Chausibiao · Wang Yuanqi Fine Album

Author: (Qing) Zha Shibi, (Qing) Wang Yuanqi (Illustrator)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
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Zha Shibi (1615-1698) was a renowned painter of the Qing Dynasty. His courtesy name was Erzhan, and his style name was Meihuo. He was from Anhui, Xiuning, and resided in Yangzhou. He was a scholar in the late Ming Dynasty. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he shut himself away, rising only at dusk to avoid visitors. There was a story where the Emperor’s son-in-law (a Heir Consort) visited his home three times but was not received or answered. He possessed an extensive collection of ancient inscriptions, calligraphy, and paintings. He dedicated his life to poetry, calligraphy, and painting, incorporating changes, with a style that was ethereal and desolate in spirit. He used few strokes, cherished ink as gold, and emphasized flavor. He adhered to an innocent and secluded aesthetic, free from flashy habits. He once wrote "Zong Shu Tang Yu Gao" (Remnants of Zong Shu Hall). Together with Sun Yi, Wang Zhiduan, and the monk from Zhejiang, he was known as one of the "Four Great Painters of Xin’an."
Wang Yuanqi was born in 1642 and died in 1715 at the age of 74. He was a famous painter of the Qing Dynasty. He was from Jiangsu and the grandson of the renowned painter Wang Shimin. Together with Wang Shimin, Wang Jian, and Wang Hui, he was known as the "Four Wangs" of the early Qing Dynasty. Among the "Four Wangs," Wang Yuanqi was the youngest but achieved the highest acclaim. He once served as the Vice Minister of Revenue and was known as Wang Si Nong. In the 44th year of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign (1705), he was appointed as the Chief Editor of the Painting and Calligraphy Spectrum Collection and collaborated with Sun Yue, Song Junye, Wang Quan, and others to compile the large-scale painting and calligraphy book "Pei Wen Zhai Shuhua Pu" (Spectrum of Painting and Calligraphy from Pei Wen Studio) in 100 volumes, which took three years to complete. This book provides precious and comprehensive materials for lovers of painting and calligraphy and is considered a treasure of Chinese painting history. Due to his high favor with the Kangxi Emperor, Wang Yuanqi had many students, gradually forming an independent painting school.