Shu Hua Chuan is a unique Chinese art form fashioned by literati artists and calligraphers who traveled on the country's flowing waterways.
by Jas Kirt
(2015)
UCLA International Institute, June 22, 2015 -- At a recent event hosted by the UCLA Center for Chinese Studies
and Art History Department,
prominent Chinese art historian Fu Shen gave a presentation on Shu Hua Chuan, a unique Chinese art
tradition that inspires the creation of the many classical paintings and
calligraphy.
Fu is a world-renowned expert on Chinese painting and
calligraphy and professor emeritus at the Graduate Institute of Art History of
National Taiwan University. Among other professional engagements, he has taught
at Yale University and served as senior curator of Chinese art at the Sackler
and Freer Galleries of the Smithsonian Institution. His talk was a part of the
Taiwan Spotlight Series.
Importance of waterways
as a conduit of art
The unique Shu Hua Chuan art form took shape during the Song
Dynasty (960–1279), when the center of the art world in China began to
shift southward and waterways became the major method of transportation. During
the Sui (581–618 AD) and the Tang (618–690; 705–907 AD) dynasties, painters and
calligraphers were primarily concentrated in the northern part of China, but
under the Ming Dynasty they moved south and towards the new cultural center of the
state, closer to the rivers.
Before the lecture: the tools of the trade of calligraphy.
Photo: Hui Shu Lee/ UCLA.)
Non-professional “gentlemen” painters and artists (also
known as “literati”) embarked on distant travels using these waterways and
found stability and space on boats, which they utilized as studios to create
art that combined painting and calligraphy. The importance of Chinese rivers
can be found in the thematic presence of boats in much of the artwork produced by
this school of art. Additionally, said Fu, the “profound experiences of
traveling in a floating and flowing art studio on water” are reflected within
the artistic pieces as well.
While this art form is primarily associated with Chinese
culture and traditions, the presence of water and boats is a prevalent theme
throughout Western painting as well, noted the speaker. Many works by Edouard
Manet and Claude Monet depict artists painting on waterways, most notably,
Claude Monet’s “The Studio Boat,” created in 1876 — several centuries after Shu Hua
Chuan became popular.
Notable artists
The Chinese artist Mi Fu (1051–1107) is credited as the first
artist to practice Shu Hua Chuan. During the 12th century, he took a
position as the Jianghuai River’s shipping coordinator and shortly afterwards
named his boat the “Calligraphy and Painting Boat of Mi’s Family.” Mi is best
known for his calligraphy work and is considered one of the greatest
calligraphers of the Song Dynasty.
One of the many examples of calligraphy shown during
the lecture. (Photo: Jas Kirt/ UCLA.)
Dong Qichang (1555–1636), another representative of Shu Hua
Chuan, produced many paintings and calligraphy while taking long trips during
his illustrious career as an official in different locales throughout China,
always beginning from Beijing. Dong Qichang’s routes were illustrated on a map
displayed by the speaker, who noted that many artists continued this tradition
after Qichang’s death.
Art form ceases to be
practiced
Many notable Chinese artists and calligraphers have
practiced Shu Hua Chuan over several hundreds of years. Fu Shen shared dozens
of slides of their works with the audience during his lecture. He concluded,
however, that the art form had disappeared in the middle of the 20th
century due to revolutions in both transportation and lifestyles.
Calligraphy demonstration. (Photo: Hui Shu Lee.)
Professor Fu Shen poses with his calligraphy, together with
UCLA faculty and students. (Photo: Hui Shu Lee/ UCLA.)