Fu Baoshi was born in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province in 1904. He lived in a particularly turbulent time in Chinese history that can be characterized by widespread devastation and identity loss. Baoshi was just a child when Chinese Imperialism was overthrown and the Chinese Republic was established. “He subsequently witnessed the divisive warlord era and Communist rebellion of the 1920s, the Japanese invasion and occupation of eastern China from 1937 to 1945, and the Communist Revolution and establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949” (Cohn, Don J., Art and AsiaPacific, Iss. 79). Baoshi’s stlye can be recognized as a revival of earlier traditions of realistic depictions that made greater use of color and ink wash that represent a shift away from the evolution of Chinese art that focused a great dependency on monochromatic, calligraphic brushwork (Metropolitan Museum of Art). Baoshi studied art in both China and Japan and drew a lot of influence from the West. He stressed the importance of an artist being emotionally and physically present in his art and he achieved this by often working while inebriated. Baoshi is recognized as one of China’s great individualist masters (Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Bibliograpy:

Fu Baoshi
Cohn, Don J. Art and AsiaPacific; New York Iss. 79, (Jul/Aug 2012): 106-107.

https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/fu-baoshi

RAINING, DROWNING AND SWIMMING: FU BAOSHI AND WATER
Clarke, David