•  
  •  
 

Zhongyi Xia

Abstract

To identify why only “the poetics of graphite stone paintings” in Wu Changshuo and Pan Tianshou's works deserve to be referred to as representative of “modern scholars' paintings,” several issues need clarification. First, what is the boundary between “paintings by scholars” and “paintings by literati?” Second, how does one identify Wu's “stubborn stone” not only as a kind of “scholarly painting,” but also as “modern?” Third, how does one recognize Pan's “massive rock” as a “scholarly painting” worthy of being called “modern?” The response is as follows. Firstly, “scholarly painting” is rooted in tranquility and introverted in the self-sanctity of personality, while the root of “literati painting” lies in pleasure, and the pursuit of novelty lies in elegance and entertainment. Secondly, Wu's “stubborn stone” embodies a black-robed Zhong Qiu (dispelling evil and supporting the right), whose image resembles a “drunken Taoist priest” (stubborn and ugly) in Su Shi's “strange stone.” With an unrestrained mind, Wu could resign from his official position and pursue art. At the peak of his rise in the Shanghai-style painting circle, with the stone as a shield, he withstood the turbid flow of money worship shared by both the imperial court and the general population, reflected in the paintings of “peony.” Thirdly, Pan's “massive rock,” metaphorical of his late days, stands for his self-expectation to fulfill his mission to climb the pinnacle of modern ink wash painting.

Keywords

graphite stone paintings, scholarly paintings, modernity, Wu Changshuo, Pan Tianshou

First Page

69

Last Page

78

Download

Share

COinS