متى وأين وُلد Chen Shu؟

1660, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China

What was Chen Shu's role in the family after the early death of her husband?

She became a teacher to her children and raised her son alone

ما هي الأسماء الأخرى التي يُعرف بها Chen Shu؟

Nanlou, Shangyuandizi, Xiuzhounüshi, Nanloulaoren, Nanlounüshi, Fuan, Zhongyu, 陳書, 陈书

(1660 - 1736) – اللوحات، والسيرة الذاتية، والأعمال الشهيرة

A Pioneer of the Qing Dynasty

Born in Zhejiang, People's Republic of China, Chen Shu was a female painter during the early Qing dynasty. Known by several names including Nanlou, Shangyuandizi, and Xiuzhounüshi, she is recognized as the first female painter of the Qing dynasty and the inaugurator of the Xiushui School painting style. After the early death of her husband, she raised her son, the statesman Qian Chenqun, and used her art to provide for her family and help feed the poor. Her talent eventually reached the imperial court; after her son introduced her paintings to the Qianlong Emperor, many of her works were featured in the imperial collection, including pieces held in the Palace Museum in Beijing and the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

Artistic Mastery and Style

Chen Shu’s diverse body of work encompasses figures, landscapes, and flower-and-bird paintings. In her landscape works, she often referenced the style of the Yuan dynasty artist Wang Meng, utilizing a vertical format and dense wooded landscapes characterized by formulaic strokes that create smooth, orderly patterns on foliage and boulders. She also drew influence from the Wu School of Suzhou in her compositions. Her iconography frequently included the depiction of flowers and birds, such as her work The White Cockatoo, which utilized compositions similar to Song dynasty painting. Beyond her own practice, she served as a teacher to her children and tutored various disciples, including Qian Weicheng and Zhang Geng.