There is a kind of painting with the theme of architecture in Chinese history, the Sui and Tang Dynasties began to become popular, the Song Dynasty reached its peak, the Ming and Qing Dynasties were gradually snubbed, and today almost no one cares, it is a boundary painting.
Boundary painting is a type of Chinese painting with the theme of pavilions, bridges, boats and cars, and is listed as one of the "Thirteen Branches of Chinese Painting". Compared with the well-known landscape paintings, figure paintings, flowers and birds paintings, boundary painting is undoubtedly an unfamiliar name. In fact, landscape painting, figure painting, flower and bird painting are all named after the painting object, and the boundary painting is named after the tool, and the boundary ruler should be used when painting, in order to achieve horizontal and vertical, so it is called "boundary painting".
Ming Qiuying's "Spring Dawn of the Han Palace"
Qiu Ying's "Spring Dawn Of the Han Palace" of the Ming Dynasty is one of the representative works of Chinese boundary painting. The buildings in the painting, beams and columns, window ledges, railings, steps and other details, are all straight, whether horizontal, vertical or diagonal, are straight lines, just like modern computer drawing software. This was absolutely difficult to do at that time without the assistance of the boundary ruler.
Part of Ming Qiuying's "Spring Dawn map of the Han Palace"
From beginning to end, boundary paintings and architecture follow each other. The name of the boundary painting first appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty calligraphy and painting connoisseur Guo Ruoxuan's "Picture Seeing and Hearing", which was previously known as "Tai Xie", "Tai Ge", "House Wood", "Gong Guan", etc., that is, architectural paintings. In the "Construction of the French Style", which can be called the "bible" of the ancient architectural industry, the design picture book of the building is also called "boundary painting". Therefore, some people think that the boundary painting originates from the ancient architectural renderings, which are the same as modern people, ancient artificial houses, and the drawings that need construction to express the appearance of the building, of course, can only use painting.
Ming Qiuying's "Spring Dawn Map of the Han Palace" is partially enlarged
In this way, in the big family of traditional Chinese painting that has always respected the artistic conception, the pursuit of accurate and neat boundary painting is destined to be a maverick outlier. "The dimensions and layers are all based on the criterion, and the judicial style of the inner law cannot be exceeded." This requires the painter not only to have a deep foundation in painting, but also to be familiar with the knowledge of architectural structure.
Southern Song Dynasty Li Song "Water Temple Beckoning Cool Map"
Li Song's famous work "Water Hall Beckoning Cool Map" in the Southern Song Dynasty, the cross ridge water hall and the covered bridge in the painting are particularly eye-catching. In the painting, the lower eaves of the eaves (the rectangular horizontal wood that plays a role in the connection and load-bearing between the eaves and columns) are laid on the tween, and two flowers are used between the two and one in the second room, which is fully in line with the technical rules of the Song Dynasty carpenter's house building. Built on the edge of the water or next to the flowers, the water hall is flexible and diverse. There is a sluice gate that diverts the water from the lake into the channel and flows into the palace garden. The roof covered bridge built on the pond swamp, the lower ground, the row of fork columns, the upper frame of the column, and the beam between the foreheads, are valuable materials for the study of bridges and sluice gates in the Song Dynasty.
Southern Song Dynasty Li Song's "Water Temple Zhao Liang Map" part
As early as the Eastern Jin Dynasty, boundary paintings had begun to appear; Sui and Tang Dynasty boundary paintings began to become popular, as if they were fashionable in the literary and art circles, thus cultivating a large number of world painting masters, such as Zhan Ziqian, Dong Boren, Tan Zhimin, Yin Jizhao and so on.
Wang Wei's "Diagram of the ChuanChuan"
In his later years, Wang Wei lived in a villa in Yuanchuan, and lived a secluded life in the style of Tao Yuanming with his friends, poetry, wine, chess, and painting, and Zen Enlightenment. The architectural complex in Wang Weijie's painting "The Map of The River" is hidden by mountains and water, the jungle is hidden, the clouds and water in front of the house are flowing wildly, and the boats are in the past, which should be Wang Wei's reclusive villa; the characters in the painting are all Confucian crown feathers, calmly talking and laughing, which should be a true portrayal of Wang Wei's reclusive life.
Five Dynasties of Southern Tang Weixian "Gao Shitu"
Wei Xian was a court painter of the Southern Tang Dynasty of the Fifth Dynasty, and he was very proficient in painting kung fu. His boundary painting "Gao Shitu" depicts the historical allusion of "raising the case and raising eyebrows" in the "Later Han Shu Liang Hong Biography". In the simple tile house, the hermit Liang Hongduan sat on the bed, his wife Meng Guang knelt on his knees, and the food plate was raised high. The author uses deep mountains, bushes, streams, and bamboo hedges as a background to set off the noble character of the hermit. Guo Ruoxuan, a connoisseur of calligraphy and painting in the Song Dynasty, praised this painting in the "Five Generations of Famous Painting Supplements", in which the depiction of the houses is accurate and vivid, and the superb technique of boundary painting can be seen.
Five Dynasties of Southern Tang Weixian "Gao Shitu" (partial)
In the Song Dynasty, boundary painting entered the golden age. In fact, the Song Dynasty was also the golden age of traditional Chinese painting (Chinese painting). Flocks of deer, hundreds of families competed, and paintings of the heavenly people sprung up one after another.
Northern Song Dynasty Guo Zhongshu "Ming Emperor Summer Palace Map"
Guo Zhongshu's "Drawing of the Summer Palace of the Ming Emperor", the palace building in the painting is magnificent and magnificent, the structure is complex, the fine workmanship is exquisite, and the shape is accurate and realistic. Some people also believe that this painting is actually the work of Li Rongjin in the Yuan Dynasty. The Commentary on famous paintings of the Holy Dynasty mentions that Guo Zhongshu painted in the calculation method of the architectural structure used by carpenters, and commented that his boundary paintings were "temporary masterpieces" among the "divine qualities".
Northern Song Dynasty Zhang Zeduan "Qingming River Map"
To a large extent, the "first painting" in the history of Chinese painting and the well-known "Qingming River Map" can also be regarded as a boundary painting. Shi Zai: "Hanlin Zhang Zeduan, the character is righteous, and the Dongwu people are also." He studied at an early age, studied in Beijing, and later studied painting. This work of its boundary painting, especially in the boat car, the city bridge Guo trail, do not start a family number also. Perhaps this epic long-form production is too time-consuming and painstaking, Zhang Zeduan's works are very few, and his other divine work", "The West Lake Bidding Map", is also an imposing boundary painting, but unfortunately it has long been lost.
Northern Song Dynasty Zhang Zeduan's "Qingming Upper River Map" part
Song Huizong was not known for his boundary paintings, but without the foundation of boundary painting, he could not paint such paintings. In the "Ruihe Tu", Song Huizong not only painted the white crane flying in the air vividly, but also used the boundary painting technique to depict the solemn and majestic Xuande Gate in detail, almost seeing the neatly arranged blocks of gray tiles on the roof of the temple, the shape of only the beasts on the cornices, and the compact structure of the wooden arch under the eaves.
Northern Song Dynasty Zhao Tuo "RuiHe Tu"
In the Southern Song Dynasty, boundary painting went to a higher level. From a technical point of view, boundary painting is a realistic brush stroke, almost all of which are interwoven with mechanical lines, and it is difficult to avoid monotonous and rigid hard injuries. This is also one of the reasons why boundary painting is criticized by people. However, the painters of the Southern Song Dynasty were bold and bold, and they tried to transform the fine lines into vivid pictures, making full use of the landscape and grass, and giving the boundary paintings a strong personal style and lofty artistic conception. Liu Songnian's "Four Landscapes and Water Maps", one of the "Four Great Masters" of the Southern Song Dynasty, is an example.
Southern Song Dynasty Liu Songnian one of the "Four Scenic Landscapes"
Southern Song Dynasty Liu Songnian "Four Scenic Landscapes" No. 2
Southern Song Dynasty Liu Songnian "Four Scenic Landscapes" No. 3
Southern Song Dynasty Liu Songnian "Four Scenic Landscapes" No. 4
Ma Yuan's masterpiece "Treading Song Line" in the "Four Great Masters" of the Southern Song Dynasty is recognized as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape painting throughout the ages. Please pay attention to the looming palace building in the middle of the picture, from the perspective of shape, proportion, details, etc., without a deep foundation in boundary painting, it is impossible to paint so vividly and evocatively, and it is the finishing touch in the whole painting. In connection with Song Huizong's "Ruihe Tu", it can almost be asserted that in the Song Dynasty, boundary painting was one of the basic skills that painters had to practice.
Southern Song Dynasty Ma Yuan", "Ta Ge Tu"
Speaking of boundary paintings, we cannot fail to mention Li Song, the "old painter of the Three Dynasties" of the Southern Song Dynasty. When Li Song was young, he worked as a carpenter, good at painting, quite far away from rope ink, and was adopted as an adopted son by the court painter Li Congxun, who undertook to teach painting skills, and eventually became a generation of famous artists. In ancient China, carpenters often made furniture and houses, and were both furniture designers and architectural designers. The carpenter's experience in the industry makes Li Song's grasp of boundary painting more accurate, and it is handy to paint, even without a boundary ruler and "the rules of the palace garden and pavilion are all prepared; even if it is not a boundary painting, the portrayal of the scenes in the painting is also meticulous."
Southern Song Dynasty Li Song "Moon Night Looking at the Tide Map"
Li Song is famous for his boundary paintings, but he is not limited to boundary paintings, and he is also very accomplished in style (customary) paintings, and the highly realistic technique of the work "Cargo Lang Tu" is breathtaking, and the "Skeleton Illusion Picture" is famous for its mysterious and unpredictable intentions in the history of ancient Chinese painting. The painters of the Ming and Qing dynasties looked down on the boundary painting and thought that it was too ingenious, taking Li Song as an example, which showed that it was the people who determined the high and low of the work, not the technique.
Let's look at a few yuan dynasty boundary paintings
Yuan Wang Zhenpeng's "Daming Palace Map"
Yuan Xia Yong "Yueyang LouTu"
Yuan Li Rongjin's "Hanyuan Diagram"
The "Ming Painting Record" wrote: "Since the Ming Dynasty, those who are good at this have benefited less. The people who are close to the people like shangyuan brushes, and the eye paintings are despised as craftsmanship, and this school will be destroyed every day. "Since the Ming Dynasty, boundary paintings have been increasingly neglected, and have long been regarded as the works of craftsmen, and almost no one among literati painters has been interested. Qiu Ying, a famous painter of the Ming Dynasty and one of the four great masters of Wu Men, is one of the few exceptions. Qiu Ying, who was born as a craftsman, can be called an all-round warrior of painting, flowers, birds, figures, landscapes, etc. he is not only good at painting, but also has a large number of works and a relatively high quality. The previous example of "Spring Xiaotu of Han Palace" is from the hand of Qiu Ying, which is a representative work in the history of boundary painting and has been rated as one of the "Top Ten Famous Paintings in China".
Ming Qiuying's "Lake and Mountain Swallow Residence Map"
Ming Qiuying's "Shanglin Tu"
After Qiu Ying, the boundary paintings fell into a long silence again, until the early Qing Dynasty Yuan Jiang and Yuan Yao's uncle and nephew suddenly emerged, and their works were majestic and strange, with thick colors, and exquisite pavilions in the strange stones and dangerous shores, presenting a wide-screen effect. However, the decline of boundary painting has become a foregone conclusion, and looking back, Yuan's uncle and nephew are almost the best songs of Chinese boundary painting.
Qing Yuan Jiang "Beiyuan Observation Map"
Qing Yuan Jiang "Liang Garden Flying Snow Map"
Qing Yuan Yao's "Map of Apan Palace"
To this day, there are many people studying traditional Chinese painting, landscape painting, flower and bird painting, and figure painting, but boundary painting is still deserted. The art palace that has stood for thousands of years can only be vividly reflected in the paintings of the ancients.
It can be said that from the sixth century AD to the sixteenth century AD, a full 1000 years, generations of talented painters have come and gone, using paintbrushes to build unparalleled art palaces, these palaces on paper, lofts, pavilions, streets and splendor, the city magnificent. It is unique and unique in the history of the world.
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Producer/Sichuan Bashu School Promotion Association
Academic/Sichuan Bashu School of Painting Art
Sichuan Bashu School of Painting
Responsible Editor/Li Rui Editor/Wang Gang