Chapter 20 Chapter 8 Paintings of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644)

In the early Ming Dynasty, the landscape paintings of the Zhejiang School flourished.They imitate Ma and Xia, and often use axes to break the chapped. "The brushstrokes fly away, suddenly slow and fast, quickly gather and suddenly disperse", with a bold and unrestrained momentum.The most representative painter is Dai Jin. Dai Jin (1388-1462 A.D.) styled Wenjin, named Jing'an, was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.When he was young, his family was poor, and he worked as a craftsman making gold and silver jewelry.It is said that once, he happened to see his carefully crafted handicrafts being melted in a melting gold shop, and in a fit of anger, he changed to painting.He studied hard and worked tirelessly.He was talented and skilled in painting, but because of his "lowly" background, he was squeezed out by some snobs, and he died in poverty all his life.According to records, during the reign of Xuande, Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty once summoned painters to paint in the Hall of Renzhi and selected court painters.Dai Jin also went to the competition and drew a picture "Fishing Alone on the Autumn River", showing an old man in red fishing leisurely by the autumn water.This painting is excellent both in technique and artistic conception, and Xuanzong praised it greatly after seeing it.The court painter Xie Huan was jealous of Dai Jin's talent, so he said to Xuanzong: "The painting is good, but it is too rough." Xuanzong asked: "How can you be rough?" Xie Huan said: "The red clothes are worn by officials in court. How can you wear a fishing dress, which clearly despises the court's etiquette." Xuanzong was furious when he heard this, and immediately drove Dai Jin away.Since then, Dai Jin went into hiding and wandered around.However, he persisted in painting despite adversity.Dai Jin is an all-round painter. Apart from landscapes, he is proficient in statues, figures, animals, flowers, fruits, and feathers. He is the most outstanding painter in the early Ming Dynasty.His works are powerful and unrestrained.He is revered as the founder of Zhejiang School.Dai Jin's works, which have been handed down include "Spring Mountain Accumulating Green Map", "Golden Terrace Farewell Map", "Spring Outing Accumulating Green Map", "Guanshan Travel Map", "Fisherman Map", "Spring Outing Evening Return Map", " Wind and Rain Returning to the Boat Map", etc.Among them, "The Picture of Returning the Boat through Wind and Rain" is very representative.

This picture is now in the collection of Freer Museum of Art, Washington, USA.It depicts mountains and rivers in the rain.The strong wind and heavy rain fell from the sky, and the peaks and smoky trees appeared and disappeared, and there was a confusion.The mountain stream surged and rushed down, and the bitter bamboos and wild reeds that were about to be submerged were swaying in the wind and rain.The miscellaneous trees in the foreground trembled under the gust of wind, only the wet boulder remained motionless.On the creek bridge, there are farmers with umbrellas and woodcutters in coir raincoats, hurrying along the wind.There is a small boat on the water of Huixi River, and two people holding umbrellas are sitting on the bow.At the stern of the boat is a boatman wearing a straw hat and coir raincoat. He is bent over and is supporting the boat pole vigorously, making the boat move forward with difficulty against the wind and rain.The artist adopts the method of alternating between virtual and real, using broad brush and light ink to quickly sweep out the rocks in the rain, while the trees and reeds are clustered with fine brush, which are flexible and firm, and appear vividly on the paper in a swaying state.Although the characters are small, they are depicted concisely and vividly, which adds a strong interest in life to the picture.Looking at the whole painting, the viewer seems to be in it too, appreciating the wonderful landscape of "black clouds turning over the ink and not covering the mountains, and white rain jumping into the boat".

Later, Wu Wei was born in Wuchang, Hubei (known as Jiangxia in ancient times), and was also an influential painter in the early Ming Dynasty. He was revered as a representative of Jiangxia School.Because the painting style of Jiangxia School and Zhejiang School are similar, some art historians attribute Jiangxia School to Zhejiang School. Wu Wei (AD 1459-1508) was named Shiying and Ciweng, and his name was Lufu.Young and poor, he lived in Changshu, Jiangsu Province. He was adopted by a wealthy family surnamed Qian and served his son to study.Wu Wei is good at painting by nature, and he is self-taught without a teacher. He often uses strokes to make figures and landscapes. At the age of 17, he went to Nanjing and entered Zhu Yi's mansion. He was called "Little Immortal" because of his youth and talent.Later, he was recommended to Beijing, where he was appreciated by Emperor Xianzong. He was awarded Jinyi Zhenfu, and waited for the Imperial Palace of Renzhi.But Wu Wei is wild by nature, and he does not stick to etiquette.Once, when he was drunk, he suddenly listened to Xianzong's call, so he was disheveled, pulled his broken boots, and was staggered there with the support of his attendants.In front of the emperor, he overturned the ink and smeared it casually into a "Pine Spring Picture".After the painting is finished, everyone looks at it, and it really feels like the situation is miserable.Emperor Xianzong Longyan Dayue said: "It's really a fairy's pen!" Soon after, it was released.During Xiaozong's reign, he was used again and was named "the number one scholar in painting".Later, he returned with illness.

Wu Wei is also good at landscapes and figures, and especially likes to paint large-scale paintings with bold and unconstrained brushwork.The branches of the painted trees are as strong as iron, and the brush used to paint the mountains and rocks can be used both dry and wet, and both dyed and dyed, "splashing ink like clouds".Although his painting style is closer to that of Ma and Xia, it also incorporates the painting methods of Dong, Ju, Fan Kuan and others.There are two styles of figure painting: vigor and indulgence, which are mostly combined with landscapes, with vivid postures, strange and unconventional brushwork, firmness yet softness, and great air.There are many works handed down by Wu Wei, such as "Fishing Joy", "Ten Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River", "Wuling Spring", "Iron Flute" and so on.