Art Of Meng Shu Pui

Meng Shupei, also known as Shou Zhi, Shou Zi, called himself sloppy monk, Lian Yangshan and so on, was born in Tongzhou in the year of 1869 (the eighth year of TongZhi). His ancestral home is Xihan village in Dali County, Weinan of Shanxi now.Born in a aristocratic family of kongfu,he was very intelligent, and interested in reading,especially,calligraphy and painting. When he was 17 years old, he steped into the state school, and studied more diligently and never stopped practising. Having seen his painting works, the superintendent spoked highly of him. At the age of 24,he was granted to be the sub-governor of Changzhi County government, serving more than eight years.During the years,he was so hard-working that he was deeply respected and supported by the people. Appreciated by his hard work, justice, honesty and great achievements, people presented him with ten-thousand-people umbrella and ten-thousand-people clothes and a thankful inscribed board before his leaving. In the year 1901 (twenty-seventh year of kuangxi), he had been promoted to be the governer of Huaxian, Guangdong. However,because of the death of his father Meng Shien, he did not reach the Guangzhou appointment,but was in mourning for his father for three years.After the demise of the Qing government, he concentrated on painting study and creation to express his feelings and ambitions in the early time of the Republic of China. In the year of 1919 (the seventh year of the Republic of China) he started from Xi'an, Kaifeng and other places along the way before arriving in Beijing with his family and resided at Tongzhou guild hall of BeiJing. Soon, he removed to Shanghai and lived there for a few years. At that time he was active in the Maritime Painting Association. During this period, he was also busy running in Nanjing, Hangzhou and other places making friends with Master of YinGuang, Yu Youren, Wang Yiting, Zhang Jingwu, Jing Hengyi, Yan Ganyuan, Xu Muyun, Qian Huafo, Wang Taomin, iu Gonglu, Zheng Yimei and other activists of the Marine Painting Association, literature and art and politics who had similar interests with him.He often joined Shanghai art community and various types of calligraphy Gathering and talked about arts with his friends.In his later years, influented by Master of YinGuang, he had been converted to Buddhism and called himself'sloppy monk'. The life at the Maritime Painting Association had a profound impact on Meng Shupei'arts.His many excellent works well known to the world are also the creativities of this period. By the end of 1935 (twentieth year of the Republic of China), he started from Shanghai and got a very warm welcome along the way back to his hometown by people from the culture, calligraphy and painting groups.Because of blumping and fatigue in the road,he got ill and passed away at his home in Tongzhou on the 15th of January in 1937 (twentieth year of the Republic of China).After the death of Meng Shupei, Yu Youren said"Benefit GuanZhong and HeNei and yearning by all the people" in his eulogy.Meng Shupei is a famous painter and calligrapher in Shanxi during late Qing Dynasty and the early years of the Republic of China.Initiated in geographical and cultural space of Shanxi, he also enlightened by the thought of traditional education and traveled around to Beijing and Shanghai.His artistic accomplishment covered all aspects, including landscapes, flowers and birds, calligraphy,seal engraving.His style and artistic characteristics thought contain both north and south style, forming a unique personal artistic style. With its outstanding artistic achievements and close contacts with the Maritime Painting Association once, he has very important and positive significances to the history of Shanxi modern art as well as the Maritime Painting Association.In order to make the academic circle have a further acquaintance about Meng Shupei so that we can make a correct judgment about Meng Shupei's cultrual value and historic statue, the author collected and collated many relative informations about Meng Shupei and also analysised and researched the art of Meng Shupei devotionally, through which the author explained many issues about Meng Shupei, including his personal life, art thought,artistic works and art activities. We can know a few matters about communications between the Shanxi art in late years of Qing dynasty and the Marine Painting Association. Alternatively, working through the style of Meng Shupei and the infulence he made on the later development of Shanxi art,we can find out the origin of the early painting of'Chang'an School', through which we can have a further correct understanding and evaluation to many issues of"Chang'an School".It has great help and practical significance to make further study.This paper consists of nine parts totally,namely introduction, body chapters(including six chapter), conclusion and attached lists,.The introductory chapter talks about the reasons for choosing topic,significance, history and current situation and research methods of this topic and the basic framework as well as main contents of the article, through which the author analyses the academic value and significance of this subject; The second chapter provides an overview of Meng Shupei's life; The third chapter discusses Meng Shupei's elementary education and the Origin of his art thought to lay a theoretical foundation to further analysis; Based on the former Several sections,the fourth chapter describes Meng Shupei's art in two parts(calligraphy and painting) seperatly; The author makes some discussion and data collection about Meng Shupei's stone paintings and art thoughts respectively in chapters V and VI; Chapter VII researches Meng Shupei's works through three aspects, including landscape, bird and calligraphy seal after having selected and reorgnised the materials;ChapterⅧ,the conclusion part of the paper,discusses the positive meaning Meng Shupei has made to the development of Shanxi's modern art history and the art value as well as practical significance to research Meng Shupei'art;Based on the information available,the author has sorted out the Meng Shupei's art resume and completed the Meng Shupei'art activity tables and works of art choice attached thereafter after the whole paper.