Wu Renzhi
Zhongfeng Mingben self-portrait, the painting is a bust of Zhongfeng, and Zhongfeng himself inscribed eight poems. Akihito Kazui also made an inscription, without the author's payment and seal. The painting has been published and distributed four times in Japanese, German, and Chinese and included in the research works of many people, Zhongfeng Mingben, the author had the privilege of witnessing the original, and studied the painting, and made a major discovery: the relevant literature clearly records that the author of the painting is Zhao Mengfu.
publication
1989 Japan
The international academic authoritative journal "Fine Arts Research" zhongfeng Mingben portrait research
Tokyo National Institute of Cultural Properties Makoto Izumi
2. 2002 German Calligraphy of Zhongfeng Mingben
International English edition distributed worldwide
3. 2003 The Calligraphy of Zhongfeng Mingben by De Lau Wu Da, published by China Academy of Art
Description
4. Ming Chongzhen 4th Year Dong Qichang Chen Jiru Supervising the Study of the "BenYi Zen Temple Chronicle"
Wuming Chen Jiru's Nigulu
6 Ming Wu Luzhen "Wu Rong Zhiyi"
SEVEN Ming Lu Shusheng 《Lu Wending Gongji》
Eight Yuan The Complete Works of Zhongfeng Mingben was published in 2019
9 2005 Portrait of Zen Master Feng in Yang Kun's "Shanghai Literature and Exposition Series" and its related historical facts
Yuan Raosuke Nakaho illusioned like a puppet
Dong Qichang Red-robed Luohan Figure Hou Bao
1. Documentation confirmation
In the 4th year of Chongzhen, Dong Qichang and Chen Jiru supervised the revision of the "Benyi Zen YuanZhi" recorded that the portrait of Zhongfeng Mingben in this painting was painted by Zhao Mengfu:
1. The Biography of Zhao Mengxun in the "Benyi Zen YuanZhi" records: "Wei Shi Hanlin Chengzhi Songxue Zhao Gong Mengfu ,...... Song Xueyan invited Master Zhongfeng to the courtyard to open the hall to perform the Fa..., Song Xue's handwritten book is a courtyard, the portrait of the painter, the origin of the Lineage of the Southern Sect is to imitate the sixty-four statues of Gu De (Shi Wei Yin Wang Buddha, The Zen Master of the Final Ben) Liu Zhen Ben Yi permanent residence, the pen end is three ambiguous, full of solemnity, Lang Han ink treasure, famous works, so far, for the Clouds Sheng Cha Yi World Worship. ‘’
Original description: Zhao Mengfu is the cousin of the abbot Zhao Mengxun, the two brothers together invited Zhongfeng Mingben to the Benyi Zen Temple to open a lecture, Zhao Mengfu therefore inscribed a plaque of the First Zen Temple, painted a portrait of Master Zhongfeng, in addition to painting the 64 portrait albums of zen ancestors, these works have always remained in the Benyi Zen Temple, these works are religious paintings, especially famous, by generations of worship and sacrifice.
It is clearly recorded that the Zhongfeng Mingben Master enshrined in the Benyi Zen Temple is like a painting by Zhao Mengfu. It is a religious painting for worship.
2. "Ben Yi Zen Temple, Monuments" records: "Zhongfeng self-inscription like eight sentences, hiding illusions in the mountain house. ”
It is said that Zhongfeng inscribed eight poems on Zhao Mengfu's painting.
3. The "Ben Yi Zen Temple Chronicle Inscription" records: "Zhongfeng praises himself: the illusionary man does not have this image. This phase is not a phantom person, if you call to be a middle peak, a mirror to add dust, and a south eye blue, can argue and kiss, please hang on to the empty wall, day by day to give birth to yang spring. "It's about the content of the poem that Zhongfeng inscribed on the painting."
4. The Book of the Phantom Mountain House records: "The Phantom Mountain House... Two golden and green painted statues at the foot of the solemn peak moon are set up side by side with the Lord... (Abbot) Even Ping ShangRen Xuan (Ben Yi Zen Yuan Zhi) Zhi Cheng made a confession and completed the matter at the foot of the Middle Peak Moon. It is consistent with the record that Zhao Mengfu's works have been enshrined for generations.
5, the author found these eight sentences of Zhongfeng's self-title on this painting, after examination and comparison, the Zhongfeng handwriting on the painting is a genuine handwriting, from which it can be determined that this painting is recorded in the "Benyi Zen Temple Chronicle" by Zhao Mengfu, Zhongfeng self-titled eight sentences for the portrait of the offering. The reason why religious paintings in the Song and Yuan dynasties did not fall was a common practice to show reverence. Ma Yuan, Guan Xiu's religious paintings are also not dropped, and are commonly recorded in the literature. At the same time, Zhao Mengfu painted sixty-four statues of Zen ancestors.
6, two other texts at the end of the Ming Dynasty also have the same record: Chen Jiru's Nigulu Vol. 4: "On the sixth day of the first month of May in Jia Wu (1594), I listened to the lecture "Leng Yan" from the Bei'an (Ben Yi Yuan). It is the picture of the Buddha in the sandalwood melon, and the portrait of the Zen master in the middle peak, like a hanzi also. "This portrait of Zhongfeng.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Wu Luzhen's "Wu rong Zhiyi Volume VII" records that the Wujun Bei'an (Ben Yi Zen Temple) enshrines a bust of Zhongfeng, which praises himself: "The illusionary person is not this phase, this phase is not an illusory person, if it is called Zhongfeng, the mirror surface adds dust." And the south of the eyes blue, can argue and kiss, please hang to the empty wall, day by day yang spring. "It is like the Tibetan Zen Temple, that is, the Nigulu.
Second, Zhongfeng's self-hymn interpretation
There are eight verses of the self-praise poem on the painting: "The phantom person does not have this phase, this phase is not an illusory person, if it is called to be the middle peak, the mirror surface adds dust." And the south of the eyes blue, can distinguish between the foot and the kiss, please hang to the empty wall, day by day to give birth to the sun and spring. "
The first four sentences: "phantom man" can be understood as a person with mana, what is said here is: the person with mana is not necessarily the person on the painting, the person on the painting is just a symbol, representing a spiritual force, and it is superfluous to regard him as the middle peak. As the Six Patriarchs Zen Buddhism said, "Bodhi has no tree, the mirror is not a platform, there is nothing in the original, where is the dust?" The last four sentences: "Henan" is originally a verb, referring to the head of the audit, the ceremony, and is used here as a noun to refer to the person being worshipped. Here it is said: Paint this person, the eyes are bright, can distinguish between good and bad, and see clearly. Hang him up and shine on all beings.
Important are two words "phantom man", "and south". The former "phantom man" and the location, the Honichi Zen Temple where he lived", "phantom mountain house" secretly coincided. The man who fantasizes about the mountain house. The latter "and south" with people, the author of this painting secretly coincided. Zhao Mengfu performed the student ceremony, and basically dropped the money and south in the letters exchanged with Zhongfeng, and "Henan" almost became Zhao's exclusive use for teachers, leaving a large number of left certificates (see picture). Zhao Xiang teacher and Nan, teacher self-comparison and south.
Third, zhongfeng Mingben handwriting research and comparison
The authenticity of Zhongfeng's handwriting is of great significance to the fact that this figure is the original work rather than a facsimile. Zhongfeng Mingben's calligraphy integrates the eight-sided front and composure of Mi Fu with the fierceness of Zhang Cao, and the exchange of borrowing and borrowing. The chapter method also absorbed the technique of the big grass, and formed a composition system with three or five characters, and abolished the concept of one word. These characteristics can be seen on the diagram. Artistic expression embodies the so-called Buddhist style of not taking words, leaving the world, rejoicing and being at ease, and being liberated. This can also be seen from the figure. The specific comparison between the center stroke and other confirmed zhongfeng handwriting in this figure is shown in the figure below.
Calligraphy comparison figure source:
1 Nakamine Akimoto Statue, Takagen-ji Temple, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Long-term loan to the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art. He has participated in previous international museum group exhibitions.
2 Nakamine Akimoto, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan Personal Collection
3 Nakamine Akimoto "Kai-an" Road No. Fujita Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan Collection
Fourth, circulate the examination
From the documentary records, it can be seen that from the completion of the creation to the chongzhen year at the end of the Ming Dynasty, it has been preserved and enshrined in the Benyi Zen Temple for more than 300 years, which is the private property of Zhao Mengfu's brothers Zhao Mengfu, who and Zhongfeng master have been active here for more than 20 years before their deaths. Zhao Mengfu's famous works "Red-clothed Luohan Tu", "Rolling Horse Diagram", "Zhao Mengfu Zhi Zhongfeng Mingben Eleven Zha" and other dozens of works, all created in the temple and coexisted until the end of the Ming Dynasty. This Zen Yuanzhi belongs to the archival records, the end of the Yuan, Hongzhi, Chenghua, Wanli, the past dynasties have detailed account books, handover records, Lu Shusheng, Tang literature, Dong Qichang and other supervisors, extremely rigorous and credible.
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Dong Qichang The Northern Zen Temple mentioned in the later trek of the Red-robed Luohan Is the Benyi Zen Temple
Because north of Matsue Castle, the locals used to do the Northern Zen Temple
Lu Shusheng 90 years old Ben Yi Zen Temple shou tu Shanghai Museum collection
Dong Qichang, Chen Jiru, Sun Kehong, and other inscriptions
Dong Qichang's level of appraisal greatly exceeded that of the Qianlong Emperor, which was common sense
This Zen Temple is the most reliable source of Zhao Mengfu's works
Fifth, the silk book is broken
Silk is broken
Silk, the Southern Song Dynasty has appeared double silk, the early Yuan also followed this silk, that is, the warp double silk, the weft line single line, but different from the descendants of the double silk silk, has characteristics. Relevant scholars have examined: "Every two threads of the warp of this double silk silk are a group, and there is a gap in the wire between each two groups, the weft line is a monofilament, and when the weft line is intertwined with the warp, one of the threads in each group of warp is below, and the other wire floats on top." Some people think that this form of silk can not yet be called double silk, only when the weft and the warp are intertwined, every two threads of the warp are simultaneously sunk underneath or floating on the top of the silk, is a double silk. "It is this kind of half-sinking and half-floating double silk that is the characteristic of Song Weiyuan's early silk." The silk of the Ming and Qing dynasties did not have these characteristics. Some of Zhao Mengxuan's works use this kind of silk (see picture). This is also the kind of silk used in this painting. We can use this to break the generation.
Above, we can conclude that this silk book is the material of the early Song Dynasty.
Some scholars have researched that some of Zhao Mengfu's use of silk is relatively special, which belongs to the Southern Song Dynasty for the imperial family
Court silk.
This silk is very consistent with Zhao Mengfu's famous silk book Youhuang Dai Sheng Tu texture seam weaving method.
Yu Huang Dai Sheng Tu Zhongfeng Ming Ben
VI Traceological analysis
Generally, if the calligraphy and painting are used in the same year, the pen and ink traces will fully penetrate into the silk and produce ink rhyme.
After a hundred years, the silk book has matured, there is a great reverse water, the ink can not penetrate,
Can only rely on the glue in the ink, clinging to the seam of the silk pattern.
Distinguishing between before and after the ages is objective scientific evidence.
200x electron microscope
Around 1300 Zhongfeng Mingben pen ink fully penetrated the edges of clear silk is still relatively raw
Around 1300, Nakamine Mingben's handwriting Ink penetrates into silk and has ink rhyme
Zhao Mengfu Painting pen and ink detail rendering Penetrate fully
Zhao Mengfu Painting pen and ink details have obvious halo marks
Around 330 years later, around 1640, the inscription of the Ming Dynasty on silk produced the phenomenon of curing, and the ink could not penetrate
Figure below
VI. Conclusion
The above research, from the literature records, the interpretation of the inscription to the identification of Zhongfeng handwriting, the circulation trajectory, and the broken generation of silk books, clearly point to the author of the painting, Zhao Mengfu, and the evidence is interlocked and mutually corroborated, which is reliable.
This frame of the work is not only the authentic work of Zhao Mengfu, but also the best of it. As we all know, all the works created by Zhao Mengfu for Teacher Zhongfeng are respectful and pious, and they go all out, compared with the general Works of Zhao Mengfu, the level is often much higher. "Zhao Mengfu to Zhongfeng Monk Eleven", "Zhao Mengfu for Zhongfeng and Shangshu Heart Sutra", compared with other Zhao ShuXinJing, Zhao Shuxinzha, can be described as the difference between fine work and cloud and mud.
A large number of historical records show that one of the most common subjects painted by Zhao Mengfu during his lifetime is the zhongfeng Ming benjing.
Yu Ji, Jie Daisi and others repeatedly recorded: each painter's portrait, to leave the same reference... Abound.
Heaven and earth will meet, fate sometimes. The legendary masterpiece has finally reappeared!
bibliography:
[1], Chinese Local Chronicles, Siguanzhi Album "Ben Yi Zen Yuan Zhi", Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House, 2016.6 First edition ISBN 978 -7-5458-1273-2 ;
[2], Ming Chen Jiru, Nigulu
[3], Ming Wu Luzhen, "Wu Rong Zhiyi"
March 2O22