Chapter 85 virtual valley

Xu Gu (1824-1896) was a monk, but he did not worship the Buddha, did not live in temples, drank alcohol and ate meat, and traveled between Shanghai, Suzhou and Yangzhou. Xu Gu (1823-1896), whose common surname was Zhu, was named Huairen.Originally from Xin'an (now Shexian County, Anhui Province), his family was in Guangling (now Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province).A monk, moved to Jiangsu Guangling (now Yangzhou).When he first served as a general of the Qing army, it is said that he was unwilling to fight against the Taiping army, so he shaved his hair and became a monk.After becoming a monk, he was named Xubai, named Xugu, nicknamed Juanhe, Ziyang Shanmin, and lived under the names of Juefei Temple, Gubai Thatched Cottage, and Thirty-seven Peaks Thatched Cottage.

Xu Gu is a painter of landscapes, flowers, animals, and birds, especially good at painting squirrels and goldfish.He is also good at portraiture, good at calligraphy, poetry and prose, and is the author of "Monk Xugu's Poetry Records".He used to sell paintings for a living in Shanghai, Suzhou and other places, and had a great reputation. He was a giant in the painting circle in the late Qing Dynasty and an outstanding representative of the "Shanghai Painting School". Xugu's paintings are fresh yet vigorous, with vivid shapes and bright colors. The goldfish and squirrels he paints are very cute.He communicated with Ren Bonian, Hu Gongshou, Gao Yongzhi, Gu Heyi, Wu Changshuo, Ni Mogeng, etc., and discussed painting matters, but he was lonely and not a very good friend, so he could not get his paintings.

Xugu's paintings, handed down from generation to generation include "Goldfish Picture", "Spring Wave Fish Play", "Squirrel Fu Inkstone Picture", "Swimming Fish Wearing Flowers", "Squirrel Jumping", "Plum Blossom Goldfish Picture Axis", "Cat Chrysanthemum Fan", "Loquat Picture" ", "Landscape Book", "Song Crane and Chrysanthemum Picture Axis", "Song Crane Prolonging Years Picture", "Squirrel", "Squirrel Red Leaves", "Squirrel Plum Blossom", "Fish Play Picture Page", "Fish and Algae Picture", "Squirrel on Branch", "Yellow Crane in Bamboo Forest ", "Bamboo Forest Squirrel" and so on.