At the ancient calligraphy and painting night auction in Beijing Poly's 2019 autumn auction, a painting called "Zhilan Room Map" fell for 127 million yuan and finally sold for 146.05 million yuan after adding commission.
This price is second only to the price of Huang Tingjian's Pillar Inscription of 436.8 million in 2010, making it the second highest price of ancient calligraphy and painting on the auction market so far. And its author is Wang Meng, one of the "Four Families of the Yuan".
Wang meng
Wang Meng (1308-1385), nicknamed Huanghe Shanqiao and Xiangguang Resident. Yuan Dynasty painter. Grandson of Zhao Mengfu. Wang Meng's landscape paintings were directly influenced by Zhao Mengfu, and later he was taught by Wang Wei, Dong Yuan, Ju Ran and others to synthesize a new style. Together with Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, and Ni Zhan, they are known as the "Four Families of Yuan". He also attacks characters, ink bamboo, and excels at kai.
Wang Mengneng poetry, gong calligraphy. He is especially good at painting landscapes, writing dense scenery, laying out multiple mountains and rivers, and making good use of the dots of despotism and thirsty ink moss to express the lush atmosphere of the forest. In the "Painting History and Painting Essentials", it is said: "Wang Meng's landscape master is huge, and he even has to use ink methods." Yun Nantian, on the other hand, said that he was "Yuanzong Maji (Wang Wei)".
Surviving works include "Qingbian Hermitage Map", "Ge Zhichuan Migration Map", "Xiashan Gao Hidden Map", "Danshan Yinghai Map", "Taibai Mountain Map" and so on. His works had a great influence on Ming and Qing landscape paintings, and his achievements and prestige were second only to Huang Gongwang.
Today, what we appreciate is Wang Meng's only surviving "Love Thick Thesis", which is extremely precious.
[Commentary: Monton's first goodbye.] Dechang Judge Fu Xianggong respected the brother of Qi, who was in love with Hou, and was born as a courtesy: his friend Lin Jingzishan, Wu Xingren, and also the nephew of the Zhao clan. Erudite and versatile, but not famous. If you want to have power to support yourself in his studies, it is enough to get three stones of rice. Focus on the book with the book, and pray for the prayer. The Scythians were young and learned, and they were also adopted by the public. The king of the palace did not have the same intention of doing so, and did not meet with the meeting, and Wan Ji adjusted the film, and was promoted to the point of being humble and not possessive. On the twenty-fourth day of February, Wang Mengton prayed again for the first time. 】
"Love Thick Thesis" book, on paper, 33.3 cm in length and 58.7 cm in width. It was Wang Meng who wrote a letter to his friend "Dechang Judge's Mansion" who was an official, recommending his friend Lin Jing and asking him to arrange an errand for him, and the letter introduced the characteristics of this person's "erudition and versatility".
Dechang, the name Zhang Jing, the word Dechang. His father Zhang Jian and younger brother Zhang Shu had close contacts with Wang Meng and Ni Zhan. In 1362 (the 22nd year of the Yuan Dynasty), Zhang Jing served as a judge of Songjiang Province, and the book called "Xianggong of the Judgment House", which shows that this letter is the work of Wang Meng's middle-aged age.
This piece of brushwork is elegant, the knot is flowing, the ink is thick and light, the strokes are light, and the posture is quite beautiful.
This book learns from Zhao Mengfu, not only the dot painting turning point has the scale of the Zhao Book, but also the knot body is very similar to the imitation, and the pen and ink are round and smooth, and the style is clear and flowing.
Ming Wukuan's "Collection of the Family collection of Zhao Weng" Yun: "The Book of the Yellow Crane Mountain People, when not under the Duke of Zhao Wei." ”
How do you feel Wang Meng's calligraphy compares to Zhao Mengfu's? Let me know in the comments section!