Qiu Zhu (; ), commonly known as Miss Qiu and by her

art name An art name (pseudonym or pen name), also known by its native names ''hào'' (in Mandarin Chinese), ''gō'' (in Japanese), ' (in Korean), and ''tên hiệu'' (in Vietnamese), is a professional name used by artists, poets and writers in the Sinosp ...

Duling Neishi (), was a Chinese painter during the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, noted for paintings with figures (rather than landscapes), including several depictions of the goddess

Guanyin Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...

Life

Qiu Zhu was born in

Taicang Taicang is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The city located in the south of the Yangtze River estuary opposite Nantong, being bordered by Shanghai proper to the south, while the river also delineates ...

County,

Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...

Prefecture, the daughter of

Qiu Ying Qiu Ying (; 1494–1552) was a Chinese painter of the Ming dynasty who specialised in the '' gongbi'' brush technique. Early life Qiu Ying's courtesy name was Shifu (), and his art name was Shizhou (). He was born to a peasant family in Tai ...

(1494? – 1552), one of the

Four Masters of the Ming dynasty The Four Masters of the Ming dynasty () are a traditional grouping in Chinese art history of four famous Chinese painters that lived during the Ming dynasty. The group consists of Shen Zhou (1427–1509), Wen Zhengming (1470–1559), Tang Yin (14 ...

. Little is known about her life, and it is assumed that she learned to paint from her father. She was possibly married to You Qiu (), an artist influenced by her father and generally believed to be his son-in-law, although this has been questioned by some scholars. In his later life Qiu Ying lived at the estate of his patron, collector Xiang Yuanbian, and she might have also lived there. She maintained a close relationship with the Xiang family after her father's death, and at least one of her extant works bears the seal of a Xiang family member.

Work

Qiu Zhu was active as an artist from around 1565 to 1585. She was commissioned to produce paintings for birthday gifts, or to complement

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

. She was also commissioned to create illustrations for

Wang Chong Wang Chong (; 27 – c. 97 AD), courtesy name Zhongren (仲任), was a Chinese astronomer, meteorologist, naturalist, philosopher, and writer active during the Eastern Han dynasty. He developed a rational, secular, naturalistic and mecha ...

's calligraphy of the narrative poem ''Nymph of the Luo River''. This suggests her work was well received, as Wang was held in high esteem. A later Ming dynasty scholar considered Qiu Zhu to be a "Li Gonglin among women".

Li Gonglin Li Gonglin (李公麟, 1049–1106), style name ''Boshi'' (), art name Longmian Jushi (龍眠居士, Householder of the Sleeping Dragon), was a Chinese antiquarian, painter, and politician during the Northern Song dynasty. Biography Bor ...

was a highly regarded artist in his time. Qiu Zhu is noted for her use of firm brushstrokes and delicate drawing. Qiu Zhu's most famous subject is

, the

bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...

of compassion especially appealing to women, and her paintings of the goddess have been described as "mysteriously transcendent". The 24 portraits of Guanyin are presented in an album alternating them with short text passages. They are in gold ink on black paper, and were inspired by an album of woodblock prints by Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) that had been based on a hand scroll by Li Gonglin. Her acclaimed painting, ''White Robed Guanyin'', is in the collection of the

National Palace Museum The National Palace Museum, also known as Taipei Palace Museum, is a national museum headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in Beijing in 1925, the museum was re-established in Shilin District, Shilin, Taipei, in 1965, later expanded with a S ...

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

. She also painted other religious figures, such as her fan painting of ''A Daoist Female Immortal, possibly

Chang E Chang'e ( ; ), originally known as Heng'e (), is the Lunar deity, goddess of the Moon and wife of Hou Yi, the great archer. Renowned for her beauty, Chang'e is also known for her ascending to the Moon with her pet Yu Tu, the Moon Rabbit and livin ...

''. Her non-religious subjects are primarily women at leisure: playing

xiangqi Xiangqi (; ), commonly known as Chinese chess or elephant chess, is a Strategy game, strategy board game for two players. It is the most popular board game in China. Xiangqi is in the same family of games as shogi, janggi, chess, Western ches ...

under plum blossoms, playing a

guqin The ''guqin'' (; ) is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument. It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favoured by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted b ...

under wutong trees, sitting at a writing desk, or playing with a parrot. She also painted women celebrating the Double Seven Festival which is a festival honoring the Weaver Maid, the patron spirit of women's work. Qiu Zhu was considered a highly refined painter, and is seen to have influenced

Wen Shu Wen Shu or Wen Chu (; 1595-1634) was a Chinese illustrator and painter who worked under the art name Hanshan and was known for her paintings of flora and small insects during the Ming dynasty. She is considered the finest flower painter of the ...

Paintings

* ''Nymph of the Luo River'' * ''White Robed Guanyin'' * ''Portraits of Guanyin''. Album of 26 leaves. Gold on black paper. * ''Plum Blossoms and Peonies''. Fan painting. * ''Inspired by a Tang Poet''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Qiu, Zhu 16th-century Chinese painters 16th-century Chinese women artists Chinese women painters Painters from Suzhou People from Taicang