Loquats

‘Wu Changshuo was a poet and a calligrapher before he became a painter and it was association with Ren Bonian that inspired him to become an artist. Wu subsequently became one of the leading figures of the Shanghai school, renowed for the directness, colour and sense of spontaneity of his work. This scroll typifies Wu’s energetic style distinguished by a graphic bravura in both the painting and the calligraphy. Having earlier studied calligraphy and ancient epigraphy Wu had a special appreciation of the opportunities of calligraphy and this is well demonstrated in his wonderful and expressive brushwork. The subject matter of the mature and ripening loquats combined with the sheer energy of the brushwork echo a sense of lively regeneration in the artist, who painted this scroll in his 75th year. The poem, also written by Wu, read:

'During the Duanyang [May 5th festival],
the good fruit ripens with the warm wind,
Though its colour is like yellow gold,
that hardly relieves poverty.
Placed with pomegranate flowers on the table for appreciation.
Three chi of craving saliva hang on the child's mouth.

"Qiong" is mistakenly written as "pin", Lao Fou self [Wu's sobriquet] checked

In the 'wuwu' year four days before the Chongyang [a festival on the ninth day of September according to the lunar calendar], as a guest in the Qu Zhu Sui Yuan Studio in Haishang [ie Shanghai]

Wu Changshuo at the age of seventy-five.

Hanging on the wall for self appreciation,
Extremely resembling Li Futang's brushwork in his old age.

Written again by Foudaoren [Wu's sobriquet] at Chan Pi Xuan [Studio]"

‘The Asian Collections: Art Gallery of New South Wales’. pg.166.
© 2003 Trustees, Art Gallery of New South Wales