Chen Shu

Chen Shu (; 1660–1735) was a female Chinese painter during the early Qing dynasty. She was born in Xiuzhou (now Jiaxing) and was also known by the courtesy name Nanlou and her literary names "Shangyuan Dizi" and "Nanlou Laoren". She is considered the first female painter of Qing dynasty as well as the inaugurator of Xiushui School painting style. Apart from her artistic works, she was also known as the mother of Qing statesman and poet Qian Chenqun (:zh:钱陈群). After the early death of her husband, Chen raised her son by herself. When the latter became a prominent statesman in the court of the Qianlong Emperor, he introduced the emperor to his mother's paintings. Through this avenue she became favored by Qianlong, and many of her works were featured in the imperial collection (today in both the Palace Museum in Beijing and the National Palace Museum in Taipei). Chen painted figures, landscapes, and flower-and-bird paintings.

Biography

Her son's biography portrays Chen Shu as an "exemplar of Confucian virtue." In his Biography, Qian Chenqun describes his mother's success in the art world, the cultivation of her talent, and her artistic influence over the next generations of her husband's family. Her skills, he claimed, were from "her distinguished heredity, fine upbringing, and a bit of divine intervention." Chen Shu also enjoyed referencing the Wu School of Suzhou, who were active in the Ming dynasty. They influenced her flower and landscape paintings. One of her most appreciated works in this style was her painting Reading the I-ching in a Mountain Study. When looking at the style of the mountains, one can also see the influence of Wang Meng still appearing in her works. Chen Shu's next most popular iconography is the depiction of flowers. She painted many images of flowers and birds including works like, Iris and Roses, Vegetables, Fruit, and Asters, and one of her most iconic, The White Cockatoo. This image of a beautiful bird and flowers is based on Song dynasty painting, when this imagery first became popular. Its composition is similar to that of Emperor Huizong of Song, who was also a renowned artist, though it is not noted to be a copy of his work specifically.