Selected Floral Works of Wu Changshuo 1

Author: Wu Changshuo (Illustrator)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-09-01
Features: Wu Changshuo excelled in freehand painting of flowers and plants, deeply influenced by Xu Wei and the Eight Mountaineers. Due to his profound foundation in calligraphy and seal carving, he integrated the brushwork, cutting techniques, composition, and style of calligraphy and seal carving into his paintings, forming a unique artistic style rich in stone-and-metal aesthetics. He once said, “My greatest strength in life lies in applying calligraphic techniques to painting.” He often used cursive script to paint plum blossoms and orchids, and bold grass script for grapes. His flowers, plants, and rocks were characterized by bold, forceful lines that seemed to penetrate the paper, with unrestrained, powerful, innovative compositions, and arrangements that closely resembled the composition of calligraphy and seal carving. He preferred the patterns of the character "" (zhī) and "" (nǚ), or diagonal, oblique layouts, creating a dynamic interplay of void and solid, with clear focal points. In terms of color, he was similar to Zhao Ziqian, favoring rich and contrasting hues, particularly his skillful use of Western vermillion, which was vibrant and brilliant. Ren Boshou, a renowned painter of his time, was utterly impressed by Wu Changshuo's integration of stone drum script into his paintings and predicted that he would become a pillar of the art world.
Wu Changshuo used "cao zhuang shu" (herbal seal script) to infuse calligraphy into his paintings, demonstrating exceptional mastery of lines. Although his lines may seem less rich or realistic in terms of depicting objects, it was precisely by shedding the constraints of form that Wu Changshuo's paintings entered the realm of "yi" (intention or spirit), forming a direct and expressive "da xie yi" (great freehand painting) style that greatly influenced modern Chinese painting.
Wu Changshuo's primary subjects were flowers, and he began painting relatively late, only showing his work to others after the age of 40. In his early years, he received guidance from Ren Yi, later incorporating Zhao Ziqian's painting techniques. He deeply admired the works of Xu Wei, Zhu Da, and the Eight Yangzhou Masters, from whom he benefited greatly. He had a special fondness for plum blossoms, often painting them with the techniques of large seal script and grass script, in both black and red. His red plum blossoms had just the right balance of water and color, with alternating hues of red and purple, creating a lively and expressive mood. He once wrote, “The plum blossoms understand my frustrations with the world,” using the plum to express his disdain for societal corruption. He also loved painting orchids, using dense or light ink and cursive script to highlight their pure and noble character. He painted bamboo stalks with light ink strokes and leaves with bold ink dots, creating a dynamic interplay of density and openness. Often accompanied by pine, plum, or rocks, these became scenes of "dual purity" or "three companions," his emotions.
Chrysanthemums were also a frequent subject. He painted them with rocks or in tall, slender jars, creating an interesting contrast with the flowers. Chrysanthemums were often yellow, but he also painted them in black or red. The black chrysanthemums were rendered with deep ink, with bold, splashing leaves in varying shades, creating clear layers. In his later years, he painted peonies more frequently, with vibrant, hues and abundant water, complemented by dense foliage, giving them a vibrant energy. Lotus flowers, orchids, pine, and bamboo were also common subjects. Vegetables and fruits like bamboo shoots, spinach, gourds, pumpkin, peaches, loquats, and pomegranates were all depicted with a strong sense of vitality.
His works combined color and ink, with a thick and vigorous style, further enhanced by the engaging poetry and calligraphy he inscribed on his paintings, as well as the ancient seals. This fusion of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving greatly influenced modern bird-and-flower painting. This album features 59 of Wu Changshuo's works on flowers and vegetables.