The Hermit of West Mountain A Selection of Paintings and Calligraphy by Pu Ru 溥儒 April 10-May 20, 2017 1776 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC

About the Collection Pu Ru s paintings are in high demand among collectors of Chinese art and frequently do well in auctions. Unlike many of his fellow renowned Chinese artists, however, Pu Ru kept a very low profile during his lifetime. While he traveled some in Asia, he did not make trips to the U.S. or Europe to exhibit his work. Because of this, Pu Ru s work has not been widely shown in the U.S. and, as far as we could determine, he has not had a solo U.S. exhibit. The collector has chosen to put a portion of his personal collection of Pu Ru paintings on display in the hopes of sharing the paintings and calligraphy of this beloved Chinese artist with an American audience. Pu Ru was a prolific painter and calligrapher and created untold numbers of works during his lifetime. While the collection exhibited here is only a small sampling of the artist s work, it will hopefully serve to spark new interest in Pu Ru, and also in Chinese traditional Chinese art. Pu Ru was a family friend of the collector. It is this early acquaintance with the artist that helped spark the collector s passion for Chinese art and spurred his own personal art collection. The works currently on display only represent a portion of the collector s Pu Ru pieces. Due to the size of the gallery, the collector was unable to put some of his favorite Pu Ru pieces on display. He sincerely hopes that more well-known galleries will be inspired to host their own exhibitions of Pu Ru s works. He would also be willing to donate some of his pieces, both those on display and the more significant pieces from his collection not shown here, in order to help make such exhibitions possible. The collector has a deep appreciation for Pu Ru s art and hopes to do what he can to share that passion with others. Inquiries about the pieces on display, or the full Pu Ru collection, can be made through the U.S.-China Policy Foundation contact listed below: Ariane Rosen Program and Development Officer U.S.-China Policy Foundation Tel: 202-547-8615 Email: uscpf@uscpf.org

About the Artist, also known as Pu Xinyu, was born into the Manchurian royal family of the Qing Dynasty. He was the cousin of Pu Yi, the last emperor of China. After the Qing Dynasty fell and Pu Ru returned from his schooling in Germany, he lived in the Je Tai Monastery in the mountains outside of Beijing. There, he acquired the nickname Xishan Yishi, or Hermit of the West Mountain. In 1947, Pu Ru was appointed as the Manchu representative for the Republic of China s Constitutional National Assembly by Chiang Kai-shek. At the invitation of the Nationalists, Pu Ru moved to Taiwan after the Communist victory in mainland China. In Taiwan, he taught at the National Taiwan Normal University. He sold his artwork, which was in high demand, when he had to in order to make a living, but enjoyed gifting pieces to friends. Pu Ru was a master of traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, and Chinese scholarship. He is considered one of the last of the true Chinese literati and artist scholars. Pu Ru s work displays his strong mastery of traditional techniques and styles. His expertise gave Pu Ru the flexibility to paint a large array of subjects and develop his own individual style. His calligraphy is elegant and fluid. Pu Ru viewed Chinese painting and calligraphy as coming from the same source and approached his painting with the same attention to brushwork and balance. He is well known for his landscapes and natural scenes, as well as his figure paintings. Pu Ru was a contemporary of another famous 20th century Chinese artist, Zhang Daqian (1899-1983). When discussing the best Chinese artists of the time, it was common to refer to Pu of the North and Zhang of the South. The two painters even collaborated on several pieces in the 1930s. To recognize their accomplishments, in 1993 the Taipei National Palace Museum hosted a three day international conference in their honor. 溥儒生平简介 溥儒 (1896-1963), 满族, 北京人 现代国画大师, 出身清皇族, 姓 爱新觉罗, 字心畲, 又号羲皇上人 西山逸士 善画山水 人物 花鸟 走兽 其山水学北宗, 受马远 夏圭影响较多, 复灵活变 通, 有自家风范 意境雅淡致远, 俊逸出尘, 结构谨严, 笔法挺 劲, 并喜绘于绢地, 染色层次多而淡

书法 Calligraphy 行书 - 福 Running script - good fortune 水墨纸本 Ink on paper 32.5 x 31 cm

书法 - 回文诗 Calligraphy - palindrome poem 楷书小楷 Regular script, small characters 水墨纸本 Ink on paper 49.5 x 35 cm 1955

书法 - 蠹化 Calligraphy - poem 楷书小楷 Regular script in small characters 水墨纸本 Ink on paper 款识 : 蠹化, 陆龟蒙 Signed with seals 26 x 68 cm 1956 (note: image is on side)

楷书七言联 Couplet 水墨纸本 Ink on paper 款识 : 竹榻夜移听雨坐 纸窗晴启看云眠 Signed with seals 68 x 13 cm (x2)

楷书七言联 Couplet 水墨纸本 Ink on paper 款识 : 芳树笙歌酬令节 茂林觞咏叙幽情 Signed with seals 67 x 11.5 cm (x2) 1942

行书书法 Running Script Calligraphy 水墨纸本立轴 Ink on paper, hanging scroll 款识 : 古人寄简赋重鱼 弥重加餐字字珠 喜见绿衣行万里 从今不待燕传书 壬辰春月溥儒 钤印 : ( 心畲 ) Inscribed and signed, with two seals 37 x 49.5 cm 1952

竹图 Bamboo 设色纸本 Ink and color on paper Signed with seals 120 x 36.3 cm

Chinese Painting 设色纸本 Ink and color 款识 : 甲午夏月 绍仁先生属作, 心畲 钤印 : 旧王孙, 傅儒 Signed with seals 67 x 34 cm 1954

Chinese Painting 设色绢本 Ink and color on silk 款识 : 西山逸士溥儒敬写 钤印 : 溥儒, 心畬 Signed with seals 59.5 x 37.5 cm

Chinese Painting 设色绢本 Ink and color on silk 款识 : 落霞澄返照孤屿隔微 烟, 心畲 钤印 : 溥儒之印 Signed with seals 24 x 12 cm

仕女图 Court Lady 设色绢本 Ink and color on silk Signed with seal 54 x 25.5 cm

(attributed) 双马图 Double Horses 设色纸本 Ink and color on paper 款识 : 溥儒摹古, 雪斋题 钤印 : 溥儒之印, 心畬 Signed with seals 50 x 27 cm

山水图 Landscape 设色纸本长轴 Ink and color on paper, long hanging scroll 款识 : 心畬吟杨 钤印 : 溥儒之印 心畬 Signed with seal 66 x 10 cm

山水人物画 Landscape 设色纸本 Ink and color on paper, hanging scroll 款识 : 细草横陂暮色苍 纷纷霜叶百空塘 蝉声响尽无行客只有寒流送夕阳 心畬钤印 : 溥儒之印 心畬 Signed with two seals 117 x 35.5 cm

山水画 Landscape 设色绢本 Ink and color on silk, hanging scroll 款识 : 心畲 钤印 : 溥儒 Signed with two seals 72 x 22 cm

山水小品 Landscape 设色纸本 Ink and color on paper Signed with seals 24.2 x 23.7 cm

山水册页 Landscape Booklet Page 水墨纸本 Ink on paper Signed with seal 27.1 x 16.4 cm This booklet was a gift from Pu Ru to his friend, General Wang Shuchang ( 王樹常 ) (1886-1960). A blank page was left for General Wang to add his own calligraphy. Unfortunately, he did not have the opportunity to complete it.

猴 Monkey 水墨绢本 Ink on silk 39.5 x 26 cm

书画合一扇面图两张 Painting,calligraphy on fan 设色纸本 Ink and color on paper 钤印 : 心畬 溥儒之印 旧王 孙 Signed with seals 90 x 61 cm

空亭临水 Pavilion facing the water 设色纸本 Ink and color 63 x 32.5 cm 1935

梅花 Plum Blossoms 设色纸本 Ink and color on paper 款识 : 旧时月色板桥西, 心畲 钤印 : 溥儒, 旧王孙, 一壶之 中 Singed with seals 81 x 28 cm

松下高士图 Scholar Under Pine 设色纸本 Ink and color on paper 款识 : 企石属 ( 谢承炳 ) Dedicated to Mr. Xie Chengbing (1909-2003), a famous collector of Chinese art and friend of Pu Ru 71.5 x 32.5 cm The painting depicts Pu Ru with his good friend and fellow artist, Zhang Daqian (1899-1983)

松下高士图 Scholar Under Pine 水墨纸本 Ink on paper 款识 : 心畲 钤印 : 心畲 Signed with seal 32 x 20 cm

(attributed) 白雪访友图 Visiting Friend in Snow 四屏 Four panel hanging screen 设色绢本 Ink and color on silk 款识 : 片水带孤青微雪生远白 蜜树会己姿繁枝暗无色心畲 题 钤印 : 旧王孙 Signed with seals 69.5 x 129 cm

钟逵图 Zhongkui 设色纸本立轴 Ink and color Inscribed with a poetic quatrain and signed Pu Ru with one seal 37.5 x 18.4 cm Zhongkui is a ghost catcher from Chinese folklore

钟馗 Zhongkui 设色纸本 Ink and color on paper 轴心 : 设色纸本 Inscribed with a poetic quatrain and signed Xinyu with three seals 52.5 cm x 26.5 cm

The U.S. China Policy Foundation 316 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., Suite 202 Washington DC, 20003 Tel: 202-547-8615 Fax: 202-547-8853 e-mail: uscpf@uscpf.org website: www.uscpf.org