Huang Binhong often used seals

Author: Dong Jian (Compiler)
Publisher: Xiling Yinshe Press
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Huang Binhong (1865-1965), originally named Maozhi, also known as Yuanji because he was born on the first day of the lunar New Year, and later changed his name to Zhi, styled Pucun. He used many aliases, with Binhong being his most common one. His ancestral home was in Tandu Village, Xixiang, Shixian, Anhui, and he was born in Jinhua, Zhejiang. Huang Binhong's life spanned two centuries and two eras, ultimately becoming renowned as a master of Chinese painting. What is important is that his thoughts and practices bore the profound imprint of the changes of the century. Huang Binhong used seals quite variably in his life. Unlike Wu Changshuo and Qi Baishi, who used seals made by themselves, or Pan Tianshou, who used seals with a certain regularity, Huang Binhong's seal usage had phases; some were used occasionally; some were used in early years but not for a long time, and then used again in his later years. Huang Binhong had a large number of paintings without dates, making it difficult to determine the exact period of use for certain seals. Additionally, there is a phenomenon worth noting: many paintings originally lacked both dates and seals, and were later supplemented by or family members with Huang Binhong's seals. These seals cannot be used as a basis for dividing the periods of use. Huang Binhong's seal carving was largely inherited from tradition but also had its own distinctive style, though not very prominent, it was often used in his paintings and was highly coordinated with his artistic style. These seals have essentially become symbolic markers.