Wu Changshuo

Author: Wu Changshuo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-03-01
Features: The painter, grounded in the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, and rooted in the wondrous imagination of the human heart. The artist stands between heaven and earth, surrounded by all phenomena. With a fusion of thought and interest, suddenly and decisively, they wield their brush directly to pursue what they see, hear, and feel. With a resounding cry, they create works in myriad forms, resulting in masterpieces. Our country's painting has a long history, dating back to Gu Kaizhi in the Jin Dynasty. For over a thousand years, various schools have flourished, with outstanding masters emerging in each generation. From the south to the north, talented artisans have appeared, each with distinct styles, forming their own unique traditions. The vast Yangtze River and the majestic Kunlun Mountains are not enough to describe their lofty heights. Later generations, desiring to learn about their details and marvels, find it difficult. I was born unable to paint but by observing the works of ancient and modern masters and the inevitable changes of their time, I came to understand that learning the rules leads to understanding the lack of rules. The predecessors have said that this art can fully express one's aspirations—so it is? Reading through the masterpieces of past generations, I realize that their rules are like mirage and water, seemingly present yet elusive; while their lack of rules is like the boundless blue sky and clear water, vast and limitless. Our society gathers the essence of ancient and modern works, selecting the best of the masters of each generation, describing their life stories, artistic theories, technical characteristics, and their lineage and successors. This allows readers to see a glimpse of the whole by observing a part, to understand an era's painting by knowing a single painter, and to read the collections of dozens of famous painters to grasp the overview of our country's thousands of years of painting civilization. Due to the passage of time and frequent wars, countless famous paintings have been lost or damaged. There are masters whose paintings are lost, paintings that survive but are few in number, and painters who are famous but whose life stories are not recorded. As a result, few written and illustrated works remain, and introductions cannot be complete. Thus, we gather a few works in each collection, which is better than having nothing. In the past, Ouyang Xun compiled Yiwen Lüju and said, "I wish to make every family rich in pearls and every person carry jade, so that the predecessors can compile their collections, each expressing their own views." This collection embodies that spirit. This book compiles over 160 of Wu Changshuo's surviving calligraphy, painting, and seal carvings, along with detailed introductions to his life and artistic journey. It also includes some of Wu Changshuo's own essays on art, a chronology of his life, and excerpts from reviews of his paintings by various critics, fully showcasing his artistic achievements and the personal charm of a master artist.