Scrapbook for Chinese Collectors: The Shu Hua Shuo Ling

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The Shu Hua Shuo Ling - a treatise on painting and forgery - was written in the 18th century by the Chinese scholar Lu Shih-hua. It might have vanished from the landscape of Asian art history, had the author not recognised its essential value to our modern understanding of Chinese connoisseurship. Its worth lies in the intellectual honesty of the author in his description of the artist in traditional China, the artist’s motivations and the means by which his work was evaluated. Of particular interest (with the emphasis on authenticity that persists today) are Lu’s observations on this issue as considered by connoisseurs of his time. One wonders what chance we have to determine the authenticity of a work now, when even those with profound knowledge of the artists, their styles and work in the eighteenth century were challenged to do likewise. This is an important, provocative work of interest to all who wish to acquire a deeper understanding of Chinese painting and the issues surrounding provenance.