Puru (artist)

Puru
Born Aisin-Gioro Puru
(愛新覺羅 溥儒)
August 30, 1896
Beijing, China
Died November 18, 1963 (aged 67)
Taipei, Taiwan
Cause of death
 Lymphatic cancer
Resting place
 Yangmingshan No. 1 Public Cemetery
Residence Linyi Street, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan
Ethnicity Manchu
Education Hosei University, Beijing, 1913
MA University of Berlin, Germany, 1917
Ph.D. University of astronomy in Berlin, Germany, 1922
Biology Ph.D. University of Berlin, Germany, 1922
Honorary doctorate from Seoul National University, 1955
Occupation Painter, professor, politician
Employer Kyoto Imperial University (1928-1928)
Peking National College of Art (1934-1949)
Republic of China National Assembly Representative (1947-1963)
National Taiwan Normal University Art Department (1950-1963)
Tunghai University Art Department (1955-1963)
Spouse(s) Luo Qingyuan
Lee Moyun
Children Yuli
Taohua
Yucen
Yuqi
Parent(s) Zaiying (father)
Lady Xiang (mother)
Puru (artist)
Chinese 溥儒
Pu Xinyu
Chinese 溥心畬

Puru (August 30, 1896 - November 18, 1963), also known as Pu Xinyu with Xinyu as his courtesy name, was a traditional Chinese painter and calligrapher. He was a member of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, the ruling house of the Qing Dynasty. He was a cousin to Puyi, the final ruler of the Qing Dynasty and the last Emperor of China. It was speculated that Puru would have succeeded to the Chinese imperial throne if Puyi and the Qing government were not overthrown after the 1911 Xinhai Revolution.[1] Puru was reputed to be as talented as the famous artist Chang Dai-chien.

Biography

Puru was born of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan as the second son of Zaiying (載瀅), a son of Yixin, Prince Gong. His mother was Lady Xiang (項氏), a secondary spouse of Zaiying.

Puru was once selected as a potential candidate to succeed Emperor Guangxu, but his cousin Puyi was the chosen one. He was a student at the University of Berlin. After he returned from Europe, he retreated into the Western Mountains, where he spent many years in Jietai Monastery to concentrate on his studies. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, he changed his family name to Pu.

In 1947, Puru was appointed by Chiang Kai-shek as a Manchu representative at the Constitutional National Assembly. He was strongly against Puyi's cooperation with the Empire of Japan, foresaw the unrest in China and fled to Taiwan in the same year as Chang Kai-shek did.[2]

In Taiwan, Puru made a living by selling paintings and calligraphy works during the first months of his arrival in Taipei. He lived in a Japanese style house on Linyi Street in Taipei that the government provided for him. He was appointed in October 1949 as Professor of Fine Arts at the National Taiwan Normal University. In 1959, he held a two-week-long art exhibition at the National Museum of History with 318 works on display.

Puru died in 1963 and was buried in the Yangmingshan No. 1 Public Cemetery in Taipei.

Family

See also

References

  1. ↑ English Biography of Pu Ru
  2. ↑ Biography of Pu Ru

Chinese Master Painter Pu Ru Master Fuxin Yu

External links