"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 Court, although doubts about its authenticity had already existed before, such as in Shen Congwen's Studies 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 compared to the Procession at the Court and Tribute of Tributaries, the impression 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. In contrast, the Procession at the Court, around the palanquin of Li Shimin, featured a group of women whose faces lacked confidence and personality. However, 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 context, and cultural norms—it was conclusively determined that the Procession at the Court was a forgery by Yan Liben, and this was the time. This made me realize that authenticating and distinguishing forgeries of traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy requires a rigorous scientific attitude.
For example, in Debating the Authenticity of Dong Yuan's Three Paintings, Chen Peiqiu strongly advocated for the authenticity of Dong Yuan's Shan River and Shore, while for the three works—Xiangyang River, Summer Mountains, and Summer Landscape at the Mountain Pass with Boats Awaiting—long considered genuine by Dong Qichang and subsequent generations, Chen Peiqiu argued for their forgery. The term "advocate" here means "to provide evidence." Just as judges rely on evidence when rendering verdicts, the authentication of paintings and calligraphy also requires evidence, naturally based on facts. The factual basis for authenticating or distinguishing forgeries of paintings and calligraphy often consists of era-specific characteristics, brushwork, individual style, historical records, the artist's signature, later inscriptions, collection seals, and the texture of silk and paper.
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 task that is both beneficial and fascinating. 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 erroneous 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 River, and Summer Landscape at the Mountain Pass with Boats Awaiting anymore. Whether they are by Dong Yuan's hand needs further study." However, when Xie Ziliu heard this, he not only dismissed it but also remarked, "Alas, Zhang Daqian is old and muddled, getting caught up in narrow corners." Yet, Xie Ziliu truly lived up to his courage in old age. After repeated research, he finally told Chen Peiqiu in early 1996, "Apart from Shan River and Shore, the other three works by Dong Yuan—Xiangyang River and the others—are indeed problematic, and Zhang Daqian's views are justified. To overturn one's own conclusions, which took half a lifetime of effort, requires immense 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 a foundation of truth. If experts only care about their reputation and status without regard for facts, they are irresponsible to history and to their own reputation. Authorities and experts are first and foremost human, and humans are bound to make mistakes. As I mentioned earlier, Xie Ziliu devoted most of his life to studying the four works by Dong Yuan, and the key point was that he 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 stepped outside his and saw many artifacts previously inaccessible to him, he began to doubt his own conclusions, which is perfectly normal."
What is even more significant is that, beyond restoring historical accuracy, the authentication of Dong Yuan's Xiangyang River and the other three works holds the potential to lead to a fresh understanding of Five Dynasties ink landscape painting, the lineage of the Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty, and the "Southern School vs. Northern School" debate, ultimately even rewriting the history of art.