The enigmatic Chinese monk-painter Xugu (1823-1896), with his daring brush techniques and implicit expression of spiritual insight, stands out among notable innovators in the late Qing period. Despite the political upheaval and cultural decay of his day, he tapped the creative spring of Chan (Zen) Buddhism to develop a highly personal and modern visual language within the calligraphic idiom of traditional scholars' art. His portraits and landscapes, along with his depictions of flowers, fruits, and animals, convey quiet elegance, sensitivity, ethereality - and at times humor - even as they...
The enigmatic Chinese monk-painter Xugu (1823-1896), with his daring brush techniques and implicit expression of spiritual insight, stands out among n...