Qian Xuan
Pioneered literati painting with poetic integration
Qian Xuan(钱选) (1239–1299) was a famous painter from the late Song and early Yuan periods, and together with Zhao Mengfu(赵孟頫) and others, he was called one of the 'Eight Outstanding Talents of Wuxing.'(吴兴八俊) His courtesy name was Shunju(舜举), and his art names included Yutan(玉潭), Xunfeng(巽峰), Zha Chuanweng(霅川翁), with other nicknames like Qingqu Laoren(清癯老人), Chuanweng(川翁), and Xilanweng(习懒翁). He was from Huzhou (today’s Wuxing, Zhejiang). He became a provincial graduate in the third year of the Jingding era of the Southern Song, but didn’t serve in official positions after entering the Yuan dynasty. He was skilled in poetry and excelled in calligraphy and painting. His painting style was very eclectic: he learned landscapes from Zhao Lingrang, figures from Li Gonglin, flowers and birds from Zhao Chang, and blue-and-green landscapes from Zhao Boju. Both his character and his art were widely praised in his time. He carried on the literati painting theories of Su Shi and others, promoted the idea of 'scholarly spirit' in painting, and encouraged private art practice. He emphasized 'scholarly spirit' in art, often adding poems or colophons to his paintings, which helped inspire the distinctive literati painting style that closely blends poetry, calligraphy, and painting.