" Bai Mei Xin Yong Tu Chuan: Historical Famous Women's Poems and Paintings: Historical Famous Women's Poems and Paintings "

Author: Liu Jingmin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: This book was a shining gem in the history of Chinese woodblock prints and a literary treasure that integrated images, biographies, poetry, and calligraphy. It was first published during the Qianlong era, featuring biographies of over a hundred renowned beauties from various dynasties, such as Yang Guifei, Zhao Feiyang, Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, and Cai Wenji, accompanied by over a hundred illustrations and more than two hundred poems composed by scholars like Yuan Mei. It was compiled by the famous Qing Dynasty scholar Yan Xiyuan and illustrated by the renowned painter Wang Hu, who had once served in the imperial court. The modern scholar Zheng Zhenduo highly praised this book in his "Brief History of Ancient Chinese Woodblock Prints." To this day, whenever books on the history of Chinese woodblock prints are published, I do not cite references to this book, which speaks to its prominent status in Chinese history. However, over the centuries, its non-literary value has often been overlooked, and many of its finest works, such as Yuan Mei's poems, have not been included in today's so-called literary anthologies—a truly regrettable omission. The republication of this book today showcases its cultural depth and artistic charm, making its academic value self-evident.