Chapter 26 The second section is revered as an orthodox painter

Among the landscape paintings of the Qing Dynasty, the "Four Kings" are the most powerful, and their painting style is respected as the authentic landscape painting, which has influenced the painting circle for more than two centuries. The "Four Kings" refer to the landscape painters Wang Shimin, Wang Jian, Wang Hui [hui Hui], and Wang Yuanqi.They advocate imitating the works of the ancients, especially the "Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty", paying attention to the calmness and bookishness of the brush and ink, and paying less attention to learning from nature.Among them, Wang Hui has the greatest reputation, the most comprehensive skills, and the deepest skill.

Wang Hui (AD 1632-1717), styled Shigu, nicknamed Gengyan Sanren, Wumushanren, and Jianmen Woodcutter, was nicknamed Master Qinghui in his later years, and was born in Changshu, Jiangsu.Born in a scholarly family, his grandfather and uncle were both good at painting.Influenced by his family since he was a child, Wang Hui loved painting.He studied painting with Wang Jian and Wang Shimin successively.Wang Shimin once took him to travel all over the country, watching many famous paintings collected by many collectors.Wang Hui devoted himself to researching carefully and learned the painting methods of various schools.At that time, the style of imitating the ancients prevailed in the painting circle, and Wang Hui became famous and was called the "Painting Saint".In the 30th year of Kangxi (1691 A.D.), Wang Hui, under the edict of Emperor Kangxi, painted "Southern Tour Picture" with other painters, depicting the deeds of Kangxi's tour from Beijing to various places in the south of the Yangtze River.Wang Hui mainly painted mountains, rivers, pavilions, rivers and seas.After the painting was completed, Emperor Kangxi was very satisfied, so he gave Wang Hui a painting fan inscribed "Shanshui Qinghui" and wanted to give him an official position, but Wang Hui refused and went back to his hometown.From then on, he called himself the master of Qinghui.After staying at home for more than 20 years, he devoted himself to painting and never stopped.Wang Hui's landscape paintings are profound in skill and proficient in brush and ink, and he is respected as the master of traditional brush and ink in the Qing Dynasty.In his early years, his painting style tended to be smooth and elegant. In his later years, he began to pay attention to observing nature, and his style turned to vigorous and vigorous.He has many disciples, and his painting style has influenced the painting circle for hundreds of years.

There are many existing works of Wang Hui, among which the famous ones are "Sacred Books of the Southern Tour", "Coloring Thousands of Miles of the Yangtze River", "Small Scenery of Cold Forest", "Sunny Clouds at the Foot of Summer", "Summer Trees Hanging Shade" and so on.The "Mangrove Trees in Streams and Mountains" currently in the National Palace Museum in Taipei depicts the scenery of autumn mountains and forests, which is very characteristic.At the foot of the mountain, the stream is gurgling and rippling, and there are layers of autumn forests on the bank, red and green.Crossing the small bridge and walking through the forest, there are several huts facing the roadside, and then spiraling up the winding mountain road, the cottages are scattered and scattered on the mountainside.Turning to the high rocks and dense forests, the vast middle and small roads are hidden, and the stream flows straight down.The temples and pagodas on the top of the mountain are faintly visible through the clouds and fog.A peak rises abruptly in the distance, with extraordinary momentum.Looking at the whole picture, it is like being in a mountain forest, which reminds people of the poetic and picturesque feeling of "the mountains and rivers are clear and the night comes with frost, and the trees are dark red and light yellow".This picture is beautifully drawn with fine brushwork, and the mountains and rocks are painted with dry brushes of light ink and rubbed with stippling.This exquisite work is not only regarded as a masterpiece in Wang Hui's life, but also highly praised by Wang Shimin.He said it had a strange style, and he cured his cough because of "playing all day long".Later, when Yun Shouping saw this painting, he was also "overwhelmed with amazement" and wanted to collect it, but Wang Hui was "satisfied with himself, as if it was not easy for fifty cities. Put it on the desk for more than ten days, and return it with a few words."Later, a salt merchant surnamed Pan bought this painting with a lot of money, which made Yun Shouping deeply moved.

In the history of painting, Wu Li and Yun Shouping were mentioned together with the "Four Kings", known as "Four Kings, Wu, Yun" or "Six Masters of the Qing Dynasty".Wu Li is famous for his landscape paintings, while Yun Shouping is famous for his boneless flowers.The painting style is fresh and beautiful, with a huge impact. Yun Shouping (1633-1690 A.D.) was born in Pi[pibeer] Mausoleum (now Wujin County, Jiangsu Province).The original name was Ge, and the word was Shouping. Later, it was changed to Zhengshu, and the name was Nantian.When he was a child, it was the turbulent era of dynasty replacement in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. At the age of 13, he joined the anti-Qing uprising team in Fujian with his father.In 1648 AD (15 years old), he was defeated and captured, and then fled back to his hometown.So he worked hard to study and learn painting, and finally made extraordinary achievements in poetry, calligraphy, painting and writing.After going through hardships, he vowed not to take the imperial examination, made a living by selling paintings, and never followed others.In 1690, 58-year-old Yun Shouping died of illness in his hometown. His family was too poor to afford a funeral, so his good friend Wang Hui took care of the funeral for him.It is said that Yun Shouping and Wang Hui had a very good relationship. At first they were both good at landscape painting, and they often visited mountains and rivers together to learn painting skills.Later, Yun Shouping felt that Wang Hui's landscape paintings were too good, and said: "You are alone! I am not second-hand." It means that no one can surpass you in painting landscapes, and I will not be second-hand painter.Therefore, he concentrated on painting flowers and birds, deeply studied the "boneless method" of Xu Chongsi in the Northern Song Dynasty, and combined with the observation of objective objects to create his own painting style.Yun Shouping's paintings are bright but not gaudy in color, fresh but not cold in style. They are deeply loved and admired by people, and many people learn his painting methods.It had a profound impact on the development of the Qing Dynasty and modern flower-and-bird paintings.There are many works handed down by him, such as "Falling Flowers and Fish", "Wuqing Picture", "Red Plum and Camellia", "Peach Blossom Picture", "Plum and Bamboo Picture", "Linju Gaoshi Picture", "Water Lotus Picture" Wait.Now take "Furong Picture Out of Water" as an example to see his painting style.

"Furong Picture Out of Water" is 27.5 cm high and 35.2 cm wide, and is now in the Palace Museum, Beijing.On the left side of the picture, a lotus flower rises from the mud, blooming in full bloom in the wind, with bright red petals, extremely delicate and beautiful.On the surface of the water, there is a half-dead lotus leaf, which is broken and withered like a night of frost.A lotus pod with all its petals fallen is hidden among them. This is clearly not the scorching summer of "the lotus leaves are boundless in the sky", but the late autumn season of "the vegetation shakes and the dew turns to frost".However, there is still a new leaf that is "the smallest money that blooms" drilled out of the water, forming a contrast with the blooming lotus, showing stubborn vitality.The lotus is unstained from the mud, graceful and fragrant.Therefore, the ancients often used lotus as a symbol of beauty and purity.The author also wrote a poem saying: "pull the handle into the mud, cast money and fertilizer with water, keep the west wind from blowing in, and protect the beauty's clothes for a long time." He not only compares this lotus blooming against the Xiaoxiao autumn wind to a noble and beautiful lotus. She is a beauty, and praises her strong character that is not afraid of wind, knives, frost and arrows.And use this to express the artist's own lofty feelings.

All the flowers, leaves, and fruits in the picture are directly dyed and painted with colors, without the method of first drawing the outline with ink lines and then filling in the colors, so it is called "boneless method".It is also different from ink and wash freehand brushwork that simply expresses flowers in black and white ink and wash.Because of the direct color dot dyeing, in one petal, the shades match each other and are evenly blended, vividly and subtly showing the graceful demeanor of the lotus flower and lotus leaves, and making people feel that the empty and moist air is born from the paper, The fragrance is bursting, and the charm is endless.