CHUANG SHEN
Besides, in the table of contents of chüan 4 of T’êng-hua-t'ing shu-hua-pa, the 126th item is recorded as a landscape executed by Fang Hsün-yüan . Although there were quite a large num- ber of artists in the Ch'ing dynasty, there was no one whose sur- name was Fang19. However, during the period between the Yung Chêng era and the beginning of the Chien Lung era, there was an artist by the name of Fang Shih-shu ✯±✯ (1692- 1751) who was a native of An Hui and yet lived in Yang Chou . The literary name of Fang Shih-shu is Hsün-yüan20 #✡ · Since in T'êng-hua-t'ing shu-hua-pa, it was Liang T'ing-nan's prac- tice to designate all artists by their literary names and not their real names, therefore this unidentifiable Fang Hsün-yüan is very likely a name mistaken for Fang Hsün-yüan. If this assump- tion is correct, then Liang T'ing-nan had not only recorded incor- rectly the literary name of this An Hui artist, but also mistaken his real name. Such an inexcusable mistake is again due to care- lessness in proof-reading.
C. Chronological Mistakes
I have not thoroughly investigated the number of chronological mistakes in the art catalogues of the Kwangtung collectors. How- ever this kind of error can at least be discovered in Wu Yung- kuang's Hsin-ch'ou hsiao-hsia-chi. It should be noted here that Wu Yung-kuang had left two most important documentary records. One was the Li-tai ming-jen nien-p'u in 10 chuan, compiled in the 23rd year of the Tao Kuang era (1843) which was the year of his death. The other was Hsin-ch'ou hsiao-hsia-chi in 5 chuan, which, though printed a little earlier than the Li-tai ming-jen nien-p'u (in the 21st year of the Tao Kuang era, 1841), was in fact completed two years before his death. In other words, the two most important works of Wu Yung-kuang were both com- pleted during the last three years of his life. Unfortunately there are certain mistakes in both works. As early as ten years ago, the chronological mistakes in the Li-tai ming-jen nien-p'u have already been pointed out by experts21. It is also regrettable that in his Hsin- ch'ou hsiao-hsia-chi, he had committed some other curious chrono- logical mistakes. On page 4 of chüan 4, there is recorded Wu Yung- kuang's own colophon inscribed on Ch'ien Hsüan's Li-hua-chüan #4, which reads,
106
CHUANG SHEN
Besides, in the table of contents of chüan 4 of T’êng-hua-t'ing shu-hua-pa, the 126th item is recorded as a landscape executed by Fang Hsün-yüan . Although there were quite a large num- ber of artists in the Ch'ing dynasty, there was no one whose sur- name was Fang19. However, during the period between the Yung Chêng era and the beginning of the Chien Lung era, there was an artist by the name of Fang Shih-shu ✯±✯ (1692- 1751) who was a native of An Hui and yet lived in Yang Chou . The literary name of Fang Shih-shu is Hsün-yüan20 #✡ · Since in T'êng-hua-t'ing shu-hua-pa, it was Liang T'ing-nan's prac- tice to designate all artists by their literary names and not their real names, therefore this unidentifiable Fang Hsün-yüan is very likely a name mistaken for Fang Hsün-yüan. If this assump- tion is correct, then Liang T'ing-nan had not only recorded incor- rectly the literary name of this An Hui artist, but also mistaken his real name. Such an inexcusable mistake is again due to care- lessness in proof-reading.
C. Chronological Mistakes
I have not thoroughly investigated the number of chronological mistakes in the art catalogues of the Kwangtung collectors. How- ever this kind of error can at least be discovered in Wu Yung- kuang's Hsin-ch'ou hsiao-hsia-chi. It should be noted here that Wu Yung-kuang had left two most important documentary records. One was the Li-tai ming-jen nien-p'u in 10 chuan, compiled in the 23rd year of the Tao Kuang era (1843) which was the year of his death. The other was Hsin-ch'ou hsiao-hsia-chi in 5 chuan, which, though printed a little earlier than the Li-tai ming-jen nien-p'u (in the 21st year of the Tao Kuang era, 1841), was in fact completed two years before his death. In other words, the two most important works of Wu Yung-kuang were both com- pleted during the last three years of his life. Unfortunately there are certain mistakes in both works. As early as ten years ago, the chronological mistakes in the Li-tai ming-jen nien-p'u have already been pointed out by experts21. It is also regrettable that in his Hsin- ch'ou hsiao-hsia-chi, he had committed some other curious chrono- logical mistakes. On page 4 of chüan 4, there is recorded Wu Yung- kuang's own colophon inscribed on Ch'ien Hsüan's Li-hua-chüan #4, which reads,
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