Pu Hsinyu (Pu Ru)
China, 1896-1963
Artist's works
Artist Profile
Scholar under a Pine Tree
Mist in the Woods and Shaded Cliffs
Zhong Kui
Layered Peaks and Soaring Cliffs–Handscroll
Calligraphy couplets
Introduction and Experience
Pu Hsinyu (1896–1963, China), born Aisin-Gioro Puru, was the foremost painter, calligrapher, poet, and scholar descended from the Qing imperial family. A grandson of Prince Gong, he was raised within Prince Gong’s Mansion in Beijing, where he received a rigorous classical education. Following the fall of the Qing dynasty, he withdrew to the Western Hills outside Beijing, devoting more than a decade to the study of painting and calligraphy, while drawing inspiration from the Southern Song masters Ma Yuan and Xia Gui, as well as painters of the Ming dynasty Zhe School.
Renowned for his accomplishments in the "Three Perfections"—poetry, calligraphy, and painting—Pu excelled in landscape, architectural, figure, bird-and-flower, and animal subjects. Integrating calligraphic brushwork into his paintings, he developed a style distinguished by elegant refinement, precise linework, and a deeply literati sensibility. Together with Chang Daichien, he became known as one of the “Southern Chang and Northern Pu,” and after relocating to Taiwan in 1949, he was later recognized as one of the celebrated “Three Masters Crossing the Sea.”
As a professor at National Taiwan Normal University and an influential teacher throughout Asia, Pu played a critical role in the transmission of traditional literati culture in the 20th century. His works, ranging from historical subjects to scenes inspired by Taiwan, continue to be admired for their artistic refinement, literary depth, and enduring cultural significance.
Exhibitions and Awards
Selected Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2025
Stepping into the Most Critical Year Under Pu Ru's Brush —Chan Liu Art Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
2024
Transcendent Elegance: Pu Hsinyu Painting and Calligraphy Special Exhibition —Chan Liu Art Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
2023
Pu Hsinyu's Eighteen Model Calligraphy Sheets After Ancient Masters —Yangmingshan Chung-Shan Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
2022
Vegetables into Paintings: Facsimile Exhibition of Pu Hsinyu's "Vegetable Album" Drafts —The Garden of Hope (Garden City), Taipei, Taiwan
60th Anniversary School Celebration: Pu Family Sketches and Drafts —Hwa Kang Museum, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan
2021
The Art of Culinary Life: Pu Hsinyu's Precious Small Pieces at Hwa Kang —Daxia Gallery, School of Continuing Education, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan
The Last Brushstroke of Literati Painting: Pu Hsinyu Painting and Calligraphy Special Exhibition —National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
2020
Vegetables in Paintings: Exhibition of Pu Hsinyu's "Vegetable Album" Drafts —SOL Art Space, Taipei, Taiwan
2014
The Mind of a Remnant Subject: Pu Hsinyu Special Art Exhibition —National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
2013
Elegant Brush and Scholar's Style: Pu Hsinyu Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition —National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
1996
Special Exhibition of the Museum Collection of Pu Hsinyu's Calligraphy and Painting —National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
1959
Pu Ru Solo Exhibition—National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
Group Exhibitions
2018
Grand Masters of South and North: Chang Daichien and Pu Hsinyu Special Exhibition —Hwa Kang Museum, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan
Collections
Museum and Institutional Collections
- National Palace Museum—Taipei, Taiwan
- National Museum of History—Taipei, Taiwan
- Hwa Kang Museum, Chinese Culture University—Taipei, Taiwan
Private Collections
- Works are held in private collections in Taiwan and China.