Selected Works of P'u Xinyu

Author: P'u Hsin-shu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: P'u Ju (1895—1963), a native of Beijing, belonged to the Aisin Gioro clan. His courtesy name was Hsin-shu, and he was also known as the Western Mountain Resident, Western Mountain Scholar, and the Old Prince of the Former Dynasty. He was of Qing imperial lineage. He studied abroad in Germany, specializing in astronomy and biology. After returning to China, he was deeply devoted to poetry, calligraphy, and painting, achieving notable success in all. His calligraphy was grounded in the style of Liu Gongquan, with a clear and robust structure and exquisite beauty. His running and cursive scripts drew inspiration from the Jin and Tang dynasties, exuding elegance and freedom. He mastered the Six Principles of Calligraphy with precision, earning widespread acclaim. In his theory of calligraphy, he emphasized establishing a strong foundation, skillfully capturing the essence of form, and ensuring that small characters were practiced after mastering large ones. He focused on pen technique and the balance of posture, avoiding hasty or careless execution. His notable works include Collected Explanations of the Four Books, Commentary on the Erya, Selections from Classical Sayings, and Chanyu Studio's Discourses on Calligraphy and Painting. In painting, he specialized in landscape, following the tradition of the Southern Song dynasty. He preferred using textured paper. While his renditions of the Ma Xia school were elegant, they lacked the grandeur. He was known as the "Southern Zhang" alongside Zhang Daqian, earning the title "Southern Zhang, Northern P'u." Before 1949, he lived abroad, earning a living by selling paintings.