Chen Shu

CHINA, Zhejiang, Jiaxing; Qing dynasty

Chen Shu, also known as Shangyuan Dizi or Nanlou Laoren (Old Lady of South Pavilion), was a painter from Xiushui (present day Jiaxing, Zhejiang). Her painting, Night Weaving of the Sutra Teaching, was introduced to and highly appreciated by Emperor Gaozong (reigned 1736–1795). As a result, she was bestowed with the title Taishuren (Honorable Elderly Lady). The emperor collected numerous paintings of hers and exhibited them in the imperial collection.
She was skilled in depicting flowers, birds, landscapes, and figures. Her brush strokes were seasoned and powerful and her style was simple and elegant. Many of Chen’s works were compiled posthumously in the Collection of Figure, Flower, and Bird Paintings by the Old Lady of South Pavilion. Her painting, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Emerging from the Sea, is kept at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan.