"Masterpiece Riddles -- An Interview with Chen Peiqiu"

Author: Chen Qiwei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Preface: In the debate over the authenticity of Yan Liben's Procession at the Stele, although doubts about the painting's authenticity had already existed before, such as in Shen Congwen's Research on Ancient Chinese Clothing published by the Commercial Press in Hong Kong in 1981, which mentioned in its commentary on Emperors of Past Dynasties that the impression of Yan Liben's Procession at the Stele and Tribute of Tributaries was vastly different. The emperors' faces and attire in Emperors of Past Dynasties were depicted with certainty and accuracy, with no hesitation in the brushwork. However, in the Procession at the Stele, the group of women around Li Shimin's sedan chair lacked certainty in the brushwork and showed no personality or vitality. Nevertheless, after conducting an in-depth and meticulous study and analysis from multiple aspects—such as the era's artistic style, brushwork characteristics, artistic level, historical inscriptions, collection seals, silk texture, historical background, and cultural norms—it was conclusively determined that the Procession at the Stele was a forgery by Yan Liben, and this was the time. This made me suddenly realize that authenticating and distinguishing forgeries of traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy requires an rigorous scientific attitude.
For example, in Debating the Authenticity of Dong Yuan's Three Paintings, Chen Peiqiu strongly argued for the authenticity of Dong Yuan's Shan Se along the River, while for the three works—Xiangyang along the River, Summer Mountains, and Summer Landscape at the Mountain Pass with Boats Awaiting—long considered genuine by Dong Qichang and later generations, Chen Peiqiu insisted they were forgeries. The term "strongly argue" here means "to provide evidence." A judge cannot render a verdict without evidence, of course, based on facts. Similarly, the authentication of paintings and calligraphy also requires evidence, based on facts. The evidence for the authenticity or forgery of traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy is often composed of comprehensive factors such as era characteristics, brushwork, individual style, historical records, the artist's signature, later inscriptions, collection seals, and silk and paper quality.
From this perspective, the authentication of paintings, including calligraphy, whether from an artistic or scientific standpoint, is a labor-intensive, highly detailed, step-by-step, and academically rigorous work that is both beneficial and interesting. At the same time, it is essential to face and respect objective facts and possess the courage to overturn one's own past conclusions or mistaken views. It is said that as early as the late 1980s of the last century, the renowned artist Zhang Daqian entrusted Wang Nanping to pass a message to Xie Ziliu: "Tell Ziliu not to delve into Dong Yuan's Summer Mountains, Xiangyang along the River, and Summer Landscape at the Mountain Pass with Boats Awaiting anymore. Whether they are by Dong Yuan's hand must be studied." However, Xie Ziliu, upon hearing this, not only paid it no heed but also remarked, "Alas, Zhang Daqian is old and muddled, getting stuck in a corner." Yet, Xie Ziliu truly lived up to his courage in his old age. After repeated research, he finally told Chen Peiqiu in early 1996, "Except for Shan Se along the River, the other three works by Dong Yuan—Xiangyang along the River and the other two scrolls—indeed have issues, and Zhang Daqian's views are reasonable... To overturn one's own conclusions, which took half a lifetime of effort to research, requires what kind of extraordinary courage. Xie Ziliu's example further illustrates, from another angle, how labor-intensive and time-consuming the authentication of ancient Chinese paintings and calligraphy can be! Fortunately, the unfinished work of Zhang Daqian and Xie Ziliu has now been accomplished by Chen Peiqiu with great effort and skill.
In an interview, Chen Peiqiu lamented, "Authority is built on pragmatism. If as an expert, one only cares about their reputation and status without regard for facts, that is irresponsible to history and to one's own reputation. Authorities and experts are first and foremost human, and humans are bound to make mistakes. As I mentioned earlier, Xie Ziliu spent most of his life studying the four works by Dong Yuan, and the key point was that he also believed in the conclusions of the great Ming Dynasty scholar Dong Qichang on Dong Yuan's works, which led to his subsequent arguments. However, once he broke free from his and saw many physical artifacts he had never seen before, he began to doubt his own conclusions and wavered. This is very normal."
What is even more important is that, apart from restoring historical truth, the significance of authenticating and distinguishing forgeries of Dong Yuan's Xiangyang along the River and the other three scrolls lies in the fact that it will lead to a renewed understanding of Five Dynasties ink and wash landscapes, the lineage of the Four Masters of Yuan Dynasty, and the "Southern School and Northern School" issues, potentially even rewriting art history.