- Published: November 17, 2021
- Updated: November 17, 2021
- University / College: Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
- Level: Doctor of Philosophy
- Language: English
- Downloads: 46
Wu Changshuo: Chinese Seal Artist. Task: Foreword. This research aims to give a brief historical background on Wu Changshuo as a famous Qing Dynasty seal artist and consequently highlight some of his seals and the general concept of Chinese seal art.
Wu Changshuo: Chinese Seal Artist.
Introduction.
General Chinese history can be dated back to the various dynasties that ruled China during its relatively illustrious past. These include the Shang Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, Sui Dynasty, Tan Dynasty, and Qing Dynasty among others. Of these, the Qing Dynasty was one of the most important as many cultural and socioeconomic activities took place during this period (Penn 2005, p. 34). One such activities involved art, particularly Chinese seal art. Seal art generally refers to the creation of patterns on a surface either for official use or for pure aesthetics. As such, one great seal artist of the Qing Dynasty was Wu Changshuo, who also doubled up as a calligrapher.
Wu Changshuo
Born in 1844, Wu held various positions in the Chinese society till his demise in 1927. These included being a painter, a calligrapher, a seal artist, and even a poet. He alternated between the various activities, but the major focus was on seal art. Moreover, he was majorly associated with the Hai and Zhe Schools of seal art, which grew to become some of the most famous seal art schools. Therefore, this means that he developed numerous forms of seal art during his period, consequently making him one of the most famous and successful seal artists of the time (Penn 2005, p. 56).
Samples
In light of the above, the following examples highlight Wu’s samples of seal art.
Wu Changshuo seal showing various Chinese characters.
Another example of Wu Changshuo seal art illustrating a denser arrangement of Chinese characters than the first.
Wu Changshuo seal art showing the physical aspects of the seal art itself. The first two are a representation of what the outcome of the seals look like, while the one above depicts the actual means for setting the seals.
Conclusion.
From the above, it can be noted that Chinese seal art was one major aspect of the societal development particularly in the Qing dynasty. This is as been illustrated by the above examples from Wu Changshuo as a famous Qing Dynasty seal artists. While there were different seal artists during the Qing Dynasty, Wu’s approach proved to be one of the most unique, since his seals were the most generally accepted seals as compared to the rest. Therefore, the historical perspective on Wu Changshuo serves the right purpose especially in relation to the aspect of ancient Chinese seal art.
References.
Pann, Y., 2005. Ancient Art of the Chinese Seal. Colorado: Running Press Book Publishers.