The six major collectors of the Republic of China
The collection of calligraphy and paintings in the Republic of China period has a very typical phenomenon, that is, the larger the scale of the collection, the more it has a love complex, and it will not be easily traded to earn profits. Hide for love, for love, for faith ideals. For example, the "six major collectors of the Republic of China" Pang Yuanji, Zhang Boju, Zhang Daqian, Wu Hufan, Zhang Liangyu, Wang Jiqian, can be called "the six major Collectors of Chinese calligraphy and painting in the 20th century". Among them, Pang Yuanji has the strongest strength.
Pang Yuanji
Pang Yuanji is the first of the "six collectors", whose collection of calligraphy and paintings is thousands, and is called "the world's largest collector of Chinese paintings and calligraphy" by Wang Jiqian, and is known as "North Zhang Nanpang" with Zhang Boju in the collection circle.
The family is rich, the son inherits the father's business
Pang Yuanji (1864~1949), also known as Laichen(lēēng), was a native of Nanxun, Huzhou, Zhejiang, and was the second son of Pang Yunyun (zhēng), one of the "four elephants" of Nanxun's modern great wealth.
Like Nanxun Zhou Changfu, Gu Brothers, Jin Cheng, Zhang Junheng, Jiang Ruzao, Liu Chenggan and many other collectors, the Pang family first became rich by operating silk, and his father Pang Yunjun started by operating silk, and became acquainted with the famous "red top businessman" Hu Xueyan, who became a friend of Mo Rebellion, thus getting involved in the arms business, making its family property more abundant, and being among the "Four Elephants of Nanxun".
Pang Yuanjizi inherited his father's business, founded an industry, and is a businessman with a lot of business acumen. He not only opened silk mills, yarn mills, paper mills and printing and dyeing factories in Nanxun, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai, but also owned many industries in Shanghai, Wuxian and Wujiang, Zhejiang, Shaoxing and Xiaoshan, including rice shops, sauce gardens, wineries, pharmacies, pawnshops, money houses and real estate.
Painting into the bone A large number of acquisitions
Pang Yuanji's "good" collection of paintings stems from the fact that he liked to study calligraphy and paintings and inscriptions from an early age, and his landscape paintings were seen in the dry brush and the chapters were loose, which added a perceptual understanding to his future becoming a true connoisseur of calligraphy and painting. The reason why Pang Yuanji's Tibetan paintings are "powerful" is due to his solid family foundation and strong assets. He describes himself as "a penchant for painting to the bone". Whenever you encounter a famous relic, you will not hesitate to buy it with heavy funds, and collect it from north to south.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the early Ming Dynasty changed, social unrest, the collection family could not defend itself because of the military turmoil, and they sold what they had hidden, and Pang Shi bought it in large quantities with his eyesight, which lasted for more than 30 years, and the collection was abundant and became a grand view.
These are famous paintings with great influence and status in the history of art, and each piece can be called a unique work.
Pang Yuanji Collection Appreciation Seal
As a collector, Pang Yuanji's collection appreciation seals are numerous, and what he has seen include: "Pang Yuanji Seal", "Virtual Zhai Approval", "Virtual Zhai Treasure", etc., which are engraved by the famous seal engravers Zhao Shuru and Wang Daju.
All the calligraphy and paintings in his own collection, Pang Yuanji was stamped with the seal of "Virtual Zhai", because of its authority in the field of calligraphy and painting collection, when foreigners purchased ancient Chinese paintings and calligraphy, they all used the seal of "Virtual Zhai" as a mark to identify authenticity.
The habit of redrawing light characters is an antique line
Pang Yuanji's contempt for calligraphy is almost to the point of contempt, which is unbelievable. Of the five books he published, there was not a single calligraphy work, and in real life, he did not collect any famous calligraphy from past generations. The reason for this may come from the influence of the concept of antiques on him. Because in the antique line at that time, "good words are not as good as bad paintings" was a popular concept.
Go to great lengths to protect national treasures
Pang Yuanji once prefaced himself in the "Continuation of the Famous Paintings of The Void": "Because of the works of the ancients, I have painstakingly thought about it, and the original hope has been passed on to future generations, and it will not be destroyed for a long time." ”
Zhou Qingyun, a Qing Dynasty stele of the same Nanxun dynasty, used a few short sentences in "Xunya" to make a brilliant summary of the three major artistic achievements and contributions of Pang Yuanji's life of Tibetan painting, painting, and painting: "Laichen has been a good collector since childhood, and He is tireless, often sparing huge sums of money, and obtaining rare treasures, because he has a wide range of paintings, and most of his landscapes are imitated, which is quite godlike." As for the collection of famous paintings, A is in the southeast, famous in the sea. Its bibliography is particularly detailed, containing inscriptions and imprints from all generations, and the treasures of the country are preserved in this record for transmission, and those who have studied the ancients can examine it. ”