Running Script"
This running script scroll was written by Tang Ken for Mr. Liu Guojun. The piece demonstrates Tang's vigorous brushwork, imbued with the spirit of metal and stone, a common characteristic of his style.
Yi Lixun (1856–1942)
Yi Lixun, courtesy name Xiji, pseudonym Junzhai and Shiqin, also known as Shiqin Laoren and Shiqin Guan Zhu, was a renowned calligrapher from Ninghua, Fujian, and the great-grandson of the famous Qing dynasty calligrapher Yi Bingshou. From a young age, he was influenced by his family's scholarly environment and became highly knowledgeable, particularly excelling in calligraphy. Yi mastered various scripts, including regular, cursive, seal, and clerical, with profound skill. He served as the magistrate of Wuxi during the Guangxu reign and later lived in Shanghai during the Republic of China, making a living by selling his calligraphy.
Yi Lixun's most accomplished work was in the clerical script of the Han dynasty. His clerical script inherited the refined and ancient style of his ancestor Yi Bingshou, with a composed and leisurely demeanor, displaying a sense of liveliness and charm within a strict and simple framework. In the aesthetic appeal of form, his brushwork conveyed a sense of depth and excellence. However, compared to Yi Bingshou, Yi Lixun's work could be overly meticulous, sometimes exhibiting a sense of craftsmanship, and lacked the grandeur and depth of his ancestor. His work can be considered to be of the "competent grade." The "Yin Zhou Stele" originally featured a tightened center and extended strokes, but Yi Lixun's rendition contracted the originally extended strokes, resulting in a more solid and robust style, representing a unique interpretation.
Wang Fuchang (1879–1960)
Wang Fuchang, given name Chi, courtesy name Weiji, pseudonym Fuchang, and after the age of seventy, self-styled as Chimo Laoren, was a renowned modern calligrapher and seal carver from Hangzhou, Zhejiang. He was particularly skilled in seal script and clerical script and, along with Wu Changshuo and Ding Ren, founded the Xiling Seal Art Society during the late Qing dynasty. In the early Republic of China, he moved to Beijing and worked at the Mint Bureau, later moving to Shanghai where he made a living by selling his calligraphy and seal carvings. After the liberation, he became a painter at the China Academy of Art.
Wang Fuchang's calligraphy is known for its elegant and graceful brushwork, with beautiful and solid lines. His seal and clerical scripts are highly regarded. In his use of lines, he paid particular attention to starting and ending strokes, achieving a balance of strength and grace. His characters are symmetrical and balanced, with long and flowing strokes, creating a sense of reserved elegance and serene dignity. His clerical script is as refined as his seal script, with distinct personal characteristics. However, due to his slow and even brushwork, there can sometimes be a sense of monotony. His strengths and weaknesses lie in this approach.
This book was written in the fourth year of Jiaqing, when Liang was 77 years old. The back of the inscription bears a small long seal in Zhu Wen of "Mizhong Beiren." Wu Changhai (Xunpu) signed the seal in regular script, Chen Hongshou signed the fan page in official script, and the last page bears the seal of "Shu Zhai Approval" by Jin Tingke and Gao Xianglin Baoyan. It also bears a Zhai collection seal. The first eight chapters are titled "Offerings of the Dharma Taught by Vimalakīrti," and the last ten chapters are titled "The Immeasurable Sutra of Virtue." Liang's small regular script throughout the book is agile, casual, and natural, without any rigidity. It appears neat and varied, calm and vivid, and has high artistic value in calligraphy.
Jing Hengyi (1877–1938)
Jing Hengyi, courtesy name Ziyuan, pseudonym Shichan, and later Yiyuan, was from Shangyu, Zhejiang. He was a renowned modern educator, calligrapher, and painter. In the 28th year of the Guangxu reign (1902), he studied in Japan and returned to China to help establish the Zhejiang Provincial Normal School. After the Xinhai Revolution, he became the principal of the school and concurrently served as the president of the Zhejiang Provincial Education Association. During the May Fourth Movement, he encouraged and supported patriotic democratic struggles, advocated for the New Culture Movement, and boldly reformed education. Due to the opposition of conservative forces, he left his position. In 1925, he participated in the First National Revolution and held positions such as a standing member of the National Government, a member of the Education Administrative Committee, and vice president of Sun Yat-sen University.
Jing Hengyi was deeply influenced by the Stele School of thought, focusing on clerical script in his calligraphy, particularly favoring the "two types of Cuan." This work, created in the "Cuan style" of large characters, features slow and substantial lines, blending a sense of grandeur with elegance, showcasing his exceptional skill.
Translation of the inscription: "Broad and clear." Inscription: "For Yunmen, by Hengyi." Below the inscription are the white seal "Chanzi Jushi" and the red seal "Jingshi Hengyi."
Shen Enfu (1864–1949)
Shen Enfu, courtesy name Xinqing, was born in Wu County, Suzhou Prefecture, Jiangsu (now Suzhou, Jiangsu Province). He was a modern educator and the fourth president of Tongji University. By the age of four, he was literate, and at six, he began teaching students his age on behalf of his mother, earning the saying, "A six-year-old teacher, unheard of in ancient times."
Shen Enfu was a prominent modern educator, and his works are extremely rare and precious. This couplet, written for Mr. Liu Guojun, reflects his elegant and refined style, making it a highly valuable piece despite Shen not being a professional calligrapher.
Translation of couplet: "This day is worth cherishing, One's soul desires to dissipate."
Zhang Jian (1853–1926)
Zhang Jian, courtesy name Jizhi and pseudonym Se'an, was from Nantong, Jiangsu. In the 20th year of the Guangxu reign (1894), he achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination and was known as one of the "Five Talents of Jiangsu." Zhang was a prominent industrialist, politician, educator, and calligrapher in modern China. He had a deep foundation in calligraphy, studying Yan Zhenqing while incorporating Ouyang Xun, resulting in a style that was both profound and elegant, with an outward softness and inner strength. His works were calm and composed, free from the mannerisms of officialdom, exuding an ancient charm from the transformation period of Sui and Tang dynasty regular script.
Zhang Jian's forgeries and ghostwritten works are numerous, but none can match the spirit and essence of his authentic calligraphy. This couplet exemplifies Zhang Jian's typical style, with elegant and robust structures, filled with dignified and scholarly spirit.
Translation of couplet: "Radiate with the predecessors, leading the successors; Gather the elite, encompassing the talents of the time."
