Puru (溥儒; August 30, 1896 - November 18, 1963) Chinese traditional scroll painting, ink on paper laid to silk, hanging scroll. Signed and dated, in the winter of Guiyou year (ca. 1933).
Swift confident grisaille brushstrokes of dark ink create the Bodhisattva Guanyin form who daintily rests upon the rock-lined shore, by Puru (1896-1863). Puru was a relative to Puyi who was the last ruler of the Qing Dynasty and was held in esteem as being as fine a painter as Zhang Daqian. The feminine form is draped with flowing diaphanous robes that caress the body like the waves embrace the rock. Several twisted root and tree branch grapple with the hard stone while reaching for both the sunlight above and eater below. Cursive script writing fills the blank space in the upper left corner followed by red seal stamps.


Dimensions: Scroll Height: 73 1/4" Width: 22 1/4" Painting Height: 27 3/4" Width: 13 3/4"

PROVENANCE:
From the heirloom collections of Wu Guozhen (吳國楨; October 21, 1903-June 6, 1984) was a Chinese political figure and historian, government official who served as mayor of Hankow (1932-1938), mayor of Chung-king (1939-1941), political vice minister of foreign affairs (1943-45), mayor of Shanghai (1946-1948), and governor of Taiwan (1950-1952) and the former Chairman of Taiwan Provincial Government. He resigned in 1953 and went to the United States.

K.C. Wu lived in the United States where he served as professor of Chinese history at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia. During his time in the United States, he wrote various works, including a detailed analysis on Chinese culture in the context of mythology and early history in his book The Chinese Heritage.

Wu is remembered mainly for his vital role in the formation of a liberal modern Taiwan and his anti-communist beliefs typical of a member of Kuomintang, but he is also remembered for his brave anti-Kuomintang rhetoric and turbulent disagreements with the more Russian-styled second President of Taiwan.

The Collections of Wu Guozhen (吳國楨) presented and offered up to auctions
ON DAY-1: from Lot-97 through Lot-127, continued from Lot-219 through Lot-255.
ON DAY-2: from Lot-354 through Lot-377, continued from Lot-451 through Lot-480.


LOT NOTES:
Puru (溥儒; August 30, 1896 - November 18, 1963) also known as Pu Xinyu 溥心畬 with Xinyu as his courtesy name, was a traditional Chinese painter and calligrapher. He was a member of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, the ruling house of the Qing dynasty. He was a cousin to Puyi, the final ruler of the Qing dynasty and the last Emperor of China. It was speculated that Puru would have succeeded to the Chinese throne if Puyi and the Qing government were not overthrown after the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. Puru was reputed to be as talented as the famous southern artist Chang Dai-chien. Together, they became known as "P'u of the North and Chang of the South.".
Puru was born in the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan as the second son of Zaiying, a son of Yixin (Prince Gong). His mother was Lady Xiang , a secondary spouse of Zaiying.
Puru was once selected as a potential candidate to succeed the Guangxu Emperor, but his cousin Puyi was the chosen one. He was a student at the University of Berlin. After he returned from Europe, he retreated into the Western Mountains, where he spent many years in Jietai Monastery to concentrate on his studies. After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911, he changed his family name to "Pu".
In 1947, Puru was appointed by Chiang Kai-shek as a Manchu representative at the Constitutional National Assembly. He was strongly against Puyi's cooperation with the Empire of Japan, foresaw the unrest in China and fled to Taiwan in the same year as Chang Kai-shek did.
In Taiwan, Puru made a living by selling paintings and calligraphy works during the first months of his arrival in Taipei. He lived in a Japanese-style house on Linyi Street in Taipei that the government provided for him. He was appointed in October 1949 as a professor of fine arts at the National Taiwan Normal University. In 1959, he held a two-week-long art exhibition at the National Museum of History with 318 works on display.
Puru died in 1963 and was buried in the Yangmingshan No. 1 Public Cemetery in Taipei.

Natural imperfection on the medium (paper or silk), regardless from any major damages; includes light blooms, discoloration and minor fading. Consider normal due to the ages.

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