Chen Jiru

We authenticate, certify, issue certificates of authenticity (COA), appraise the value and broker the sale of paintings and drawings by CHEN Jiru.

Chinese

Born in 1558, Wuxing, Zhejiang, China.

Died in 1639, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, aged 81.

He spent most of his life in China, particularly in Zhejiang province. During his lifetime, Chen Jiru briefly travelled to various cities such as Beijing and Suzhou.

Typical Subject Matter:

Chen Jiru was a versatile artist who painted landscapes, flowers, birds, and bamboo. He was particularly renowned for his flower-and-bird painting, which was highly expressive and imbued with symbolic meaning. His works often depicted peony flowers, orchids, and bamboo, subjects that symbolized beauty, resilience, and longevity in Chinese culture. He also painted figures, though his figure paintings were less well-known than his natural subjects.

In addition to his natural themes, Chen was an accomplished calligrapher and poet, frequently integrating poetry into his visual compositions. His works often combined elements of literary tradition with visual art.

Typical Style:

Chen Jiru is renowned as a master of brushwork and as one of the important figures of the Southern School of Chinese painting. His style is characterized by bold, expressive brushstrokes and a sense of spontaneity, which lent his works a distinctive freedom and vitality. His paintings, though technically meticulous, were infused with an emotional and poetic quality.

Visually, his works often feature dynamic compositions with sweeping brushstrokes that convey the energy and life of the subjects, such as the swirling petals of flowers or the graceful sway of bamboo stalks. His use of ink was bold and vibrant, and his paintings often contained multiple layers of ink wash to create depth and movement. His depiction of bamboo and orchids is particularly admired for its fluidity and expression, evoking natural elegance through a harmonious balance of colour and line. He often used rich, deep tones in his ink washes, allowing for a contrast between light and shadow, and frequently incorporated light washes of colour to add subtlety and dimension to his natural scenes.

Typical Material and Media:

Chen Jiru mostly worked in ink and watercolour on paper. Like many traditional Chinese painters, he also painted on silk, especially for his more formal works.

If you own a painting or a drawing by or attributed to Chen Jiru, we would like to learn about it. Please send us photos or contact us at [email protected]. You will generally receive a response within 24 hours.