Chen Shu

A native of Jiaxing in East China’s Zhejiang province, Chen Shu (1660-1736)was an accomplished artist who painted a wide range of subjects. The genres of her work included landscapes, bird-and-flower, and human figure paintings. Her work was characterized by varied artistic styles such as fine-line brushwork and freehand brushwork, in heavy color and monochrome inksplashes.

Wife of Qian Lunguang and mother of Qian Chenqun, an official highly esteemed by the Emperor Qianlong (r. 1736-95) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Chen was conferred with the honorary title of imperial madam. Qian Chenqun presented his mother’s paintings to the emperor many times, both to satisfy the emperor’s interest as well as show the profound and elegant style of his intellectual family.

Tall Pine
Qing Dynasty
Hanging scroll, ink on paper, 84.5×30.1 cm
Collection of the Palace Museum
View high-resolution image: www.dpm.org.cn/collection/paint/234850.html

Flowers
Qing Dynasty
Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper,78.3×27.5 cm
Collection of the Palace Museum
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https://digicol.dpm.org.cn/cultural/detail?id=fe8b7f63d77c4b30bebb303711fe6ca5

View high-resolution image:
https://digicol.dpm.org.cn/cultural/detail?id=d0fd08a61d8e4a2fb365e53d27d7bfaa

Moral Rule of Kings and Emperors in Past Dynasties
Dated 1736
Album of 16 leaves, ink and color on silk, 33.5×37.3 cm
Collection of the Palace Museum

Click to view high-resolution images of 16 leaves