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Introduction

The Chinese term for humor is "youmo," which appears in "The Nine Declarations: Embracing the Sands" from The Songs of Chu, an early Chinese classic of poetry: "With nothing but obscurity before my eyes, I find calm and complete silence." In the second line, the binome for "you" and "mo" refers to "calm" and "silence," respectively. Nowadays, however, Chinese dictionaries explain it as something that is amusing but having broader implications. So why was this ancient term used to translate the word "humor?" Earlier in the twentieth century, it was the renowned writer-translator Lin Yutang (1895-1976) who chose "youmo" as a phonetic rendering for "humor," perhaps because no such corresponding term could be found in Chinese. He explained, "For those who are skilled at 'humor,' their wit is invariably calmer and concealed. And for those who are skilled at judging 'humor,' their appreciation lies particularly in a silent realization of the heart, which is often difficult to describe to others. Unlike crude jokes, the more 'calm' and 'silent' the humor is, the more marvelous it is."

A person with a sense of humor therefore has the ability to both understand and employ humor, having a degree of intelligence and an open-minded attitude. Humor involves a keen power of observation and imagination using light-hearted and amusing forms of association and metaphor to convey life experiences, ways of thinking, or just things of playful interest. The kinds of humor are indeed many and include sharp words or other forms of self-deprecation, wit, teasing, and satire, often yielding unintended results ranging from a smile to outright laughter for the audience.

This exhibit features ten works of Chinese painting and calligraphy from the National Palace Museum collection to illustrate how artists in the past expressed a sense of humor. They include major pieces as well as more playful ones. The contents sometimes represent an "inside joke" between those in the know, humorous shapes to suggest a particular feeling, or unconventional arrangements. They can also be admonishing in nature or satirical in tone. Regardless of the approach, however, they all reveal creative ideas and techniques in various forms to express a unique sense of humor in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy.

Selections

Immortal in Splashed Ink

Liang Kai (fl. first half of 13th c.), Song dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 48.7 x 27.7 cm

Liang Kai, a native of Dongping in Shandong, came to reside in Qiantang (modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang). Fond of drinking, he did not follow the rules of propriety and was called "Madman Liang." During the Jiatai reign (1201-1204), he served as a Painter-in-Attendance at the court and was bestowed with the Golden Belt, which he refused, hung on the wall, and left behind.

This painting is the second leaf from the album "Gems of Famous Paintings." It depicts an immortal with his chest exposed and striding forward. Except for a few strokes to suggest the head and ears, chest, and face, the rest of the figure is rendered with large swaths of extremely wet ink. Though appearing without regard for formal likeness, it still has dynamic presence and spirit.

The immortal is shuffling forward as if in a drunken stupor or joyfully carefree. The distorted expression of his squinting smile is greatly reduced and takes up only a small fraction of the entire composition, yet it serves nonetheless as a focal point for the painting, revealing where the artist expressed a sense of humor.

Text on Detesting Flies

Attributed to Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), Yuan dynasty
Hanging scroll, ink on paper, 147.5 x 53.7 cm

This work is a transcription of Ouyang Xiu's (1007-1072) "Ode on Detesting Flies." Although ascribed to the famous Yuan dynasty painter-calligrapher Zhao Mengfu, the traces of brushwork are slightly weaker and reveal instead the style of Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), one of the Four Ming Masters. It is therefore probably a late Ming dynasty work to which Zhao's name was added.

This scroll reveals a dual level of humor on the part of the writer and calligrapher. The original author used a formal method of composition to describe in detail the bothersome and detestable habits of the fly and the ways in which it is harmful.

The author used the text as a satirical jibe at those who slandered and caused turmoil in the country. The calligrapher transformed this text into a work of art. Claiming it was done for himself, it could also be a metaphorical reflection of his own feelings.

Cat

Shen Zhou (1427-1509), Ming dynasty
Album leaf, ink on paper, 34.8 x 54.5 cm

Shen Zhou (style name Qi'nan, sobriquet Shitian), a native of Changzhou (modern Suzhou, Jiangsu), was gifted at calligraphy, poetry, and painting. He was one of the Four Ming Masters.

This painting is the fifteenth leaf from Shen's "Album of Sketching from Life." The artist's inscription on the album states that he was sitting alone by a window and started dabbling with the brush. The result is a work with natural and unbridled brushwork in the literati manner, the simple and straightforward subject matter full of life.

Shown here is a cat curled into a ball with its head sticking out and eyes staring to the side. Cats are known to take this pose, but here the head and body are somewhat distorted in a way that does not quite accord with feline anatomy. The artist perhaps intentionally portrayed the cat as a ball (with only a few lines for the paws underneath) to express a playful touch of humor.

Commentary on Growing a Beard

Shen Zhou (1427-1509), Ming dynasty
Handscroll, ink on paper, 28.4 x 463.5 cm

Shen Zhou (style name Qi'nan, sobriquet Shitian), a native of Changzhou (modern Suzhou, Jiangsu), was gifted at poetry and prose, and he excelled at painting and calligraphy as well. In calligraphy, he followed the style of Huang Tingjian but with a more robust and upright manner.

A friend of Shen Zhou, Zhao Mingyu, did not have a beard but longed to have one. When another friend heard of this, he asked Shen to write this discourse and recruited Zhou Zongdao (who had a full beard) to help out by donating ten of his whiskers to Zhao Mingyu to make up for what he lacked. What started as a joke between friends turned into a serious text by Shen replete with allusions to classical texts and elaborate reasoning on why it was necessary for Zhou Zhongdao to share some of his beard hair.

Shen Zhou also wrote it carefully in large running script. The style of calligraphy is sedate and steady with a powerful and spirited force, making it a representative surviving example of his large running script. This serious treatment of a whimsical subject is exactly the kind of humor that Shen Zhou had intended.

Zhong Kui in a Wintry Grove

Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), Ming dynasty
Hanging scroll, ink and light colors on paper, 69.6 x 42.5 cm

Wen Zhengming (original name Bi, later changed to his style name Zhengming), a native of Changzhou (modern Suzhou, Jiangsu), excelled at the arts of poetry and prose, painting, and calligraphy. He was one of the Four Ming Masters.

Ge Hong in his Master Embracing Simplicity of the Eastern Jin period states that demons, spirits, monsters, and ominous creatures haunt the forests. As a result, the spiritual prowess of the martial Zhong Kui, the demon-queller, is most needed there. This serves as the source of "Zhong Kui in a wintry grove." However, in the Ming dynasty, literati-artists such as Wen Zhengming and Qian Gu (1508-after 1578) often substituted an official's tablet for Zhong Kui's sword. In doing so, the image of a military figure in a sword dance from the old days was transformed into the prototype for a "scholar's Zhong Kui."

This painting shows Zhong Kui in a refreshing way, and Wen Zhengming has given him a grin and a playful touch. Has Zhong Kui cheerfully driven away the evil forces, or is he mocking the ways of the world? The meaning of the smile is for the artist to know and audiences to surmise.

"Text on Dispelling the Ghost of Weariness" and a Landscape

Huang Yingchen, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 163.8 x 219 cm

Huang Yingchen (style name Jingyi, sobriquet Jian'an), a native of Beijing, was active in the early Qing dynasty. Good at calligraphy, he also excelled at painting figures, spirit beings, and children.

The subject of this painting comes from "Text on Dispelling the Ghost of Weariness" written by Shen Shixing (1535-1614) of the Ming dynasty, in which he laments wasting several months organizing his manuscripts on account of sleepiness. Because of the expression, "Drowsiness is when the ghost enters," he thereupon wrote a text to dispel it. When he saw the ghost of weariness rush towards him again while nodding off, he could then defy it.

The painting here depicts a bright spring day with branches lush and abloom. A scholar sits in the pavilion falling asleep as the ghost of weariness arrives, but it wears everyday attire. Nor does it appear menacing or frightening; instead, the ghost merely seems to stagger slowly forward in a slightly unusual way. The original author conveys the idea of unfettered concentration and self-reflection. However, the artist does not convey the ghost with much horror or seriousness, giving it an almost comical touch in a peaceful and lovely landscape setting.

Wasp and Tiger

Hua Yan (1682-1756), Qing dynasty
Album leaf, ink and colors on paper, 20.2 x 25.6 cm

Hua Yan (style name Qiuyue, sobriquet Xinluo shanren), a native of Shanghang in Fujian, was gifted at painting figures, landscapes, and bird-and-flower and grass-and-insect subjects. He departed from contemporary conventions and strived to attain ancient methods, becoming a representative figure in the Yangzhou School.

This painting is the fourth leaf from Hua's "Album of Sketches from Life," which has been entrusted to the National Palace Museum from the Lanqian Shanguan collection. A sulking tiger stands on the grass, its tail lowered and a front paw raised. It looks as if the wasp has just stung it after finding no place to hide.

With an expression of hurt and helplessness, the image of a mighty ferocious tiger has been turned upside down. Perhaps it conveys the artist's own sense of failure, using a small thin-waisted wasp to create a comical contrast with the much larger tiger having a humorous expression.

Auspicious Omen of Abundant Peace

Anonymous, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 128.2 x 49.3 cm

Zhong Kui, the queller of demons, is shown wearing a red robe and seated on four demons. He has taken off his black cap and looks at himself in a mirror as a bat soars above. The title of this work can also be read in Chinese as a homophone for "Ennobled Reflection of an Immortal."

Earlier surviving depictions on the subject of Zhong Kui looking at himself in a mirror include Gao Qipei's (1762-1834) "Zhong Kui in a Mirror" and Fang Xun's (fl. late 18th c.) "Zhong Kui Facing a Mirror." Although this work differs from those two, it also presents an auspicious and humorous side; it, too, probably came from the hand of a Qing artist.

According to legend, Zhong Kui was a man of grotesque features; he even was shocked to see himself in the mirror, adding an amusing anecdote to this figure. The four demons upon which he sits likewise do not appear so much afraid of him as they are helpless, revealing how the artist carefully arranged the humorous quality of this painting.

Ink Play of Cat and Mice

Pu Hsin-yu (1896-1963), Republican period
Hanging scroll, ink on paper, 57.4 x 28.3 cm

Pu Hsin-yu, a native of Wanping in Hebei (modern Beijing), was a member of the Qing imperial family. Gifted at poetry as well as painting and calligraphy, he had a pure and untrammeled style. Renowned in art circles along with Chang Dai-chien (1899-1963), they were known as "Chang of the South and Pu of the North."

This painting (donated to the National Palace Museum by Mr. Liu Te-feng) shows a cat fast asleep and two groups of anthropomorphic mice in different activities. At the top is a mouse dressed as an alluring lady with two other modest mice that look as if presenting some kind of document and making a proposal. Below are two mice at a table; one makes a toast as the other one looks like a fat male lying at the table apparently drunk.

A sense of satire seems to permeate the elegant style of painting. Though the artist did not explain whether the cat is really asleep or just pretending to do so, the mice indeed satirize the ways of the world. Pu Hsin-yu evidently chose some form of social commentary through a comical form of expression.

Sleeping Cat

Chen Dingshan (1897-1987), Republican period
Framed scroll, ink on paper, 34.4 x 40.4 cm

Chen Dingshan (original name Qi; also named Qu; style name Xiaodie; alternate names Dieye, Zuilingsheng; changed to Dingshan after the age of forty), a native of Hangzhou in Zhejiang, was good at painting and calligraphy. Also excelling at poetry and prose, he was a modern entrepreneur as well.

On a rocky outcropping is a man dressed in official robes lying on the ground with a cat, both of them appearing asleep. To the side is a wine jug with a vessel and ladle. Is he sleeping, or is he just drunk? The artist wrote an inscription on the painting that reads, "A cat fast asleep is not easily aroused, for only then will mice run amok." So is the person here fast asleep, trying to sleep as a means of avoidance, or taken to drink as a way to avoid his troubles? Although it does not clearly express a sense of hopelessness about the world, the artist seems to have suggested as such in the painting.

The work as a whole is done in direct and cursive touches of the brush. Together, they leisurely convey a sense of humor.