Xu Wei

Xu Wei (zh-cp|c=徐渭|p=Xú Wèi, 1521—1593) was a Ming Chinese painter, poet and dramatist famed for his artistic expressiveness. Revolutionary for its time, his painting style influenced and inspired countless subsequent painters, such as Zhu Da, the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou, and the modern masters Wu Changshuo and Qi Baishi, who once exclaimed in a poem that "How I wish to be born 300 years earlier so I could grind ink and prepare paper for Green Vine ( A Xu Wei pen name)" (恨不生三百年前，為青藤磨墨理紙). Xu Wei can be considered as the founder of modern painting in China. His influence continues to exert itself. Despite his posthumous recognition, Xu was manifestly mentally ill and unsuccessful in life, ending his life in poverty after the murder of his third wife and several attempts at suicide.

His courtesy names were Wenqing (文清)and then Wenchang (文長). His various pen names were "The Mountain-man of the Heavenly Pond" (天池山人 Tiānchí Shānrén), "Resident of the Green Vine House" (青藤居士 Qīngténg Jūshì) and "The Water and Moon of the Bureau's Farm" (署田水月 Shǔtián Shuǐ Yuè). Born in Shanying district (now Shaoxingin Zhejiang Province), Xu was raised by a single mother who died when he was 14. At 21, he married Pan-shi (潘氏), who died five years later. Xu attempted to pass the civil service examinations eight times, although he never succeeded. Nevertheless, Xu was employed by General Hu Zongxian (胡宗憲), Supreme Commander of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Fujian coastal defense against the "wokou" (倭寇) Japanese pirates.

After General Hu was arrested and lost his position Xu Wei also feared a negative fate for himself. Xu became mentally distraught at this juncture, attempting to commit suicide nine times, such as by axeing himself in the skull and drilling both of his ears. His mental imbalance no doubt led to his killing of his wife Zhang-shi (張氏) after becoming paranoid that she was having an affair. For his murder, he was jailed for seven years until his friend Zhang Yuanbian (張元忭) from the Hanlin Imperial Academy managed to free him at age of 53. It is possible Xu Wei suffered from Bipolar Disorder, a condition actually recognized in China at this time. Xu spent the rest of his life painting, but with little financial success. However, his paintings have been highly sought after in modern times.

In addition Xu was a relatively unknown playwright, authoring the following four plays: "The Heroine Mulan Goes to War in Her Father's Place" (雌木蘭 "Ci Mulan"): describes Hua Mulan, "A Female Degree Holder" (女狀元 "Nüzhuangyuan"): "The Adventures of the Intelligent Huang Chongjia" (黃崇嘏), "The History of the Mad Drum" (狂鼓史 "Kuanggu Shi"): crimes of Cao Cao, and "A Zen Master's Dream of the Land of Green Jade" (翠鄉夢 "Cuixiang Meng"): a Buddhist story. Interestingly, Xu's dramatic efforts often deal with women's themes and Xu can be regarded as something of an early women's rights advocate.

Xu Wei was also a poet in "shi" style of considerable note. Xu's collected works in 30 chapters exists with a commentary by the late Ming writer Yuan Hongdao. Yuan Hongdao and the others of his literary movement were undoubtedly influenced by the writings of Xu. Of the various arts Xu Wei practised, he held his calligraphy in highest esteem. Next was his poetry.A modern typeset edition of Xu Wei's collected works, "Xu Wei ji", was published by the Zhonghua Publishing House in Beijing in 1983. Previously a 1600s edition of his collected works known as the "Xu Wenchang sanji" was reproduced in Taiwan in 1968. In 1990 a book length study of Xu Wei by Xu Wei can be seen as the quintessential “scholar in cotton clothes” or "buyi wenren", a scholar who could not pass the civil service examination, yet became active in the realm of literature and cultural achievement. Many such individuals appeared in the late 1500s and early 1600s and attached themselves to successful officials or became independent in late Ming China.

GRAPES

From the first of summer until this morning,

No mind to do anything, given all up.

From the old days still have my worn out brush;

Take some ink and dot myself grapes.

SONGS OF PEKING IN THE FIFTH MONTH

(1)

The pomegranate blossoms set the streets on fire;

Curling branches and buds like heavy clouds.

The people all around couldn’t buy enough;

What’s left used for dye, to crimson girls’ skirts.

(2)

Don’t worry about anything that happens in Peking;

Just fret in the heat from the gutters by the road.

Today I heard they cleaned them out;

Needn’t hold my nose when passing downwind.

A PALACE LADY ENTERS THE DAOIST RELIGIOUS ORDER

In the palace ranks, mixed splendor with self denial;

Became old and sought a sage, as the sun began to set.

Didn’t face the autumn wind, filled with resentment,

When no longer asked to take up the lute.

Morning made rain of lust in the emperor’s bed;

Evening wove mists for holy men.

Heard she’s on Gou Mountain free and untroubled;

Now who does she talk with, about the monarch’s favors?

NEW YEAR’S DAY

Yesterday is only today,

And last year is this year.

The circle’s perfection never breaks;

When water is cut you needn’t join it.

I grab the calendar and burn it;

Go back to the house, another one there.

Hate the plum trees and the willows;

Spring, they are young and beautiful again.

Additional Works

References

*Liang and Goodrich in Goodrich and Fang, "Dictionary of Ming Biography 1368-1644", Columbia University press, New York, 1976, vol. 1, pp. 609-612.
*Bruce E. Carpenter, 'Cruelty and Genius: Poems of Hsü Wei', "Tezukayama University Review" (Tezukayama Daigaku Ronshu), Nara, Japan, 1979, no. 26, pp. 16-36. ISSN 0385-7743
*Yu Jianhua and Chen Sunglin, "A Complete Collection of Chinese Paintings" (Zhongguo huihua chuanji) Zhejiang Peoples' Art Press, 2000, vol. 15, pp. 1-51.
*Ma Liangchun and Li Futian, "Encyclopedia of Chinese Literature", vol. 7, p. 4904.
*Shen Moujian, "Encyclopedia of Chinese Artists" (Zhongguo meishu jia renming cidian), Shanghai, p. 73.
*Zhang Xinjian , "A Preliminary Study of Xu Wei" (Xu Wei lungao), Wenhua yishu Publishing Co., Beijing, 1990.