Bulletin Number One 1985

and animals, mostly executed in the free and spontaneous (xieyi) styles. The fact that Yangzhou developed into a vital artistic centre in the Qing dynasty was closely relate d to its prominence as a commercial metropolis and the emergence of the merchant class. Yangzhou, situated at the junction of the Yangzi River and the Gran d Canal in the Jiangsu province, enjoyed tremendous economic prosperity because of its thriving salt trade. The rich salt merchants emulated the life-style of the literati and the gentry. They became the new patrons of art, attracting a steady flow of artists and scholars from all over the country to this city, and thus they were instrumental in making Yangzhou an important cultural centre. In an atmosphere less inhibited by the ideals of the literati tradition, novel experimentation and individuality were encouraged. The Eccentric Masters' freedom from established canons and expressive calligraphic brushwork captured the imagination of the Yangzhou merchants and won the support of the officials and scholars there. Their art developed into a major force in the Qing dynasty, exerting influence until this day. The term ‘eccentric’ was used to criticize these innovative artists, who were thought by the orthodox painters to have deviated from the proper path. An example can be found in Wang Yun (汪鋆） who said that 'they painted with brushstrokes sweeping across the picture surface much like politicians S u (Qin) and Zhang (yi). The long-cherished rules of Xu (Xi) and Huang (Quan) were thrown away. Hastily painted in three to five strokes .…( t he ir paintings) do not lack a strange charm, yet they had actually gone astray. Hence their paintings may be a novelty for a while, and would be popular only within a region of one hundred li.' To many of us in the modern era, these paintings are far from eccentric or bizarre. In fact , these artists have been considered the most creative artists of the middle Qing period, their expressive and lively styles overshadowing the current taste fo r refinement and antique flavour. Their art was further developed since then by such great artists as Zhao Zhiqian (趙之謙）， Ren Bonian ( 任伯年）， Wu Changshuo (吳昌碩）， Chen Shizeng ( 陳師曾）， Qi Baishi (齊白石)， Pan Tianshou ( 潘天壽 ) a n d Li Kuchan (李苦禪）. It all goes to show that the 'Yangzhou Eccentrics' were not a passing phenomenon and their art has stood the test of time and has come across regional boundaries. Few of the ‘Eccentric Masters' were natives of Yangzhou; instead, they came to this cultural metropolis from diverse parts of the country and at different times, so that their activities spanned through almos t a century. Most of them came from th e lower-middle stratum of the society, often wit h unsuccessful careers as officials of the Qing government. They had to sell their art under the patronage of the rich merchants, yet only succeeded in finding a meagre living in an age when amateurism in art was the accepted norm. Some even suffered personal tragedies: Wang Shishen lost the vision in his left eye at the age of fifty-four and became blind at sixty-seven. Gao Xiang was crippled in his righ t arm in his old age, as was Gao Fenghan. Yet all three overcame their handicaps and persisted in their artistic pursuits. Such strong determination and indomitable vitality provided substance to their paintings and testified to the unity of men and their art. Another common characteristic of the 'Eccentric Masters' is their affirmation of the ideals of literat i painting. With their literary accomplishments, they combined painting, calligraphy, poetry and sometimes seal-engraving in their artistic pursuits. They also emphasized the importance of tradition, claiming to be spiritual heirs o f Chen Chun ( 陳淳 ) a n d Xu Wei ( 徐渭 ) o f the Ming dynasty and exposing themselve s to the influence of Ming Loyalist Shitao ( 石 濤 ） and Bada Shanren (八大山人）. Yet they maintained their own individuality because they refrained from slavish imitation of the ancient masters. With their original inventions they collectively enriched the artistic tradition of China. Of the ‘Eight Eccentric Masters', the life and artistic achievements of Zheng Xie (1693-1765) may be considered a typical case. A native of Xinghua near Yangzhou, Zheng obtained the xiucai degree in the reign of Kangxi (1662-1722), the n the juren degree in the Yongzheng period (1723-1735), and the highest (jinshi) degree in the following Qianlong period (1736-1795). He served as district magistrate in the Shandong province for some years. Even though he was only a lowly official of the seventh rank, he had great compassion fo r the sufferings of his people. One often cited example is an inscription found on one of his paintings of ink bamboo, which reads: Lying inside a room in the yamen, I listen to the rustling sounds of the bamboo leaves. I almost mistake them for the sounds of suffering of the people. A lowly official though I am, Even a branch or a leaf would arouse in me sentiments of concern. So it was not surprising that he was later dismissed RECENT DEVELOPMENTS 11