Pan Tianshou
Encyclopedia
Pan Tianshou was a notable painter and art educator of modern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Pan was born in Guanzhuang, Ninghai County
Ninghai County
Ninghai County is a county in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province of China, resides at the middle section of East Zhejiang's coastal line, adjoining Hangzhou and Shanghai on the south. It is one of the first regions opening up to the outside world. It covers an area of 1931km² and a section of coastline...
, Zhejiang Province, and graduated from Zhejiang First Normal School (today the Hangzhou High School
Hangzhou High School
Hangzhou High School , or Hangzhou Senior High School, established in 1899, is a high school in China. There are 46 academicians who graduated from the institution.-Hanggao Observatory:...
(浙江省杭州高级中学)). He followed Wu Changshuo
Wu Changshuo
Wú Chāngshuò is the name for which Wu Junqing is best known. He was born in Zhejiang from a scholarly family and for a time toward the end of the Qing he served as an official in Liaoning. He settled in Suzhou in his twenties.Initially, he devoted himself to poetry and calligraphy with a strong...
to study Chinese traditional painting. He built the foundation of Chinese traditional painting education.
Chronicle
On March 14, 1897 (lunar calendar February 12), he was born in Guanzhuang Village, Ninghai CountyNinghai County
Ninghai County is a county in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province of China, resides at the middle section of East Zhejiang's coastal line, adjoining Hangzhou and Shanghai on the south. It is one of the first regions opening up to the outside world. It covers an area of 1931km² and a section of coastline...
, Zhejiang Province. Initial name was Tianjing(天谨) and school name, Tianshou(天授).
In 1903, his mother died. In summer, he was enrolled in private school in the village. Beside taking classes, he liked calligraphy, and also enjoyed imitating illustrations on novels such as "Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
"(三国演义) and "Water Margin
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
"(水浒传).
In Spring 1910, he entered Zhengxue Primary School in town, and received western school education. After class, he was interested in calligraphy, painting and stamp carving. He brought "Jieziyuan Painting Album" (芥子园画谱) and several albums of models of calligraphy. Those were enlightening materials for him to self-study Chinese painting and calligraphy, and he thus was determined to devote his whole life to Chinese painting.
In Autumn 1915, he was enrolled into Zhejiang First Normal School in Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
with excellent grades.
In 1918, he was on 4th grade at school, and drew "Luquats"(枇杷图) for fellow students.
In 1919, he drew "Chinese Bulbul on Wisteria" (紫藤白头翁) and other paintings for fellow students. In that year, he participated in "May 4th" patriotic students gathering in Hangzhou. Around 1919 to 1920, he met Liu Haisu
Liu Haisu
Liu Haisu was a prominent contemporary Chinese painter, and noted art educator. He excelled in Chinese painting and oil painting.-Overview:...
for first time in Jingjia Hill, Hangzhou.
In Spring 1920, he participated in advanced students uprising at Zhejiang First Normal School. In Summer, he graduated and went back to Ninghai to teach at Zhengxue Primary School. In leisure time, he dedicatedly studies painting, calligraphy, poems and stamp carving. He drew "Desolate Crow in Sparse Forest" (疏林寒鸦) and "Forlorn Bell Rings among Mountains at Night"(晚山疏钟) for Zhao Pingfu, or Rou Shi (柔石).
In 1921, he habitually imitated ancient folk calligraphy and paintings, and studies painting theory. He drew "Bright Moon above Wisteria" (紫藤明月), "Mynah in Snow" (雪景八哥) etc.
In Spring 1922, he moved to teach at the primary school in Xiaofeng County (now Anji County
Anji County
Anji County is a county in the prefecture-level city of Huzhou in Zhejiang, People's Republic of China, with a population of 450,000. Anji county is well known for its bamboo, containing as it does 60,000 hectares of bamboo groves. It has been designated a pilot county for ecological...
), Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
. Together with Shen Suizhen(沈遂贞), he held an exhibition in Yizi Pavilion, Xiaofeng County. There were finger-ink painting among his works. He drew "Lonely Crow on Aged Tree" (古木寒鸦), "Pristine Water in Breeze" (长风白水), "Jigong Monk and Elephant" (济公与象), "Bald Monk" (秃头僧), etc.
In Spring 1923, he became a teacher at Republic of China female workers school in Shanghai. In that Summer, he was also appointed as a lecturer in painting practice and theory classes in department of Chinese painting at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts. He got to know Wu Changshuo
Wu Changshuo
Wú Chāngshuò is the name for which Wu Junqing is best known. He was born in Zhejiang from a scholarly family and for a time toward the end of the Qing he served as an official in Liaoning. He settled in Suzhou in his twenties.Initially, he devoted himself to poetry and calligraphy with a strong...
, Wang Yiting, Huang Binhong
Huang Binhong
Huáng Bīnhóng was a Chinese art historian and literati painter born in Jinhua in Zhejiang province. His ancestral home was She County in Anhui province. He was the grandson of artist Huang Fengliu. He would later be associated with Shanghai and finally Hangzhou...
, Wu Fuzhi, and Zhu Qizhan. His style approached Wu Changshuo
Wu Changshuo
Wú Chāngshuò is the name for which Wu Junqing is best known. He was born in Zhejiang from a scholarly family and for a time toward the end of the Qing he served as an official in Liaoning. He settled in Suzhou in his twenties.Initially, he devoted himself to poetry and calligraphy with a strong...
, evolving from unrestrained to profound. He drew "Flowers Wet with Dew in Autumn" (秋华湿露). He changed his name to "Tianshou" (天寿).
In 1924, he became a professor at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, started writing the book "The History of Chinese Painting". He was actively engaged in a variety of exhibitions, studying preserved ancient paintings and meeting with noted painters. He specialized in liberal-style flowers and birds painting, and also excelled in landscape painting. He drew "The Beggar" (行乞图), "Horse Fastened on Poplar" (垂杨系马), and "Fox Servant at New Year Eve" (狸奴守岁).
In January 1925, he completed "History of Chinese Painting" in Shanghai, and wrote preface of the book in Hangzhou in February. On June 20, He co-sponsored an advertisement on "Sheng Newspaper" with Liu Haisu
Liu Haisu
Liu Haisu was a prominent contemporary Chinese painter, and noted art educator. He excelled in Chinese painting and oil painting.-Overview:...
, Zhu Wenyun and other professors, and held a charity sale exhibition for workers and citizens deceased in May 30 Riot. He drew "Mountains at Dawn" (晴峦晓色), "Soothing Spring Breeze" (春风淡荡), "Aged Plum Blossoms" (古梅), etc.
In July 1926, his "History of Chinese Painting" was published by Commercial Press. In Winter, together with Yu Jifan and Pan Booying, he co-founded Shanghai Xinhua School of Fine Arts.
In Spring 1927, Xinhua School enrolled first-year class, and Pan became the chief professor in Education Department.
External links
- Pan Tianshou and his Painting Gallery at China Online Museum