Brushing the past : later Chinese calligraphy from the gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth / Joseph Chang, Thomas Lawton, Stephen D. Allee

148 Pages·2000·13.9 MB·English

by  Chang, Joseph

Brushing the Fast

Brushing
the Past
Later Chinese Calligraphy from the Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth
JOSEPH CHANG
THOMAS LAWTON
STEPHEN ALLEE
D.
Freer Gallery of Art Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C.
I I
Freer Gallery of Art
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CopyrightC' 2000 Smithsonian histitution.
All ritilits reserved.
I'libhshed on the occasion of the exhibition the Pdit:
Later Chinese Cii//ii;)i!/)/;)'fioiii llic Cifl ofHolnit ILufield lillstivrtli
April 30, 2000—January 2, 2001
Fundingfor this publication was provided bv the Freerand SacklerGalleries'
I'ublications Endowment Fund, initialK' est.iblished with a grant troin the Andrew
W. Mellon Fotmdation and generous contributions h"om private cloiiors.
Head ot Publications: Karen Sagstetter
Eciited b\' Dean Trackman
Designeci bv Virginia Ibarra-Ciarza
Photography by lohn Tsaiites
Typeset in Diotinia, Beiiibo. and C'ronos by Birdtrack Press,
New Haven, Connecticut
Printed on Potlatch Vintage Velvet by Schiieidereith and Sons,
Baltimore, Maryland
Cover: Detailfrom a couplet, Duanfang (iS6i-iyTi), runningscript,
Qingdynasty, late igth-early 20th century. See cat. no. ly.
Frontispiece: Detail from a poem, Wang Wenzhi (1730—1802),
running script, Qmgdynasty, late iSth centur)-. See cat. no. 2.
Library- ofCongress
Cataloguing-in-Piiblication Data
Chang, Joseph.
Brushing the past: later Cdnnese calligraphy from the gift ot Robert Hattield
Ellsworth/loseph Chang, Thomas Lawton, Stephen D. AUee,
p. cm.
Catalog ofan exhibition held at the Freer Callen' ot Art, Washington, D.C.,
Apr. 30, 2000-Jan. 2, 2001.
Inckides bibliographical references.
1. Calligraphy, Chinese—Histon'—Ming-Ch'mgdynasties, 1368-1912—Catalogs.
— — —
2. Calligraphy, Chinese History 20th century Catalogs. 3. Scrolls, Chinese
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Catalogs. 4. Ellsworth, Robert Hatfield, 1929 Art collections Catalogs. S- Scrolls
— — —
Private collections W.ishmgton (D.C.) Catalogs. 6. Freer Gallery ofArt Catalogs.
I. Lawton, Thomas, 1931- II. Alice, Stephen D. III. Freer Gallery ofArt. IV. Tide.
Ni;)i4s7.C52 W3.S3 2000
759.93i'074'753-dc2i 00-028737
The paperused in this publication meets the minimum requirements for the
American National Standard for Periii.inence ofPaperforPrinted Library Materials,
Z39.48-1984.
^ 3 Smithsonian
FreerGalleryofAn and
ArthurM.SacklerGallery
Contents
6 Foi'cwonl
MILO CLEVELAND BEACH
9 Preface
ROBERT HATFIELD ELLSWORTH
12 Acknowiedqmeiits
15 Robert Hatfield Ellsworth:
Extravaqaiit Charisma ami
Bnniisiied Ei/e
THOMAS LAWTON
41 Stone and Metal to Paper:
Ancient Calhqraphi/ Reinterpreted
JOSEPH CHANG
57 Cataloque
STEPHEN D. ALLEE
139 Chronoloqi/
140 Glossary
143 Contributors
Foreword
Changes await all American cultural institutions at the beginning of
the twenty-first century, and art museums in particular are under-
2;oin^ transfonnatic:»ns ofthe most fundamental kmd. Yet while the
shape and tenor ofmuseum collections, exhibitions, research, and
public programs will evolve in ways difficult to preciict, two con-
stants in the histoiy ofmuseums will remain offunciamental impor-
tance: the pursuit ofknowledge and the generosity ofindividuals.
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Ideally each inspires and drives the other, setting motion a
process that ultimately advances awareness and understanding, the
goal ofany institution concerned with the histoiy ot knowledge,
whether visual or something else. This short, dynamic cycle consti-
tutes the lifeblood ofall great art museums, and the Freer Gallery of
Art is no exception. With the vision and gifts ofits founcier, Charles
Lang Freer, as a foundation, the Freer Galleiy has historically struck
its own distinctive, even iciiosyncratic, course in the exploration ot
Now
Asia's staggenngly complex art histoiy. the galleiy celebrates
yet another notable and tar-reaching gift, a major collection ot later
Chinese calligraphy from Robert Hatfield Ellsworth.
The Freer Galleiy ofArt observed its seventy-fifth anniversary
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199N. hi honor ofthat occasion, Ellsworth generously gave the
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galleiy two gitts ofcalligraphy, one 1997 and the other in 1998.
Together they comprise 260 works ofcalligraphy by 175 artists,
along with 19 attached paintings by 16 artists. These works quadru-
ple the museum's holdings ofChinese caUigraphy. Before the Freer
Galleiy received this gift, independent works ofChinese caUigraphy
in the collection dated mainly to the seventeenth centuiy or earlier.
With dated works ranging from 1789 to 1985, the Ellsworth collec-
tion represents all the major trends in Chinese calligraphy and most
ofthe important individual artists ofthe last two hundred years.
By the standard ofany museum, this gift is ofunusual importance.
hi 1998 Ellsworth also facilitated the accjuisition ofan important
selection ofworks by the eccentric monk-painter Bada Shanreii
(1626-1705). From the collection ofdie late Wang Fangyu and his
wife. Sum Wai, the works include seventeen independent exam-
ples ofthe artist's calligraphy.
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With the addition ofthese exceptional collections, the Freer
Gallery ofArt now ranks among the largest repositories ofChinese
calligraphy in the United States. It is one ofthe few centers in the
West for the comprehensive stndy ofthis fascinating and qnintes-
sentially Chinese art torm.
This book features twenty works from the Ellsworth gift. The
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authors -Joseph Chang, Thomas Lawton, and Stephen D. Allee
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have placed the importance ofthe collection proper perspective.
Not only do they explore in depth the two major currents of
nineteenth-century Chinese caUigraphy, they also trace several ot the
great nineteenth-century Chinese collectors who exerted a strong
influence on the direction ofcalligraphy and explain how the
Ellsworth collection relates to earlier practices ofcollecting Chinese
art in the West. In addition, they securely situate each artist in his
own time and stylistic tradition and each work within the artist's
oeuvre. With extensively annotated entries and translations, this
book clearly represents substantial new research and scholarship.
Slowly becoming better understood by scholars is the crucial
role played throughout East Asia by the Chinese language and
its many written forms. This new gilt ot calligraphy presents rich
research possibihties, ofcourse, as well as opportunities tor the
curatorial staffto exhibit and interpret various aspects ot the tradi-
tion c^fcalligraphy in the coming years. Since the Freer Galleiy ot
Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Galleiy together form the national
museum ofAsian art for the United States, one ofour tundamental
responsibilities is to find ways to demystity and make accessible
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the more difficult aspects ofChinese culture and caUigraphy must
be placed in this categoiy, at least for non-Chinese viewers. I have
no doubt that future generations will view the Ellsworth gitt as
one that inspired and changed our notions ot how to begin under-
standing Chinese calligraphy from across cultural divides. It is a
challenge we gladly and gratefully accept trom Robert Ellsworth.
Milo Cleveland Beach
Director
Freer Gallery ofArt and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
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