Chapter 11 The second section of Tang style

The figure paintings of the Tang Dynasty tended to be diversified in terms of subject matter and expression methods.In addition to religious murals, painters began to show more important events in social life and the living conditions of people from all walks of life.The most famous figure painters include Yan Liben in the early Tang Dynasty, Wu Daozi, Zhang Xuan, Zhou Fang in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and Sun Wei in the late Tang Dynasty. Yan Liben (AD? - 673), was born in Wannian, Yongzhou (now Xi'an, Shaanxi).His family has been a prominent official for more than 300 years from the Han Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty.His father Yanbi and brother Yan Lide are good at painting and engineering construction.Yan Liben once served as Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Right Prime Minister.Affected by his family, he is good at painting, and has high attainments in figures, pommel horses, landscapes, terraces and pavilions, Taoist and Buddhist paintings, and the highest achievement is figure painting.According to the history of painting, there are as many as 60 or 70 of his works. Unfortunately, the only ones that have been handed down to the present are more reliable: "Pictures of Walking Chariots" and "Portraits of Emperors of Past Dynasties".

"Stepping Chariot Map", also known as "Tang Taizong Walking Chariot Map", is a copy of Song Dynasty, now in the Palace Museum in Beijing, with a length of 38.5 cm and a width of 129 cm.It is based on the historical event that Tang Taizong married Princess Wencheng to Tubo King Songtsan Gampo in the fifteenth year of Zhenguan (AD 641).The painting depicts the scene of Tang Taizong sitting on a chariot and receiving the historian Lu Dongzan sent by Songtsan Gampo to welcome his relatives.Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty had a dignified appearance, a calm demeanor, and kindness in his majesty.Around him are nine court ladies who carry the chariot, support the chariot, hold the fan, and open the umbrella.The one in the middle on the left is Lu Dongzan.Wearing a brocade Tibetan robe, he folded his hands on his chest and listened humbly.The identities of the characters in the painting and their attitudes in specific situations are properly expressed, making the whole painting permeated with a solemn and friendly atmosphere.

"Portrait of Emperors of Past Dynasties" (copy before Song Dynasty) is about 50 cm high and 530 cm long, printed on silk, with thick coloring.It is now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA, and it depicts 13 portraits of ancient emperors.Among them are Liu Xiu, Cao Pi, Sun Quan, Liu Bei, Sima Yan, and Yang Jian, who were the founders of the country, as well as mediocre emperors like Liu Fuling, Chen Bozong, Chen Shubao, and Yang Guang; , There is also Yu Wenyong who destroys Buddhism.The author chooses these 13 emperors, with the obvious purpose of drawing lessons from them. Yan Liben's figure paintings have strong realistic and political significance.Most of the materials are drawn from major events with historical significance at that time, focusing on depicting famous historical figures, so as to learn from the virtuous and foolish and promote the spirit of governing the country.This is obviously different from the painting tendency of other figure painters of the same generation or later generations who mainly serve religion.

In terms of artistic expression, Yan Li instinctively learned extensively from the strengths of previous generations of painters and melted them into his own.According to legend, when Yan Liben visited Jingzhou, he saw the old works of Zhang Sengyou, a painter of the Six Dynasties. On the first day, he said that he deserved his name. On the second day, he said that he was a modern master.So "sit and lie down and watch it, stay under it for the night", and I was still reluctant to leave for more than 10 days. Compared with the paintings of the Six Dynasties, Yan Liben's figure paintings are more realistic and pay attention to the depiction of the characters' spiritual personality.For example, the solemn and respectful demeanor of the Tubo envoy Lu Dongzan and the ceremonial officials in "Buying Tu", and the graceful and elegant demeanor of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, are all portrayed appropriately.This is rare in Yan Liben's previous figure paintings.

Line drawing is one of the characteristics of traditional Chinese painting.The Eastern Jin Dynasty painter Gu Kaizhi's line drawings are simple and delicate, like silkworms spinning silk in spring, while Yan Liben's line drawings change the strength and speed according to different objects, and the style tends to be steady and solid.In terms of color setting, azurite green is often used, and sometimes precious mineral pigments such as gold and silver are used.The influence of this coloring method can be seen in Li Sixun's later Jinbi landscape paintings. If it is said that the figure paintings of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties have developed from the simplicity and childishness of the Han Dynasty to the state of "simplicity and elegance", and to the realm of "detailed, exquisite and beautiful", then Yan Liben has developed on this basis. It takes Chinese painting a step closer to the prosperous Tang Dynasty's "rejuvenation and preparation".Therefore, he is an important painter connecting the past and the future.

In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Wu Daozi's figure paintings had a unique style.Wu Daozi (approximately 685-760 A.D.), originally named Daoxuan, was born in Yangdi (now Yu County, Henan).He lost his parents when he was young, and his family was poor.In his early years, he worked as a painter and learned calligraphy from Zhang Xu and He Zhizhang.Later, he changed to painting and worked hard.He was famous for his paintings when he was under 20 years old.Legend has it that Wu Daozi once visited a monk in a certain temple. The monk was arrogant and rude to him, so he drew a donkey on the temple wall. Every night, the painted donkey walked down from the wall, messing up the monk's room.The monk had no choice but to beg Wu Daozi to paint off the painting, so that the night could be quiet.Later, Wu Daozi was called by Tang Xuanzong to serve in the court. "Records of Famous Paintings of the Tang Dynasty" records that he is "unsurpassed in the world in all his paintings of figures, Buddha statues, ghosts and gods, animals, landscapes, towers and palaces, and vegetation, and he is the number one in the country."Later generations respected him as "Painting Saint of Hundred Generations".

Wu Daozi's figure paintings are mainly temple murals, and he also painted portraits and historical paintings of contemporary emperors, heroes and celebrities.His painting style is bold and unconstrained as the main feature.It is said that once, when Wu Daozi went to Luoyang with Tang Xuanzong, he encountered a funeral at the home of General Pei Min, a famous sword dancer.General Pei had admired Wu Daozi's painting skills for a long time, so he invited him to draw ghosts and gods in Tiangong Temple to save the dead for the dead, and gave him a lot of money and silk.Wu Daozi returned the money and said: "I have heard about the general's name for a long time. Please dance the sword for me. See his aura. It will help me draw pictures, and it can also be used as a reward for me." So Pei Min took off his mourning clothes, held the sword and danced, "A horse gallops like flying, turning left and right. Throwing a sword into the clouds, tens of feet high, if it is shot down by lightning, Min Yin carries it with the sheath in his hand, and the sword enters through the room. Thousands of people watching are all terrified. Daozi then helped The wind blows up the tiny picture wall, which is the magnificence of the world. Daozi painted all his life, and he was proud of it.” From this record, it can be imagined that Wu Daozi’s paintings are full of emotions, and he was impulsive, “Swipe the pen and sweep, The momentum is like a whirlwind", and his paintings are even more energetic.It is very accurate for Su Shi to describe Wu Daozi's painting style with the poem "When he writes the pen quickly, the breath is swallowed before it arrives".

Wu Daozi's figure paintings are vivid and real, emphasizing the use of brushwork, which is very powerful.The line drawing is like water shield [chun chun] vegetable strips, smooth and has a setback, and it is the first to create "willow leaf drawing" and "jujube stone drawing".Its potential is round and elegant, with a strong sense of movement.The belts of the painted figures are loose and elegant, and if there is wind to help them, they are called "Wu belts are in the wind".It is also unique in terms of coloring. "The murals and scrolls painted are vigorous in writing and simple in color." Some works are purely line drawings, which were called "white paintings" at that time.

Wu Daozi's authentic works are no longer visible, only the extant Japanese "Song Zi Tian Wang Tu" is said to be Wu Daozi's work.Although it is a Song copy, it can also be seen in the style of Wu Daozi's painting school. Paintings with the theme of women's life have existed since ancient times.In the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, paintings of beauties representing the life of court women were all the rage, and painters specializing in painting ladies appeared, and beauties paintings became an independent discipline.The portraits of ladies in the prosperous Tang Dynasty got rid of the enlightening tradition of painting "filial daughters", "martyr girls" and "female history" since the Han and Wei Dynasties to promote feudal morality, and more women were regarded as aesthetic objects, depicting their daily life, their depression and joy.The most famous painters are Zhang Xuan and Zhou Fang.

Zhang Xuan, born in Jingzhao (now Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province), whose birth and death are unknown, was a court painter in the Kaiyuan period of the prosperous Tang Dynasty (713-741 AD). "Records of Famous Paintings of the Tang Dynasty" said that he was "famous for painting noble princes, pommel horses, screen curtains, palaces and ladies".At that time, many people imitated Zhang Xuan's painting method, and it was often difficult to distinguish the authenticity, so he "smudged the ears with vermilion as a parting", and used vermilion to smudge the ears as a characteristic.The works handed down by Zhang Xuan include "Mrs.

"Tamping and Practice Picture" is 37 cm high and 147 cm long. It is said to be a copy of Zhao Ji in the Song Dynasty.It is an outstanding work with unique materials and practical significance among the paintings of ladies in the prosperous Tang Dynasty.Lian is a kind of silk fabric in ancient times. After weaving, the texture is stiff. It needs to be boiled, then pounded with a pestle and mortar to soften it, and then sewn and ironed before it can be used.It is these labor scenarios that this figure depicts.There are 12 characters depicted in the painting.A group of four people on the right are the practitioners.Two of them were holding up the wooden pestle and pounding down vigorously, while the other two seemed to be in a pause.Among them, the one in the red dress and the blue skirt rolled up his sleeves with the pestle, in preparation for the replacement of the pounding exercise.There are two people in the middle group, one court lady is sitting on the floor with her arms outstretched, as if she is tying a thread, and the other is sitting sideways on a low stool, practicing sewing seriously.A group of six on the left is ironing.There were two court ladies pulling Lian away, their bodies leaning back slightly, as if trying to straighten them.In the middle there is a court lady holding an iron filled with charcoal fire and ironing it carefully.On the back side of the painting after the practice, the little palace lady pulls the edge of the practice with her hands to help smooth it out.There is also a little girl who looks up curiously under the drill, as if she is going to pass under the drill.In the back, a court lady squats on the ground holding a round fan, fanning the charcoal fire in the brazier, in order to add new charcoal for the iron. There is no background in the whole painting, only simple props, and the painter has made some careful arrangements in terms of composition.The characters are sitting or standing, or sideways or back, interspersed and scattered, echoing each other, changing to the utmost without chaos.The painting is intense labor, but the overall mood is light and harmonious.The artist subtly captures the subtle dynamics of the labor process, such as the person holding the pestle and pulling up his sleeves, the person stretching while leaning back slightly while maintaining his balance, the person fanning the charcoal stove with his head turned away from the fireworks, especially the one who is practicing The playful little girl is lively and interesting, adding a cheerful breath of life to the picture. Zhou Fang (approximately AD 745-804), also known as Zhonglang and Jingxuan, was born in Chang'an.He is a famous figure painter who was active after the Anshi Rebellion.The official went to Xuanzhou (the seat of the government is now Xuancheng, Anhui), Changshi, don't drive.Once learned from Zhang Xuan.His paintings of beautiful women are known as "the best in ancient and modern times".It is said that Zhou Fang's realistic ability is very strong.At that time, there was a man named Zhao Zong who first asked Han Gan to paint his portrait, and then Zhou Fang.Guo Ziyi, Zhao Zong's father-in-law, hung the two paintings together and looked at them.One day Zhao Zong's wife went back to her natal home. Guo Ziyi pointed to the portrait and asked her, "Who do you think this is?" , the latter one is the best." Ask: "Why?" Answer: "The former one is just the appearance, and the latter one not only depicts the appearance, but also depicts Zhao Zong's air and temperament, talking and laughing." It can be seen that Zhou Fang's figure paintings had a high reputation at that time. The extant works passed down to Zhou Fang include: "The Picture of a Lady with Flowers on the Hairpin [zan糌]", "The Picture of Tuning the Qin and Sipping [chuo Chuo] Tea", "The Picture of a Lady Swinging a Fan", "The Picture of a Playing Baby" and so on.Zhou Fang's and Zhang Xuan's paintings of ladies are similar in painting techniques and styles.The characters are all with curved eyebrows and high buns, rich and healthy bodies, luxurious clothes, and graceful manners, just like the great Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu described in "A Walk of Beauty", "the appearance is thick and the meaning is far and gentle, and the muscles are delicate and fleshy."The threadwork is thin and strong, and the color is rich and even.Like Zhang Xuan's paintings of beautiful women, they are rich but not gaudy, neat but not cumbersome.It not only shows the graceful and graceful appearance of the ladies in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, but also makes people appreciate the contemporary aesthetic trend of the Tang people who regard plumpness as beauty.However, there are obvious differences in temperament and sentiment.If Zhang Xuan's "Tamping and Practice Picture" shows a relaxed and pleasant working atmosphere, and "Mrs. The depressing, sad, and boring life indirectly reflects people's psychological state and mental outlook when the mighty Tang Empire is rapidly declining after the Anshi Rebellion. Among the figure paintings of the late Tang Dynasty that have survived to this day, there is Sun Wei's "Gao Yi Tu".This picture is 45.2 cm high and 168.7 cm wide, and it is now in the Shanghai Museum.Four ancient literati are depicted on the screen.They were sitting on gorgeous square blankets, each served by a school boy.There are plantains, trees and lake stones behind him.The front scroll of this picture has the five characters "Sun Wei Gaoyi Tu" inscribed by Song Huizong Zhao Ji, and there are collection seals such as "Shuanglong" and "Yushu".Some people think that the content of this painting shows the life of literati and hermits in the turbulent period of the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties.In recent years, some scholars have verified that this picture is similar to the mural "Seven Sages in the Bamboo Forest and Rong Qiqi Picture" unearthed in the late 1950s in the Southern Dynasty tomb at Xishan Bridge in Nanjing in terms of composition, form, and dynamics of figures. It is likely that it was recreated based on the model of the Southern Dynasties.This "Picture of Sun Wei Gaoyi" only painted four people, and it is unknown whether it is a fragment of "Picture of Seven Sages in the Bamboo Grove". "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest" refers to seven famous literati in the Wei and Jin Dynasties: Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Shan Tao, Xiang Xiu, Liu Ling, Wang Rong and Ruan Xian. "Wei's Spring and Autumn Annals" said that these seven people "were friendly to each other and traveled in bamboo forests, named Qixian".They despise hypocritical etiquette, behave indulgently, like drinking, are good at poetry and calligraphy, have a good command of rhythm, and are good at talking.It has always been highly praised by later generations of scholar-bureaucrats and literati.The first person on the right side of this frame is Shan Tao. He sits with his knees wrapped around his clothes, with a handsome face, slightly frowning eyebrows, and staring forward with his eyes, with an air of aloofness and refinement.The second person is Wang Rong, holding Ruyi in his right hand, with an unopened picture scroll in front of him, thoughtful.The third person is Liu Ling, who is addicted to alcohol, sitting sideways, holding a wine glass, looking back and frowning, with a trance, drunk eyes, as if about to vomit.The fourth person is Ruan Ji. He undresses and sits facing the front with a fan in his hand.The four children who waited beside them also had different expressions. Sun Wei, the author of "Gao Yi Tu", was born and died unknown.A native of Kuaiji (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang).After Huang Chao's uprising army captured Chang'an, he followed Tang Xizong Li Yan to avoid Sichuan and served as "His Royal Highness Wencheng Taoist General".Huang Xiufu's "Yizhou Famous Paintings" in the early Song Dynasty said that he "has a wild temperament and a detached embrace. Although he is fond of drinking, he has never been intoxicated. Zen monks and Taoist priests often return. It’s hard to keep a sum of money if you donate a thousand pieces of gold.”It can be seen that he had a very high reputation at that time.