Song Huizong: It is not the piano that is played, it is loneliness

Written by | Zhao Mengde

The Jiangshan of the Northern Song Dynasty was particularly prosperous and splendid under the pen and ink of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, but it laid a serious crisis for the real Jiangshan. The different qualities of art and politics were unfortunately possessed by Emperor Huizong of Song.

Song Huizong Zhao Yao, a young man of literature and art, he has no intention of empire, in his view, the depiction on paper is more wonderful than reality, Zhao Tuo on the dragon chair has reached a peak in the art of wind and snow, and even because he loves art, he has specially included the knowledge of art into the category of the imperial examination, this aspect has created a precedent for art to the road to the imperial examination, thus cultivating a large number of outstanding painters, and producing a large number of works that have been passed down through the ages, from this point of view, it has positive historical significance.

From a professional point of view, Song Huizong's artistic cultivation did reach a realm, so with the help of his status as emperor, he incorporated art into the political level. "Emperor Huizong tianzhong, the holy art of the gods." A "pole" word vividly expresses an insurmountable height.

Song Huizong Fuqin diagram

In this regard, he himself said: "In the spare time of every opportunity, there is no other good, but a good painter." I'm so busy, but I'm such a hobby, it sounds really interesting.

1104 AD, is an important year of art in the Northern Song Dynasty, it is this year, in the history of art a major event, under the personal deployment of Zhao Yao, on the basis of the original painting academy founded the painting educational institution "Painting Science", yes, read it correctly, not "chemistry". After that, he officially included painting into the imperial examination, as long as the painting is good, he can enter the court as an official like those jinshi, and suddenly the Song Dynasty began to appear as an art official, cooperating with the emperor to create first-class paintings.

Song Huizong calligraphy

The institutionalization of the arts has been unmatched in history. Therefore, driven by the imperial examination, "Yixing painting, educating many workers, such as entering the science of jinshi, taking the next question, restoring the doctorate, and testing his artistic ability." "With the strong support of the government, the art of the Northern Song Dynasty was frequently produced for a while, and later first-class paintings and painters were all derived from this major adjustment. Leaving aside the governance capabilities of the Northern Song Dynasty, this is a fortunate thing for the history of Chinese art.

In this matter, Emperor Huizong of Song obviously broke the strictly stipulated "ancestral system", according to the original regulations of the Song Dynasty, the craftsmen of the Various Divisions were not allowed to serve as officials, so the length of the broken line was not only the Song Dynasty or even the ancients.

Regarding the "painting science" he founded, Huizong personally promoted their enthusiasm, and most of the rewards for the courtiers were given to their own calligraphy and paintings, which made the status of painters in the Northern Song Dynasty soar sharply and stimulated their enthusiasm for creation. From this, a large number of first-class painters such as Zhang Xiyan, Meng Yingzhi, Zhao Xuan and so on came out of the future, in addition, they also created a new realm of Northern Song painting boards, and for a while, the paper of the Northern Song Dynasty was like a flower, and the ink was fragrant.

Works by Emperor Huizong of Song

As a result, the Northern Song Dynasty also became the most prosperous era in the history of painting, and the great prosperity of literati painting in the Yuan Dynasty laid an important foreshadowing. Driven by Emperor Huizong of Song and inspired by the entry of painting into the imperial examination, "the four-way edict tester came from the source." Therefore, the number of painters in Xuanhe Academy and the high level of painting can be called creating an artistic peak.

The academy provides painters with living conditions and gives quite good benefits, which can be called the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. According to the "History of Song", at that time, the academy of Song Huizong had already planned a set of curriculum plans and teaching methods, and even refined to the enrollment system, the examination system, and the students' lives to make comprehensive and proper arrangements, so that they could paint with peace of mind and have no worries.

Although they enjoyed better treatment, these students had to carry out systematic professional learning, almost involving all the angles of the painting content, Buddhism, figures, landscapes, birds and beasts, flowers and bamboo, etc., it can be seen that Song Huizong wants to cultivate an all-round painter, and the artistic requirements are indeed unambiguous, and no one can indiscriminately count.

A map of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains

Sometimes he would give lessons to the students themselves, and brought a large number of rare ancient paintings for them to copy, such as Wang Ximeng, when he was a student, he did not see much talent for painting, and he set aside several inspiration points from Emperor Huizong to "teach it and teach it myself." However, in half a year, he created the famous painting "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains". It can really be said that the famous teachers are high disciples, so the reason why the painters of this period have achieved great success is that the famous teachers have made high disciples, which contains the painstaking efforts of Huizong. After that, although Li Tang, Wang Ximeng, Zhang Zeduan, etc. were not famous at this time, after entering the Southern Song Dynasty, they all became hall-level figures in the entire painting world. The collection of Song Huizong's art will include the world's talents, these painters all learn from each other, on the road of creation, lest they be eliminated, so they work extra hard, so, under the rendering of the thick artistic atmosphere, they continue to produce "Cargo Lang Tu", "Qingming River Map" these art treasures that are still regarded as classics.

Map of the Upper River of the Qingming Dynasty

Under the impetus of Emperor Huizong, the Xuanhe Rui Catalogue was compiled, accumulating thousands of volumes, and almost all the works of first-class painters at that time were concentrated. Although Emperor Huizong of Song's artistic empire has made brilliant achievements, it is indeed an embarrassment and irony to reflect this achievement in history.

Time goes back to the early days of the Northern Song Dynasty.

When Zhao Kuangyin captured Li Yu, the answer between the two of them could still cause a kind of deep thinking, almost covering the root of Li Yu's tragedy, which made people shocked and fell into reflection.

"Whenever Wenqing sets up a banquet or goes to a banquet in Jiangnan, he must recite poems and fill in the words, can you give the most proud couplet for Yuanqing to appreciate?" Li Yu pondered for a moment, and then recited the poem "Wing Fan" with great rhythm and emotion: "Let the moon be in your hand, and shake the wind." Zhao Kuangyin laughed and dismissively teased Li Yu and said, "Miao! I would like to ask, how much is the wind full of can be? Looking at Li Yu's embarrassed not to speak, Zhao Kuangyin said sarcastically, "A good Hanlin bachelor!" The emperor called the former emperor a "Hanlin scholar", and how clear it was to despise and despise him.

However, this incident became the heart disease of the founding emperor.

Song Taizu visited Zhao Pu at night

Soon, Zhao Kuangyin and the ministers beside him talked about Li Yu again, and used him as a negative teaching material, saying: "If Li Yu could be used as a kung fu of poetry to govern the country, how could he become a prisoner of the ranks of Yuan? Therefore, with this vigilance and worry, Zhao Kuangyin often put forward clear requirements for his sons' master education policy: "The son of the emperor, when the secretary reads the scriptures, knows the general situation of chaos, does not have to learn to make a fuss, and is useless." "This uselessness is also said to be quite profound.

However, the cycle of history goes back and forth, Zhao Kuangyin never dreamed that his descendant Song Huizong comprehensively surpassed and repeated Li Yu's artistic hobbies on this issue, and even more than that, the same lessons and the same warnings and reflections failed to avoid tragedy, which can be described as "The Qin people do not have time to mourn themselves, and the future generations mourn." ”

However, there is no doubt that the Northern Song Dynasty was indeed an era of high cultural and artistic prosperity, and the famous Ming Dynasty literary scholar Song Lian said: "Since the Qin, Wen Mo flourished in the Song Dynasty." Indeed, the interpretation from this perspective is not excessive.