Beauty in Nature: Painting by Chen Dan-Cheng
This painting, titled Mantis on Cockscomb Blossoms and the others included bellow were created by Chen Dan-Cheng, a prominent artist from Shandong province, China. Dan-Cheng was known for his paintings of insects on flowers. Mantis on Cockscomb Blossoms, painted in 1967, is 39.75 x 15.5 cm making it a medium sized painting. Dan-Cheng specialized in calligraphy as well which really made his pieces stand out over other Chinese paintings. He uses vigorous yet simple and quick strokes and always makes each object stand out in its own way using detail. Dan-Cheng draws inspiration from great brush painting masters in the past, but brings his own style to them. How Dan-Cheng brings his own style and uses all of his different skills is what is so special about these paintings and what makes Dan-Cheng so interesting as an artist. Dan-Cheng used sights that he sees in nature. He enjoys painting things like flowers, birds, insects, plants, crabs, cabbage, fruits, landscape, and figures. Dan-Cheng also has a background in calligraphy which has given him an advantage in his seals. Dan-Cheng’s teacher Yin Keng-hsin was actually the one who taught him to paint. Around 1937 is when Dan-Cheng truly began to focus on painting and in 1949 his paintings were in many exhibitions.
Brush painting is a Chinese artistic tradition and technique that has been around for more than six thousand years. Artists in China usually paint on a silk or paper scroll with black colored ink. They then write a poem on the painting with their signature and they will stamp their seal onto the painting. Chinese scholars in Imperial China were supposed to be very well informed about the arts, therefore a lot of painters also practiced poetry and music. Chinese paintings come in many different forms for example: albums, hanging scrolls, and hand scrolls. The paintings presented here are beautiful brush paintings of flowers. They stand out because of little pops of color which catch a viewer’s eye and draw them in. Then once one goes closer to it, it’s possible to see all of the detail Dan-Cheng painted in the calligraphy at the bottom of the page is done beautifully which helps compliments his paintings even further.
The most common subject to paint in Chinese paintings is nature. Some of the most common items one might see in a Chinese painting are birds, fish, flowers, mountains, insects and trees. Something some viewers might find surprising is that the owners of the paintings would stamp their own seal onto the painting near where the artists’ stamped the surface as a way to show appreciation for the piece. Sometimes these stamps even increase the value of a painting if the owner is or was a well-known person in China.
The image above shows Mr. Chen Dan-Cheng creating one of his paintings. Dan-Cheng arrived in Taiwan in 1949 where he was known for his impressionistic-style flower and insect paintings (see above). Dan-Cheng devoted himself to these paintings for forty years. His work was displayed at the St. John’s University Art Gallery back in 1968 as part of a celebration of the 103rd anniversary of Dr. Sun Yet-Sen’s birthday. Dan-Cheng donated many paintings to St. John’s University’s art collection. Dan-Cheng was also a teacher and he taught art to many children over his years of being an artist. He had also been awarded many awards such as the Gold Cup and he was elected as a member to the Board of Directors of the Chinese painting Association and the Association of the Art of Seal Carving. His paintings have been displayed all around the world.
Dan-Cheng was one of the main figures who introduced Chinese art to foreign countries. He wanted to promote international understandings of Chinese art. This is why his work is perfect for the St. John’s Art Gallery. On the St. John’s University campus is a building called Sun-Yet Sen Memorial Hall. Just like Dan-Cheng’s art the purpose of the building is to hopefully change someone’s view of other people that they may not know. It is to try to educate people and hopefully bring us closer to accepting one another.
Dan-Cheng wants us to learn from his art and become closer to each other because of it. Viewing items from St. John’s University’s special collections is a great way for people to experience Chinese Art and Culture on campus and in our own neighborhood. Art can influence a people by changing their thoughts and opinions. Hopefully by learning and looking at Dan-Cheng’s art will make a more excepting and educated campus and community.
References:
http://digitalmemory.stjohns.edu/digital/collection/sju-art-coll/id/123
http://digitalmemory.stjohns.edu/digital/collection/sju-art-coll/id/136
Chen Dancheng Hua Ji, Zhen Danzheng, 1919, Zhonghua min guo guo li li shi bo wu guan Minguo 66
