Ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Catalogue

Author: Ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Appraisal Group
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-08-01
Features: A collection of fine authentic works of ancient Chinese calligraphy and painting. It is a comprehensive reference book for the study of Chinese calligraphy and painting. Compiled by the Ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Appraisal Group. Published by Wenwu Press in Beijing in October 1986. The works included are reproduced from the original photographs and printed in single-color offset lithography in an 8-inch format, bound in hardcover. The book reflects the appraisal results of the Ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Appraisal Group in Beijing from 1983 to 1984, featuring selected works from private collections temporarily held by the Palace Museum, as well as parts of the calligraphy and painting collections from 13 institutions, including the Chinese History Museum, the National Art Museum of China, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, the Capital Museum, the Beijing Art Institute, the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts, the General Store of Chinese Cultural Relics, the Beijing Import and Export Corporation of Handicrafts, Rongbaozhai, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, and the Xu Beihong Memorial Hall. The total number of works is 1,020, including: 46 works from the Jin to Yuan dynasties, 340 works from the Ming dynasty, and 634 works from the Qing dynasty. Among them, there are well-known masterpieces with documented provenance, such as Wang Xizhi's "Running Script and Regular Script Thousand-Character Classic" scroll from the Jin dynasty, Qixu's "Pastoral Landscape" scroll from the early Northern Song dynasty, Huang Gongwang's "Rainy Mountain Landscape" scroll and Ni Zan's "Water Bamboo Residence" scroll in color from the Yuan dynasty; as well as newly discovered masterpieces during the appraisal process, such as Gu Chun's "Red Cliff" scroll, Shi Rui's "Spring Morning in the Mountain Shop" scroll, Jin Yi's "Grapes" scroll, Zhu Yunming's "Regular Script Epitaph for Mao Cheng's Wife, Han Lady" album, and Zhu Da's "Quiet Autumn Window" scroll from the Qing dynasty. Many works also include inscriptions and seals by famous masters from different dynasties. The works are arranged by cultural relic collection units, with each unit organized by the historical dynasties of China. Within each dynasty, authors are listed in chronological order, and each work is accompanied by descriptions of its material, ink color, size, and creation date. During the appraisal process, opinions on the authenticity of a few works are clearly marked. At the beginning of the book, there is a preface and editorial note; at the end, there is an afterword, along with an English preface, an English editorial note, and the "Catalog of Ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Painting." This book is the first volume of "Illustrated Catalog of Ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Painting," with subsequent volumes to be published in due course. It is the first comprehensive and systematic multi-volume reference book ever published in China to introduce ancient Chinese calligraphy and painting. It serves as an important resource for the study of the development of ancient Chinese calligraphy and painting art, and also provides reference value for the study of ancient Chinese architecture, gardens, clothing, customs, and institutional systems.