Draft:FU Shen

FU Shen

FU Shen (1936 -), born in Shanghai, is a Taiwanese calligrapher, calligraphy art appraiser and Chinese art historian. His academic journey includes serving as a professor of art history at Yale University and assuming the directorship of the Chinese art department at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington. Having concluded his tenure as a professor at the Graduate Institute of Art History at National Taiwan University, He settled in Hangzhou in old age and passed away due to illness in 2024.

Biography

FU Shen, born in Shanghai in 1936, experienced the upheavals of war during his early years, leading to separation from his parents. Raised successively by his grandparents and a distant nursemaid, he relocated with his parents to Taiwan in 1948, where he enrolled in Pingtung Ming Zheng Junior High School. Pursuing studies in the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University, he received guidance in painting from HUANG Jiun-pi, PU Hsin-yu and FU Chuan-fu. Under the mentorship of TZUNG Shiau-chen in calligraphy and WANG Juang-wei in engraving, he clinched the 1st place in the Chinese painting stream, 1st place in engraving, and 2nd place in calligraphy in his graduation exhibition. In 1963, FU was enrolled in the Graduate Institute of Arts at the College of Chinese Culture (now Chinese Culture University). While pursuing his studies, he concurrently hosted a calligraphy education programme on Taiwan Television. In addition, as part of the national youth cultural exchange delegation programme, he embarked on a journey to Africa, visiting over ten countries .

In 1965, he commenced his tenure at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, focusing on the appraisal of Chinese painting and calligraphy. After marrying his first wife, Marilyn WONG, in 1967, the couple went on to pursue further studies in the United States in 1968. FU Shen earned his Ph.D. in art and archaeology from Princeton University in 1976. Subsequently, he held prominent positions as a professor of art history at Yale University and as the director of the Chinese art department at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington. In 1983, he entered into matrimony with his second wife, Cao Bingqi .

Returning to Taiwan in 1994, FU Shen assumed the role of a professor at the Graduate Institute of Art History at National Taiwan University, engaging in continuous academic research and artistic endeavours. He tied the knot with his current wife, LU Yung-chih, in 1998. Retiring from the Graduate Institute of Art History at National Taiwan University in 2006, he currently resides in Hangzhou.

Artistic Creation and Research

During his student years, FU Shen demonstrated exceptional skill in traditional Chinese landscape painting. However, his trajectory gradually shifted towards academic research, with a primary emphasis on Chinese ancient art history and the appraisal of Chinese painting and calligraphy. Despite his dedication to scholarly pursuits, FU Shen maintained a parallel commitment to artistic creation, particularly in the realms of calligraphy and ceramics. Guided by the philosophy of "exploring the present by delving into the past", he successfully balanced significant achievements in both academic research and artistic endeavours .

Artistic Creation

In the realm of artistic creation, FU Shen is a master of ink wash painting, calligraphy and seal carving. His proficiency extends to various calligraphy scripts, encompassing seal, clerical, regular, running and cursive styles. By integrating the strengths of diverse calligraphy schools and drawing inspiration from historical calligraphers, he has cultivated a distinctive personal style and adeptly adapts contemporary ideas to craft unique pictorial calligraphy. Furthermore, his creative exploration extends to the fusion of calligraphy with seal carving, resulting in the production of ceramic calligraphy and engraved ceramic works. Notable among his representative pieces are The Speck of Dust (塵網中), Fu Qingzhu’s Story (傅青主故實), Today's Old Sage(今塞翁), Repaying Revenge with Kindness(以德報怨), Strong Earthquake (強震), Fishing Island (釣魚) and Divine Retribution (天譴) .

Research

FU Shen has contributed to academic literature with papers and articles in the fields of painting and calligraphy appraisal, as well as art history. Two notable instances of scholarly debate that indirectly affirmed the artist’s achievements and standing in these fields are outlined below .

Debate on HUAI Su's Autobiography

In the 2004 debate regarding the authenticity of HUAI Su's Autobiography held by the National Palace Museum, LI Yu-chou (currently a professor in the Department of Painting and Calligraphy Arts at National Taiwan University of Arts) contended that the museum's collection was a replica crafted by Ming Dynasty engraver WEN Peng, employing the double-hook outline technique and filling method. FU Shen authored a book offering a comprehensive examination of the work, delving into the intricacies of the double-hook outline technique and filling method. Leveraging expertise in forensic science and psychological analysis, he effectively countered LI's argument. Towards the end of 2004, the National Palace Museum enlisted the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties to conduct tests on the Autobiography in its collection. The results revealed that the museum's collection was not an authentic work by HUAI Su. While certain details, such as paper size, joints and inscriptions, remained subjects of debate in earlier testing and arguments, FU Shen later obtained a rubbing, the SHEN Mingyi Copy, confirming that the museum's Autobiography was neither an authentic work by HUAI Su nor a Ming Dynasty copy by WEN Peng . In 2005, FU successively published articles about the work and copy in question, but the industry has yet to establish a consensus on the creator of the piece held by the National Palace Museum.

Verification of HUANG Tingjian's Grinding Pillar Inscription

The original Grinding Pillar Inscription by HUANG Tingjian was housed in the Yurinkan Museum in Kyoto, Japan. The authenticity of this collection remained unresolved for an extended period. After the collection changed hands and came into the possession of a Taiwanese collector, high-quality replicas were made available for FU Shen to compare with other works by HUANG Tingjian. FU confirmed that Yurinkan Museum's version was indeed an authentic work by HUANG Tingjian. This confirmation facilitated the auction of the collection for approximately 436.8 million Chinese Yuan (around 60.89 million USD) at the Beijing Poly 2010 Spring Auction. Subsequently, the Chinese art research community frequently invited FU Shen to discuss and analyse works by HUANG Tingjian, acknowledging his academic achievements in this field .

Publications and Exhibitions

Throughout his career, FU Shen has made significant contributions to various journals, conferences and exhibitions. His notable works include books and articles providing commentary on the works of CHANG Dai-chien, YU Youren, HUAI Su and his own creation. He also authored books discussing the collections of Chinese art by the Emperors of the Yuan Dynasty, Western society and Japanese society. He has held solo and group exhibitions at the Yale University Art Gallery (1977) and museums in Washington, New York and St. Louis (1991) in the United States; the National Museum of History (2010, 2014) in Taiwan; and the National Museum of China (2013) and Guardian Art Center (2022) in Beijing, China. [12]