The Practice of ‘Substitute Brush’ in Chinese Art Culture

Abstract

Even though Chinese artists sometimes entrusted doing calligraphy or painting to their disciples, apprentices, close family members or friends, those artworks were still considered original works of authorship. Such practice was named ‘substitute brush’ (daibi, 代筆). The first mention of ‘substitute brush’ dates back to the 4th century, and its popularity reached the peak during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. The article outlines the panorama of ‘substitute brush’ use up until the beginning of the 20th century, which allows forming a view of the diversity and scale of this phenomenon and understanding the masters’ motives. The article considers the features of examination and attribution of works by artists who resorted to ‘substitute brush’ and addresses the issues of artistic value and creative potential. Particular attention is paid to the problem of ‘substitute brush’ in the art of the famous Qing dynasty master Shitao (1642–1707), which still remains controversial.

Keywords

• chinese traditional painting
• ‘substitute brush’
• daibi
• issues of authenticity
• attribution
• shitao