Fine Art Masterpieces from China's National Treasures - The Story of Painting

Author: Shui Xian Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: The tradition of Chinese painting is long-standing, and the gallery of Chinese painting is vast and diverse. The history of Chinese painting is a splendid scroll of fascinating stories. The well-known phrases "adding the finishing touch" and "having a well-thought-out plan" are famous sayings attributed to Huang Gong; the "Qingming River Map" has been passed down for centuries, while the "Fuchun Mountain Dwelling Map" was first destroyed by fire and then split into two, showcasing the difficult fate of paintings. You may know that Wang Shi and his son practiced calligraphy using eighteen barrels of water, but you might not know that Wang Xizhi's son-in-law was a man of extraordinary temperament. You may know Zheng Banqiao's "It's better to be foolish than to be misunderstood," but you might not know that Zhao Guan and his wife embodied the concept of "interconnectedness." You may have heard that Lu Yishao's painting album sold for 60 million yuan, and Zhang Boju donated invaluable cultural relics to the nation, but you might not know that Ye Gongchuo and Wu Hufan also donated precious calligraphy and paintings. You may know Zhang Daqian's fame, but you certainly don't know that Zhang Daqian was not only a gambling enthusiast but also an expert in creating fake paintings, deceiving wealthy merchants until the very end. Take a quiet moment to read a few pages—here you'll find the inheritance of painting schools, the circulation of calligraphy and painting, the stories of famous artworks, the genius and character of painters, legends and anecdotes, and more importantly, the history, allusions, and rare tales of Chinese painting.