The World of Fu Shan -- The Transformation of Chinese Calligraphy in the 17th Century

Author: Zhe Qianshen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: The 17th century was a pivotal period in the history of Chinese calligraphy, marking the transition from the "cliff-script" (ti) school to the "stone-script" (bei) school, with Fu Shan being a representative figure. Unlike previous scholars who studied calligraphy history in isolation, the author of this book, Bai Qianshen, does not examine Fu Shan's calligraphy in isolation but places it within the broader cultural framework of the era. From the perspectives of the development of academic thought, material culture, and print culture, as well as the perspective of the "sojourner's complex" () stemming from the turmoil of the Ming-Qing transition, the author observes and interprets Fu Shan's life, as well as the academic ideas and artistic creations that emerged from it. In attempting to reconstruct Fu Shan's life experience, the author not only provides a fresh perspective on this turning point in the history of Chinese calligraphy but also on the Chinese cultural world of the 17th century. For readers interested in various aspects of Chinese society during the Ming-Qing transition, this book is a must-read. Upon its release in both English and traditional Chinese, the book garnered keen attention from academic circles both domestically and internationally, being praised as "one of the best works ever written on a single artist." The World of Fu Shan explores the evolution of calligraphy during this period through the lens of Fu Shan. Therefore, it is not a biography of Fu Shan in the traditional sense; the author views Fu Shan's calligraphy as a single branch of a painting, aiming to trace its origins by following the lean of the branch beyond the frame of the artwork—to seek the flowerbed and the soil from which it came. This is a "history of the evolution of 17th-century calligraphy" viewed through the lens of Fu Shan, or a "history of 17th-century culture" viewed through the lens of calligraphy. The World of Fu Shan is indeed a name that accurately reflects its subject.