Text/Mu Jinfeng
Brother-in-law Dishan:
Take up the new Momofuku
Brother Sorrowful Hong
December 18, 2008
Photographed in The Holy Land of Nicotan
Tagore Ong's study
Photo inscription
This is the inscription on the back of an old yellowed photo. On the front of the photo, Xu Beihong, a famous modern painter in China, is sitting side by side with the famous Indian poet Tagore in The Niktan of India, wearing a Chinese robe, and the two have serious and solemn expressions. In the lower left and right corners of the photo, their names are written "TaiGor" and "Xu Beihong". The photograph is now in the photo gallery of the Museum of Modern Chinese Literature.
Xu di shan
The "dishan" in the photo inscription refers to Xu Dishan, a famous modern writer in China. Xu Dishan (1894-1941), known as Zankun, Zidishan, pen name Luo Huasheng (in ancient times, "Hua" was the same as "flower", so it was also called Luo Peanut), born in Taiwan, a family of patriots in Taiwan. Xu Dishan was one of the pioneers of the new literary movement during the May Fourth period. He also had a deep study of Sanskrit and religion. His representative works include "Spring Peach", "Dangerous Nest Falling Jane", "Empty Mountain Spiritual Rain", "Taoist History", "Da Zhen Collection", "Indian Literature" and so on.
Xu Beihong and Xu Dishan are two masters of art who cherish each other. Since his acquaintance with Xu Beihong, Xu Dishan has always admired his paintings. 1935—
The Eighty-Seven Immortal Scrolls
In 1939, Xu Dishan, who was already teaching at the University of Hong Kong, invited Xu Beihong to Hong Kong three times to hold a painting exhibition. In the second exhibition, it was precisely because of Xu Dishan's great help that Xu Beihong encountered the ancient painting "Eighty-Seven Immortal Scrolls" that he loved all his life.
On October 24, 1935, Xu Beihong's first exhibition was held at the Nhow Hotel in Hong Kong. Xu Dishan specially accompanied Chen Junbao, director of the Fung Ping Shan Library of the University of Hong Kong, and other cultural people in Hong Kong to visit. In that exhibition, Xu Beihong's works were dazzling and beautiful, and everyone praised Xu Beihong as a painting genius.
On May 11, 1937, Xu Beihong's second exhibition was held at the Feng Pingshan Library of the University of Hong Kong, where Xu Dishan taught, and in order to successfully hold this solo exhibition, Xu Dishan assisted the curator Chen Junbao to make careful arrangements. The exhibition was opened by Xerox, Deputy Superintendent of the University of Hong Kong, and the visitors were very enthusiastic. At the end of the exhibition, Xu Dishan, Chen Junbao and others jointly invited Xu Beihong to the famous Cham American Restaurant in Hong Kong to express their admiration and affirmation for his artistic efforts.
It was during this exhibition, with the help of Xu Dishan, that Xu Beihong obtained the ancient paintings that he loved most of his life. During the exhibition, Xu Beihong lived in Xu Dishan's home. At a dinner party, Xu Dishan told Xu Beihong a message: One of his friends, a German Mrs. Martin, who had four boxes full of ancient Chinese paintings and calligraphy, was looking for a buyer. After Xu Beihong heard this, he immediately showed great interest and entrusted Dishan to introduce him. Therefore, under the contact and escort of Xu Dishan, Xu Beihong went to visit this Lady Martin. Mrs. Martin was familiar with Xu Dishan, and when they met, she showed great enthusiasm, and she took out all four boxes of ancient calligraphy and paintings and placed them in front of Xu Beihong for him to choose. After going through two boxes, Xu Beihong did not see the ancient paintings he wanted, which surprised Mrs. Martin. At this moment, Xu Beihong's eyes were suddenly attracted by one of the long scrolls of white characters without any signatures. It is a 292 cm long and 30 cm wide white figure hand scroll, depicting as many as 87 gods in a procession on a dark brown silk surface. There are 4 types of 87 gods and immortals: centered on the emperor with lofty eyebrows and extraordinary temperament, 8 gods will be mighty and fierce, guarding head and tail; 10 gods and bones are windy and radiant; and 67 fairies are beautiful and beautiful, and their eyebrows are gupanned. The flowing lines outline the dense overlapping folds of clothing, the belts that flutter when the wind blows, the many and varied utensils and the varied action postures of many characters, through the dense arrangement of high and low and the tiny turning side of the look, echoing each other, so that the characters are dynamic and consistent, the tendency is consistent, the interlacing is coordinated but orderly, harmoniously unified in the solemn and pleasant, slow and beautiful melody, giving people a sense of movement in the air; the picture emphasizes care, and pays attention to changes, using different lines to express facial expressions. In particular, the relationship between the eyes and other departments is handled accurately and skillfully, so that many characters show different personalities although their faces are equally solemn and their costumes are roughly similar. Although the whole painting does not apply any color, its shape is very beautiful, the posture is extremely vivid, and the God of Heaven will be vivid and plump and vivid in the style of "whiskering clouds, flying a few feet, hair roots out of flesh, and more than enough strength". The white clouds and fluttering fairies in the picture give people a kind of artistic appeal of "flying in the sky and moving all over the wall".
Although this painting does not have any knowledge, Xu Beihong, with many years of rich experience in identifying ancient calligraphy and paintings, knows that this is an artistic masterpiece by a famous artist of the Tang Dynasty. Its line characteristics clearly have the "Wu family-like" style of the Tang Dynasty painting Saint Wu Daozi. Even if this is not a painting by Wu Daozi himself, it must be a painting book copied by a famous Tang Dynasty artist to copy Wu Daozi. After a glance, Xu Beihong said urgently and loudly: "Don't look at the following, I want this one!" Immediately, Xu Beihong wanted to use the cash of more than 10,000 yuan he carried with him to buy this ancient painting. Mrs. Martin saw that Xu Beihong liked this long scroll of white figures so much, and she understood that this ancient painting was absolutely incomparable to ordinary paintings, and suddenly became a little hesitant. Seeing this situation, Xu Beihong quickly took out the seven paintings he carried with him to buy this ancient painting. Madame Martin looked at him with some surprise and suggested that he look again at what He had read. Xu Beihong shook his head. Seeing this, Xu Dishan went forward to Mrs. Martin and said: "These 7 works of Mr. Xu are all well-created works, if Madame has any doubts, we can go to the Hong Kong Art Valuation Committee to evaluate the works." Mrs. Martin approved of this suggestion, and the group rushed to the Hong Kong Art Valuation Committee to ask experts to evaluate Xu Beihong's paintings. At this time, Mrs. Martin knew that the Paintings of the Chinese painter named Xu Beihong were already valuable in Hong Kong, and she happily accepted the deal. After the transaction was completed, Mrs. Martin asked Xu Beihong curiously: "Mr. Xu, why do you attach so much importance to this painting?" Xu Beihong told her: "Although this painting has not been dropped, the lines are beautiful and flowing, the artistic conception is deep and vast, and it is reverie; although the eighty-seven dancing figures on the silk are all painted in white, the whole picture scroll looks full of paper, which is a famous work from the Tang Dynasty." For Xu Dishan's introduction and vigorous assistance, Xu Beihong is very grateful.
After buying this ancient painting, Xu Beihong was very excited, he pondered day and night, and named it "Eighty-Seven Immortal Scrolls" according to the number of immortals painted, and then carefully engraved a seal of "Sorrowful Life" on it. This shows how much he cherished this painting.
After the Hong Kong Painting Exhibition, Xu Beihong returned to Nanjing with the painting. As soon as he arrived in Nanjing, Xu Beihong invited his friend Zhang Daqian Xie Zhi Liu Pan Tianshou and others to appreciate this picture scroll of gods and immortals that seemed to be obtained with divine help. When Zhang Daqian opened the "Eighty-Seven Immortal Scrolls", he couldn't help but be surprised, and he couldn't say a word for half a day, and only after calming down a little did he say: "The grandeur of the scene, the precision of the proportion structure of the characters, the magnificence of the expression, the grandeur of the composition, and the roundness and vigor of the lines are likely to be the works of Tang Wuzong Huichang, or at least the facsimile of "Wu Jia-like", in short, it is closely related to the painting Saint Wu Daozi, who has the reputation of "Wu Belt Dangfeng"." Xie Zhiliu even analyzed the "Eighty-Seven Immortal Scrolls" from the painting technique, saying that this volume painting method is very typical of Sui and Tang murals, and is closer to the Tang Style Shen yun than the Northern Song Dynasty Wu Zongyuan's "Chaoyuan Immortal Staff Diagram", so this volume is not from Wu Daozi's handwriting. Pan Tianshou commented on the painting: "All the ink lines of the characters' sleeve streamers, wrinkled clothes, flag tassels, and so on, staggered and swirled to achieve a harmonious meaning and walking movement, making people feel that all kinds of musical instruments are emitting a harmonious music, melodious in the air." Xu Beihong agreed with Zhang Daqian and Xie Zhiliu's evaluation, writing in the text: "The artistic value of the Eighty-Seven Immortal Scrolls can be compared with the first-class work in the history of world art carved by the Greek Bandui Temple.
On December 11, 1938, in the name of the Hong Kong Chinese Association, Hui Dishan invited Xu Beihong to Hong Kong to hold his third exhibition, which was still held at the Fung Yun Shan Library of the University of Hong Kong. The opening ceremony was also presided over by Xerox, deputy superintendent of HKU, and Chen Junbao delivered a welcome speech. Yip Kong, a well-known cultural figure in Hong Kong, also attended the opening ceremony. In this exhibition, Xu Dishan took his friend's paintings very seriously, and inscribed a poem for a painting of "Liujian Double Magpie Diagram" that he liked very much, "The iron bird flies in the head of the wanli city, and what happens in the willow is still late, and chaotun has been asleep, and it is not timely to talk to anyone." Xu Dishan's inscription added a lot of artistic brilliance to Xu Beihong's work, and it was a good story for a while.
Xu Beihong's three solo exhibitions in Hong Kong have achieved complete success, which is inseparable from Xu Dishan's vigorous assistance. In order to express his gratitude, Xu Beihong specially painted a portrait of Xu Dishan as a memorial. The painting is 50 centimeters long and wide, in a square shape, and the Xu Dishan in the painting is vividly depicted by Xu Beihong, which is very charming. After receiving this work, Xu Dishan was extremely happy and regarded it as his beloved. Back at home, Xu Dishan placed the painting in a very solemn position in the house, so that he could enjoy the painting day and night. It can be seen that the charm of Xu Beihong's artwork is extraordinary for Xu Dishan.
Xu Beihong and Tagore
This photo in the collection is the first time Xu Beihong and Tagore have taken a group photo. Talking about this group photo, we also talk about an important speech by Tagore in 1937. On April 14, 1937, Tagore presided over the inauguration of the Chinese Academy at the Indian International University. At the ceremony, Tagore gave a speech on China and India: "For me, today is a great day that has been waiting for a long time. On behalf of the people of India, I can make an ancient vow that has been erased in the past years – a pledge to consolidate cultural exchanges and friendship between the Chinese and Indian peoples. Since then, tagore, in the name of the China College of the International University, has begun to warmly invite Chinese scholars and artists to lecture and create here, and actively promote cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries. In November 1939, Xu Beihong received an invitation from Tagore to lecture at the China College of the Indian International University. In December of that year, Xu Beihong arrived in Nicotan, the holy land of India, via Rangoon and Calcutta. There, Xu Beihong and Tagore often communicated. On December 18, at tagore's invitation, Xu Beihong came to Tagore's study to talk. It was also on this day that the two artists left this group photo. During this visit, through tagore's introduction, Xu Beihong also had the privilege of getting acquainted with The Indian "Mahatma" Gandhi. On February 17, 1940, India's "Mahatma" Gandhi gandhi visited Tagore at the International University. Tagore held a grand welcome rally for Gandhi and enthusiastically introduced Xu Beihong to Gandhi. In that short and rare encounter, Xu Beihong only took a few minutes to draw a miniature sketch of Gandhi's subsemblent, which was written as "3:30 p.m. on February 17, 2009" and Gandhi happily signed his name on it. In a conversation with Gandhi, Tagore then suggested that a painting exhibition could be held for Xu Beihong to express the deep friendship between the Chinese and Indian peoples, and Gandhi immediately expressed his approval. Tagore's proposal to hold an exhibition gave Xu Beihong a chance to fully display his talents. At that time, the Domestic War of Resistance Against Japan was in full swing, and Xu Beihong was eager to use the exhibition to raise funds to support the suffering people of the motherland. For this exhibition of Xu Beihong's paintings, Tagore gave a lot of help. When the preparations for the exhibition were nearing completion, Tagore went to see it and wrote a preface to the exhibition: the language of beauty is the common language of human beings, and its tone is after all diverse. In his rhythmic lines and colors, the Chinese master Xu Beihong offers us an ancient scene that has disappeared from memory, without compromising the local colors and unique styles of his own experience.
Tagore
Thanks to Tagore's strong support, Xu Beihong's exhibition in Nicotan was a success. Soon, Xu Beihong moved the exhibition to Calcutta. All the money raised from the two exhibitions was donated to the motherland, which was in the midst of war. During his nearly one-year study visit, Xu Beihong and Tagore spent time together day and night, and because of their admiration for Tagore's noble spirit, Xu Beihong painted more than a dozen sketches for Tagore. In November 1940, Xu Beihong bid farewell to Tagore with gratitude. At this time Tagore had just recovered from his serious illness and was lying in a reclining chair. Hearing that Xu Beihong would be leaving for China, he solemnly instructed: Before you leave, you must choose paintings for me. Tagore trusted Xu Beihong's vision very much, so he asked Xu Beihong to select a draft for his painting collection. Together with the dean of the International University Academy of Fine Arts, Xu Beihong spent two days finally selecting 70 fine works from more than 2,000 paintings and delivering them to the international university for publication.
On August 7, 1941, Tagore, a generation of literary heroes, died of illness in Calcutta. Xu Beihong, who was holding an exhibition in Singapore, was deeply saddened when he heard the news. Because he lost not only a close friend, but also a confidant in art. As two outstanding cultural masters in Asia in the 20th century, although they belong to different countries and have not known each other for a long time, they have become inseparable friends due to their unremitting pursuit of art and deep love for the country and the people. Soon, Xu Beihong wrote two articles mourning Tagore with deep affection, "Mr. Tagore" and "The Painting of Tagore". In "The Painting of Tagore", Xu Beihong not only introduces Tagore's achievements in poetry creation, but also conducts a comprehensive analysis of Tagore's paintings. At the end of the eulogy, Xu Beihong praised his long-distance friend with a poem:
Sending Qiong Pulp and Labor, False Sleeping Bed in giant clams, taking the fragrance of The Princess Of Plum, eating the freshness of Lingzhi, kissing the mouth of the hippopotamus, the harvest of the jade of the absolute valley, the heaven of maolin opening a line, the accumulation of lishui, the illusion of the crowd playing the sea... He expressed his deepest and most sincere remembrance of Tagore.
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