P'u Ru's copy of the Diamond Sutra

Author: Pu Ru
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Pu Ru (1896–1963), styled Xinru, styled Xishan Yishi, was a great-grandson of the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the grandson of Prince Gong Hui, and the second son of Prince Zaiqing. Therefore, he often used the seal "Old Prince" or signed his name on his mature calligraphy and painting works. From a young age, he studied calligraphy under court painters and copied the ink rubbings of famous masters from various dynasties in his family collection. In his youth, he studied in Germany for eight years and obtained two doctorates in biology and astronomy before returning home in glory. Then, he retired to Jiutan Temple in the Western Hills of Beijing, devoted himself to painting, and refused all social engagements for ten years, hence taking the name "Xishan Yishi." His landscape painting followed the styles of the Song and Yuan dynasties, emphasizing lightness and elegance, with less emphasis on color and more on line work. His paintings were not driven by profit, devoid of any "commercial aura," and the entire scene exuded a harmonious tranquility. His first solo exhibition in Beijing was a sensation, earning recognition from the art world. In the mid-1930s, he was renowned alongside Zhang Daqian, with their landscape paintings dominating the northern and southern painting scenes, earning them the title "Southern Zhang, Northern Pu." In Beijing, his landscape paintings were revered as the "foremost master of green-and-gold landscape painting in the northern school of Chinese painting." Later, he moved to Taiwan, where he, along with Zhang Daqian and Huang Junbi, became the three pillars of the island's art scene, exerting a profound influence. When the book was completed, Yan Shi performed a triple kowtow and nine bows in gratitude to Master Pu. Moved by her sincere filial piety, Master Pu painted a portrait of the Bodhisattva in white ink and placed it at the beginning of the album. The Bodhisattva had a gaunt yet dignified face, a graceful posture, and an aura of enlightenment, as if reciting the Diamond Sutra and guiding the three thousand worlds of countless disciples. Yan Shi was also skilled in calligraphy and painting, and she had the album made into a fine wooden box, requesting Master Pu and Yu Zhengren to inscribe the title on the inside and outside. She also invited various scholars and artists of the time to write inscriptions at the back of the album, creating a treasure for all to admire. The inscribers were all renowned figures from Taiwan at the time, experts in art and calligraphy. Their inscriptions praised the filial piety of Xiaotang, admired the mastery of Master Pu, hailed the kindness of the calligraphers as immeasurable merits, and unanimously declared the Bodhisattva in the Diamond Sutra as a priceless treasure of the era.