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Wangshi shuhua yuan 王氏書畫苑

Mar 16, 2023 © Ulrich Theobald

Wangshi shuyuan 王氏書苑 is a collection of texts on calligraphy compiled by Wang Shizhen 王世貞 (1526-1590). Wang also produced a similar book on painting, Wangshi huayuan 王氏畫苑. Both are often quoted as Wangshi shuhua yuan 王氏書畫苑.

The first printed version of the Wangshu shuyuan was created from the selection of more than 80 old texts and books on calligraphy. It was lost by floodwaters when Wang was in Xiangyang 襄陽, so Wang's younger brother Wang Yuanzhen 王元貞 helped him to reconstruct it and republished it with the known title. This version included five titles. In 1591, Wang and Zhan Jingfeng 詹景鳳 (1532-1602) created an enlarged version called (Wangshi) Shuyuan buyi (王氏)書苑補益 that included eight texts, with a total length of 10 juan. This is the most widespread version of Wang's first series.

The series also includes the preface of Wang's draft collection Wangshi fashu yuan 王氏法書苑 with a length of 76 juan. This book is divided into 13 chapters that include valuable sources on calligraphy not found elsewhere. It was published by Wang Qianchang 王乾昌 after Wang Shizhen's passing away, but because of its draft character, it did not find wide acceptance.

The series on book on painting, Wangshi huayuan , was finished around 1580. It includes the 15 texts. Zhan Jingfeng also supplemented this series by 16 further titles.

In 1922, the Taidong Tushu Press 泰東圖書局 used original Ming-period prints (including typos and errors) to compile the joint series Wangshi shuhua yuan that includes 44 books with a total length of 95 juan.

Table 1. The series Wangshi shuhua yuan 王氏書畫苑
(Ming) 王世貞 Wang Shizhen (comp.); 詹景鳳 Zhan Jingfeng (suppl.)
(Rep) 泰東圖書局 Taidong Tushuju Press, 1922 edition
書名, length in juan Title Author(s)
王氏書苑 Wangshi shuyuan
法書要錄 十卷 Fashu yaolu (Tang) 張彥遠 Zhang Yanyuan (comp.)
米海嶽書史 一卷 Mi Haiyue shushi (Song) 米芾 Mi Fu
書法鈎玄 四卷 Shufa gouxuan (Yuan) 蘇霖 Su Lin
東觀餘論 二卷
附錄 一卷
Dongguan yulun
(app.) Fulu
(Song) 黃伯思 Huang Bosi
王氏書苑補益 Wangshi shuyuan buyi
書譜 一卷 Shupu (Tang) 孫過庭 Sun Guoting
續書譜 一卷 Xu shupu (Song) 姜夔 Jiang Kui
寶章待訪錄 一卷 Baozhang daifang lu (Song) 米芾 Mi Fu
試筆 一卷 Shibi (Song) 歐陽修 Ouyang Xiu
高宗皇帝御製翰墨志 一卷 Gaozong Huangdi yuzhi Hanmozhi (Song) 趙構 Zhao Gou (宋高宗 Emperor Song Gaozong)
法帖譜系 二卷 Fatie puxi (Song) 曹士冕 Cao Shimian
學古編 一卷 Xuegubian (Yuan) 吾丘衍 Wuqiu Yan
字學新編摘抄 一卷 Zixue xinbian zhaochao (Yuan) 劉惟志 Liu Weizhi
廣川書跋 十卷 Guangchuan shuba (Song) 董逌 Dong You
王氏畫苑 Wangshi huayuan
古畫品錄 一卷 Gu huapin lu (Southern Qi) 謝赫 Xie He
續畫品錄 一卷 Xu huapin lu (Tang) 李嗣眞 Li Sizhen
後畫錄 一卷 Houhualu (Tang) 釋彥悰 Monk Yancong
續畫品 一卷 Xuhuapin (Chen) 姚最 Yao Zui
貞觀公私畫史 一卷 Zhenguan gongsi huashi (Tang) 裴孝源 Pei Xiaoyuan
沈存中圖畫歌 一卷 Shen cunzhong tuhua ge (Song) 沈括 Shen Kuo
筆法記 (畫山水錄) 一卷 Bifaji (Hua shanshui lu) (Later Liang) 荊浩 Jing Hao
王維山水論 一卷 Wang Wei shanshui lun (Tang) 王維 Wang Wei
歷代名畫記 十卷 Lidai minghua ji (Tang) 張彥遠 Zhang Yanyuan
聖朝名畫評 (宋朝名畫評) 三卷 Shengchao minghua ping (Songchao minghua ping) (Song) 劉道醇 Liu Daochun
唐朝名畫錄 一卷 Tangchao minghua lu (Tang) 朱景玄 Zhu Jingxuan
五代名畫補遺 一卷 Wudai minghua buyi (Song) 劉道醇 Liu Daochun
畫繼 十卷 Huaji (Song) 鄧椿 Deng Chun
益州名畫錄 三卷 Yizhou minghua lu (Song) 黃休復 Huang Xiufu
米海嶽畫史 一卷 Mi Haiyue huashi (Song) 米芾 Mi Fu
王氏畫苑補益 Wangshi huayuan buyi
梁元帝山水松石格 一卷 Liang Yuansi shanshui songshi ge (Liang) 蕭繹 Xiao Yi (Emperor Liang Yuandi 梁元帝)
畫學祕訣 一卷 Huaxue mijue (Tang) 王維 Wang Wei
豫章先生論畫山水賦 一卷 Yuzhang Xiansheng lun hua shanshui fu (Later Liang) 荊浩 Jing Hao
李成山水訣 一卷 Li Cheng shanshui jue (Song) 李成 Li Cheng
林泉高致 一卷 Linquan gaozhi (Song) 郭熙 Guo X; 郭思 Guo Si (comp.)
郭若虛畫論 一卷 Guo Ruoxu hualun (Song) 郭若虛 Guo Ruoxu
紀藝 一卷 Jiyi (Song) 郭若虛 Guo Ruoxu
宜和論畫雜評 一卷 Yihe lunhua zaping (Song) 趙佶 Zhao Ji (Emperor Song Huizong 宋徽宗)
山水純全論 一卷 Shanshui Chunquan lun (Song) 韓拙 Han Zhuo
畫山水訣 一卷 Hua shanshui jue (Song) 李澄叟 Li Chengsou
畫山水歌 一卷 Hua shanshui ge () NN
李廌畫品 一卷 Li Zhi huapin (Song) 李廌 Li Zhi
華光梅譜 一卷 Huaguang meipu (Song) 釋仲仁 Monk Zhongren
竹譜詳錄 一卷 Zhupu xianglu (Yuan) 李衎 Li Kan
張退公墨竹記 一卷 Zhang Tuigong mozhu ji () 張退公 Zhang Tuigong
廣川畫跋 六卷 Guangchuan huaba (Song) 董逌 Dong You
Sources:
Shanghai tushuguan 上海圖書館, ed. (1982). Zhongguo congshu zonglu 中國叢書綜錄 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), Vol 1, xxx.
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文鬰, eds. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 2, 1812.
Qiu Zhenzhong 邱振中 (1992). "Wangshu fashu yuan 王氏法書苑", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, part Meishu 美術 (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), Vol. 2, 838.
Tao Mingjun 陶明君, ed. (1993). Zhongguo hualun cidian 中國畫論辭典 (Changsha: Hunan chubanshe), 298.
Wu Feng 吳楓, ed. (1987). Jianming Zhongguo guji cidian 簡明中國古籍辭典 (Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe), 91.