Pan Tianshou (; 1897–1971) was a Chinese painter and art educator.
Pan was born in Guanzhuang,
Ninghai County
Ninghai County () is a county under the administration of Ningbo, in the east of Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It covers a land area of and a sea area of and has a coastline. It has four sub-districts, 11 towns, three townsh ...
,
Zhejiang Province
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
, and graduated from Zhejiang First Normal School (now
Hangzhou High School). He studied
Chinese traditional painting with
Wu Changshuo
Wu Changshuo (, September 12, 1844 – November 29, 1927, also romanised as Wu Changshi, ), born Wu Junqing (), was a Chinese calligrapher, painter, and seal artist of the late Qing Period.
Life
Wu was born into a scholarly family in Huzhou ...
, and built the foundation of Chinese traditional painting education. He was persecuted during the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...
until his death in 1971.
Biography
Early life and education
On March 14, 1897 (lunar calendar February 12), he was born in Guanzhuang Village,
Ninghai County
Ninghai County () is a county under the administration of Ningbo, in the east of Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It covers a land area of and a sea area of and has a coastline. It has four sub-districts, 11 towns, three townsh ...
,
Zhejiang Province
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
. His birth name was Pan Tianjin () and
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theo ...
Tianshou ().
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 the ''
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD ...
'' and the ''
Water Margin
''Water Margin'' (''Shuihu zhuan'') is one of the earliest Chinese novels written in vernacular Mandarin, and is attributed to Shi Nai'an. It is also translated as ''Outlaws of the Marsh'' and ''All Men Are Brothers''.
The story, which is ...
''.
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" () 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 ( or , ; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also Chinese postal romanization, romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the prov ...
with excellent grades.
In 1918, he was on 4th grade at school, and drew "Loquats" () for fellow students.
In 1919, he drew "Chinese Bulbul on Wisteria" () 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 (; 16 March 1896 – 7 August 1994) was a prominent twentieth-century Chinese painter and a noted art educator. He excelled in Chinese painting and oil painting. He was one of the four pioneers of Chinese modern art who earned the titl ...
for first time in Jingjia Hill, Hangzhou.
In Spring 1920, he participated in advanced students uprising at Zhejiang First Normal School. In leisure time, he dedicatedly studies painting, calligraphy, poems and stamp carving. He drew "Desolate Crow in Sparse Forest" () and "Forlorn Bell Rings among Mountains at Night"() for Zhao Pingfu (
Rou Shi
Rou Shi (; 28 September 1902 – 7 February 1931) was a prominent left-wing Chinese writer and member of the May Fourth Movement. Executed on either 7 or 8 February 1931 by the Kuomintang government in Shanghai for his pro-Communist activitie ...
).
In 1921, he habitually imitated ancient folk calligraphy and paintings, and studies painting theory. He drew "Bright Moon above Wisteria" (), "Mynah in Snow" () etc.
Career
In Summer, he graduated and went back to Ninghai to teach at Zhengxue Primary School. In Spring 1922, he moved to teach at the primary school in Xiaofeng County (now
Anji County
() is a county in the prefecture-level city of Huzhou in northwestern Zhejiang province, China. The county spans an area of , with a population of 461,800 as of the end of 2013. Located within the Yangtze River Delta, Anji County is a short ...
), Zhejiang. Together with Shen Suizhen (), he held an exhibition in Yizi Pavilion, Xiaofeng County. There were finger-ink painting among his works. He drew "Lonely Crow on Aged Tree" (), "Pristine Water in Breeze" (), "Jigong Monk and Elephant" (), "Bald Monk" (), 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 (, September 12, 1844 – November 29, 1927, also romanised as Wu Changshi, ), born Wu Junqing (), was a Chinese calligrapher, painter, and seal artist of the late Qing Period.
Life
Wu was born into a scholarly family in Huzhou ...
,
Wang Yiting
Wang Zhen (; 1867–1938),''Encyclopedia of Chinese Artists'' (Zhongguo meishu jia renming cidian) on p. 131 commonly known by his courtesy name Wang Yiting (), was a prominent businessman and celebrated modern Chinese artist of the Shan ...
,
Huang Binhong
Huáng Bīnhóng (; 1865–1955) was a Chinese literati painter and art historian born in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. His ancestral home was She County, Anhui province.Cihai: Page 2056. He was the grandson of artist Huang Fengliu. He would lat ...
,
Wu Fuzhi
Wu may refer to:
States and regions on modern China's territory
*Wu (state) (; och, *, italic=yes, links=no), a kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period 771–476 BCE
** Suzhou or Wu (), its eponymous capital
** Wu County (), a former county i ...
, and
Zhu Qizhan
Zhu Qizhan (; May 27, 1892 – April 20, 1996) was a Chinese artist known for merging the color concepts of Western art and the calligraphic brushwork of traditional Chinese painting into a personal style.
Zhu Qizhan, courtesy name Qizhai, art ...
. His style approached Wu Changshuo, evolving from unrestrained to profound. He drew "Flowers Wet with Dew in Autumn" (). He changed his name to "Tianshou" ().
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" (), "Horse Fastened on Poplar" (), and "Fox Servant at New Year Eve" ().
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 (; 16 March 1896 – 7 August 1994) was a prominent twentieth-century Chinese painter and a noted art educator. He excelled in Chinese painting and oil painting. He was one of the four pioneers of Chinese modern art who earned the titl ...
, 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" (), "Soothing Spring Breeze" (), "Aged Plum Blossoms" (), 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.
Pan was appointed director of the National Academy (
Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts) by the Kuomintang Minister of Culture
Chen Lifu
Chen Lifu or Ch'en Li-fu (; 21 August 1900 – 8 February 2001) was a Chinese politician and anti-communist of the Republic of China.
Chen was born in Wuxing, Zhejiang, China (modern Huzhou). In 1925, Chen formally joined Kuomintang (KMT) in Sa ...
in 1945. Two years later, he lost his appointment to Wang Rizhang, who was more acceptable to the Guomindang. Despite this professional disappointment, Pan took up his painting with renewed energy, making breakthrough works that fused modern and traditional idioms.
In the era of
People's Republic
People's republic is an official title, usually used by some currently or formerly communist or left-wing states. It is mainly associated with soviet republics, socialist states following people's democracy, sovereign states with a democratic- ...
, he was again appointed the head of the academy in 1957 which lasted until 1966.
Political persecution and death
During the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...
, Pan was taken by the
Red Guards
Red Guards () were a mass student-led paramilitary social movement mobilized and guided by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 through 1967, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes According to a Red Guard lead ...
on 6 September 1966, and paraded the next day on the streets of Hangzhou with more than thirty of his colleagues in dunce caps to be publicly humiliated. For five years, he was regularly taken to public rallies to be criticized and renounced. He was also falsely accused of being a
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Ta ...
spy, after which the persecution became more intense and he was paraded in the other towns as well. He died in a hospital in Hangzhou on 5 September 1971.
References
External links
Pan Tianshou and his Painting Galleryat China Online Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pan, Tianshou
1897 births
1971 deaths
Hangzhou High School alumni
Painters from Zhejiang
Educators from Ningbo
Writers from Ningbo
Victims of the Cultural Revolution
Republic of China historians
Republic of China painters
Artists from Ningbo
20th-century Chinese historians
Historians from Zhejiang
Chinese art educators