Late Qing and Republic of China Six Famous Seal Collections

Author: Li Zao
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2000-06-01
Features: This limited-edition hand-copied seal album collects the seals of six masters from the late Qing and Republican periods: Wu Rangzhi, Zhao Ziqian, Wu Changshuo, Huang Mufu, Qi Baishi, and Zhao Shuru. The album consists of two volumes, totaling 88 seals, and is hand-copied in a wooden box. It is limited to 150 copies. The cover bookmark is inscribed by Mr. Liu Jiang.
Brief Introduction to the Six Masters from the Late Qing and Republican Periods:
Wu Rangzhi (1799-1870)
A native of Yixing, Jiangsu, Wu Rangzhi was a renowned calligrapher, painter, and seal carver of the Qing Dynasty. His calligraphy is precise, robust, and dignified, with clear, deep, and stable characters that are vigorous and elegant. It serves as an excellent model for beginners in seal script.
Zhao Ziqian, styled Huishu and titled Beidan, was an outstanding artist of the late Qing Dynasty. He excelled in painting, calligraphy, seal carving, poetry, and epigraphical studies, each with a unique style and remarkable achievements. His seal carving blends the styles of the Zhe and Wan schools while pioneering a new aesthetic. He is also a paragon of "seeking inspiration beyond seals," incorporating dozens of types of characters—such as coin inscriptions, stele carvings, and imperial edicts—into his works. In the process of "seeking inspiration beyond seals," Zhao Ziqian did not merely borrow and apply; instead, he organically integrated the essence of these characters into his creations while preserving their inherent forms. His seal-carving approach and his principle of "seeking antiquity in simplicity, yet avoiding rusticity" broke the earlier division between the Zhe and Wan schools, leading modern and contemporary seal carving onto a vibrant new path. His influence on modern and contemporary seal carvers has been profound, inspiring figures like Huang Shiling and Qi Baishi. Other renowned seal carvers who followed Zhao Ziqian’s refined and elegant style include Zhao Shifeng (1874–1945), Wang Fuchang (1880–1960), and Chen Julai (1904–1984). Their works vary in style—some draw on Zhao’s calm, steady, and skillful elegance while innovating, others exhibit clarity and strength, and still others blend richness with high refinement.
Wu Changshuo, styled Jun and Junqing, and known by the sobriquets Fu, Kufei, Pohe, Dalong, Cangshuo, and Wuzhiting, was from Anji, Zhejiang. His seal carving evolved from the Zhe school, influenced by Deng Shiru and Wu Xizai, eventually reaching the realm of Qin and Han styles. He carved seals with a dull knife, revealing boldness in elegance, and depth in fluency. His second son, Wu Han, truly grasped the essence of his father’s art. His published works include Xuegu Seal Collection and Fu Seal Collection.
Huang Mufu (1849–1908) was one of the four great seal carvers of the late Qing Dynasty and the founder of the "Yishan School." Known as Huang Shiling by name but widely recognized as Mufu, he was from Yi County, Anhui. His seal carving was influenced by Deng Shiru, Chen Mansheng, Wu Rangzhi, and Zhao Ziqian, particularly by Wu Rangzhi. "Seeking inspiration beyond seals" is a key feature of Huang Mufu’s seal carvings. He avoided rigid imitation of ancient forms, instead restoring seals to their original beauty, directly capturing their smooth and exquisite qualities. Striving for completeness and precision in his designs, he clearly reinforced the styles of Wu Rangzhi and Zhao Ziqian. With his extraordinary artistic achievements, Huang Mufu shook the seal-carving world with his unassuming ingenuity and serene temperament, resisting the calls for change with neither blind conformity nor reckless action.
Qi Baishi, originally named Hong, styled Bisheng and Weiqing, and known by the sobriquets Jiping Tang Master and Xingziwo Laomin, was from Xiangtan, Hunan. His early seal carving was influenced by Ding and Huang, later learning from Zhao and Wu, and drawing strength from stele inscriptions. He developed a distinctive style—bold, unrestrained, dynamic, and unadorned.
Zhao Shuru, styled Shizhu and later known as Ernu Laoren, was from Ningbo, Zhejiang. A Confucian scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, he served as a Tongzhi official in Fujian. After the establishment of the Republic, he retired to Shanghai. He was skilled in (jinshi, or metal and stone arts), calligraphy, and painting, particularly excelling in horse paintings. In his later years, he focused on flowers, feathers, and insects. A collector with many disciples, he was one of the prominent painters of the first half of the 20th century in Shanghai, alongside Wu Zheng, Wu Huafen, and Feng Chaoran, who were collectively known as the "Four Masters of Shanghai."