Gao Fenghan belongs to the "Yangzhou Eight Monsters" style in calligraphy and painting (some say that he is also among the "Eight Monsters", but the "eight" here is only an approximation, not exactly eight people), and belongs to the "Four Fengs Sect" in the seal carving, which is easy to make people feel that his style should be weird, informal, magnificent, and majestic.
(Portrait of Gao Fenghan)
It is also true that his "left hand", "Ding has been crippled", "home between Qilu" and other seals are indeed "old ugly" to the extreme, desolate to the extreme. But we must remember that it is because when these seals were engraved, he had already suffered from the erosion and harm of the wind and frost in the world, and at that time, he wanted to send out the cries and sorrows of others in the reverse journey, and he wanted to use his works to express his struggle and pain.
But because the style of these works is too distinct, it is easy for people to label him, and they will feel that his seal engraving works are good for appreciation, but they do not have to learn, at least it is not conducive to beginners to learn, but in fact, when Gao Fenghan engraves with his right hand, there are still many fine products worth copying and learning, such as this "Xuehong Pavilion Chief":
(Gao Fenghan "Xuehong Pavilion Chief" and side section)
This square seal, all six sides are engraved, in addition to the printing surface, the other five sides, respectively, with seals, affiliations, rows, and grass engraved with side sections and top sections, are introduced:
Top paragraph: The seal book "The Relic of the Yun bird Jiguan", "The Cloud Bird Jiguan" is taken from the "Seventeenth Year of the Left Transmission of Zhaogong" and also has "The former Yellow Emperor's clan was named Yunji, so he was named Yunshi. The Yandi clan is known for its fire age, so it is named fire for the fire master. The Gonggong clan is named after the water age, so it is the name of the water master. The Ōho clan is named after the Dragon Age, hence the dragon master. My high ancestor Shao Hao Zhi Zhi Zhi Ye, the phoenix bird is suitable, so the age is in the bird, for the bird master and the bird name. According to the records, in ancient times, the emperor used to name the official position with "cloud" and "bird", and later named the official position after the nature of the civil administration, "the relics of the cloud bird jiguan" obviously refers to this official position, although humble, but it is an old system that has been handed down in ancient times.
Side paragraph 12: Xingshu "Brother Liting with the sage gate, the fourth patrol seal, the winter cold order, the mourning, the remedy, all were blocked, the rush, the business and the printing, for the seal of these four words. Brother Hanton head. ”
Side three: cursive "White Dragon River Long Tibetan Seal". This is a record of Gao Fenghan's self-title (Mangdao River is also known as Bailongchuan, and Gao Fenghan used to use it as a name).
Side paragraph four: Lishu "Qianlong Bingchen Winter December System", this is the time paragraph, indicating the time point of the engraving, this year, Gao Fenghan is fifty-four years old, the right arm is still healthy, therefore, this square seal should be engraved by his right hand.
The "Liting Brother" mentioned in the side paragraph 12 refers to Zhu Liting, whose name is Yingrui, the character Liting, whose birth and death are unknown, and who is a Dan disciple of Jingkou (present-day Zhenjiang, Jiangsu), and a friend of Gao Fenghan. At the time of engraving, Zhu Liting had been serving as the lock officer of the Mangdao River Locks in Jiangdu County for four years (four patrols) in Yangzhou, which was not a big official position, but it was related to the livelihood of the people, because when Zhu Liting first arrived, he "mourned" Siye, thanks to his good remedy, so that the flood was dissolved and the people lived in peace.
This "Zha Zai" is definitely not a big official, and it is roughly equivalent to the current commander-in-chief of a river water conservancy project, Zhu Liting led the people to fight floods and control disasters during the four years, and finally enabled the people to live and work in peace and contentment, although the official position is not large, the things he does are related to the people's livelihood, Gao Fenghan praised him, and carved the seal of "Xuehong Pavilion Chief" to record his deeds.
(Phenom Tread Slush)
The word "Xuehong" is obviously used in Su Dongpo's "Hezi Yushui Pond Nostalgia": "Life knows everywhere what it is like, it should be like Feihong stepping on the snow and mud"; "Pavilion Chief" comes from the Qin and Han official system, setting up a pavilion every ten miles in the countryside, setting up a pavilion in the countryside, setting up a pavilion chief, in charge of public security guards, and also managing the civil affairs, is the most basic petty official, because Han Gaozu Liu Bang was once the chief of the Surabaya Pavilion, so the pavilion chief is often a joke, elegant title, and honorific title among the literati. In addition, there is the word "pavilion" in the name of Zhu Liting, so it is too appropriate for Gao Fenghan to give the elegant title of "Xuehong Pavilion Chief" to Zhu Liting.
(The position of the pavilion chief in the Qin County system)
Okay, let's move on to the square seal itself.
This is a white print in the style of a Han white text print, which looks ordinary, but it is a good work full of details on the other side:
1. The vermilion blur visual effect formed by the full white. Almost all white prints have this effect, but because the lines of this square seal are relatively uniform, this effect is particularly obvious, and at first glance, we will even think that this is a party Zhu Wenyin. Careful identification, only in the Zhu wen line to distinguish the four words of the white text, this is the main aesthetic feature of this square seal;
2. The characteristics of the chapter of "three flat and one change". "Three flat and one change" is the most commonly used chapter style of seal engraving four-character printing, this square seal, "snow", "pavilion", "long" three characters horizontal painting mostly, and "Hong" character vertical painting is obviously more, so the author in the "Hong" word "one change" treatment, unique ingenuity:
(Three flat and one change of the pattern of the rules)
(1) The "work" in the middle of the word "Hong" is additionally enlarged, becoming a component of the top of the sky, and exaggerating the upper part of the horizontal, and the other three words are connected with the posture while more emphasizing the full white effect (the snow is full of white), if not treated in this way, the middle of the text "work" will inevitably form a large area of red above and below, can not achieve the "full white" effect, the image can not be realized. At the same time, this "gong" word is still full of details, and the "one fold" in the middle enriches its posture and makes it no longer stiff and rigid.
(Handling of the "Hong" character "Gong" Ministry)
(2) The "Hong" character "bird" part "claw" position two oblique pen is the only oblique pen in this square seal, like a snowy claw full of snow, which not only promotes the beauty of the image of the "slush claw", but also emphasizes the large chapter pattern of "three flat and one change".
(Slush Claw)
3. Clever diagonal echo of the same potential. In addition to the slight intrusion of the word "snow" into the "pavilion" to strengthen the communication between the left and right sides, this square seal also has a diagonal echo, and the way of echoing is the same as the same posture of the structural stroke.
(Diagonal response to the same potential)
In fact, this kind of echo is very common in seal engraving, because Chinese characters are composed of text parts, and many parts appear frequently in different characters, using these same parts, or parts of the same gesture, can play a great role in the reunion printing surface.
Even, if you think about it carefully, the handling of the upper horizontal of the "Hong" character "Gong" department has also participated in the construction of the left and right echoes, because the "long" word plus the middle long horizontal is four horizontal pens, and the lower part of the snow character is one less horizontal.
4. Weakening of printing edge strokes. Qin and Han seals, because of the long years, the seal metal due to bumping, squeezing, erosion (especially extrusion) and other reasons, will make the seal Chinese character close to the border of the stroke thinner, this stroke thinning because it is the trace of time, often to the printing surface to bring ancient meaning, so the literati often borrow this means, the seal close to the border of the stroke deliberately carved thinner. This is how the seal is:
(The edge of the stroke is fine)
Among the four words, at least one of the near edges of each word is processed "finely", this "antique" means is very useful, in addition to the principle of "forcing the edge", it has added another ancient meaning.
5, both square and round, see the knife to see the pen. The text line or glyph of the seal, if processed into a square, will appear full of knife feeling, if it is processed into a circle, it will appear to have sufficient penmanship, if the square circle is used together, it will appear that the knife and pen appear together. At the same time, the effect of "square" is strong and powerful, and the effect of "circle" is feminine and vivid, so most of the good seal engraving works are both square and round, and the knife sees the pen.
(Both square circles)
Speaking of the beginning and end of the text line, many lines or symmetrical parts in the print, often one end is square, the other end is round, one place is round, the other symmetrical part is treated as a square, in this square seal, this kind of square circle and use of treatment is more obvious, everywhere.
In addition, there are some details of this square seal that deserve attention, such as the short vertical and middle vertical of the upper left part of the "Hong" character "Water" department, and the "Gong" department and the "Bird" department also have a slight adhesion... These details are like "three hairs on the cheek", making this square print elegant and interesting.
An excellent seal engraving work must be a comprehensive embodiment of this clever author's knowledge, cultivation, interest and life insights, and it is precisely because of this that seal engraving will be truly recognized, become an independent art category, and use its unique language to infect people, impress people, and educate people.
([Pudding Reading] No. 94, some pictures from the Internet)