Xia Chang (; 1388–1470) originally named Zhu Chang, was a
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...
Chinese painter and government official.
Xia specialized in
ink bamboo painting
Works of bamboo painting, usually in ink, are a recognized genre of East Asian painting. In a work of bamboo painting in ink, a skilled artist and calligraphy#East Asian calligraphy, calligrapher will paint a bamboo stalk or group of stalks with l ...
, following the style of
Wang Fu.
His
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 Theob ...
was 'Zhongzhao' () and his
art name
An art name (pseudonym or pen name), also known by its native names ''hào'' (in Mandarin), ''gō'' (in Japanese), ''ho'' (in Korean), and ''tên hiệu'' (in Vietnamese), is a professional name used by East Asian artists, poets and writers. The ...
s were 'Yufeng' () and 'Zizai jushi' ().
[中国古代书画鑑定组: Page 13.]
Life
Xia Chang was born Zhu Chang in September 1388 in
Kunshan
Kunshan is a county-level city in southeastern Jiangsu province with Shanghai bordering its eastern border and Suzhou on its western boundary. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Suzhou.
Name
There is a strong p ...
. He passed the Imperial examinations in 1415, and entered the Hanlin academy. The
Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor (; pronounced ; 2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), personal name Zhu Di (), was the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.
Zhu Di was the fourth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dyn ...
ordered him to write inscriptions for new buildings in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
.
In 1422 Xia Chang was transferred to a position in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, which had recently replaced
Nanjing
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
as imperial capital. He became a secretary of the Bureau of Evaluations in the Ministry of personnel.
In 1448, he became a prefect in
Jiangxi
Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...
province. He was recalled to Beijing and appointed vice minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. He retired in 1457, and died in 1470.
[Goodrich, L. Carrington, Lee, Hwa-chou, 1976. "Hsia Ch'ang", ''Dictionary of Ming biography'', Columbia University Press]
References
* Zhongguo gu dai shu hua jian ding zu (). 2000. Zhongguo hui hua quan ji (). Zhongguo mei shu fen lei quan ji. Beijing: Wen wu chu ban she. Volume 10.
External links
1388 births
1470 deaths
Ming dynasty painters
Painters from Suzhou
Ming dynasty politicians
Politicians from Suzhou
{{China-painter-stub