In the history of Chinese painting and calligraphy, there was such a prodigy, who was wild and depressed before his death, committed suicide many times in madness, and after his death, there were countless admirers, and even a group of top masters were deeply impressed by him, and fell under him, such as Zheng Banqiao, the head of the eight monsters of Yangzhou, who called himself Gandang "a cow and horse under the Qingteng Gate", and even the modern art master Qi Baishi once said when mentioning Xu Wei: "Hate is not born three hundred years ago, grinding ink paper for Qingteng", which shows the great charm of his art.
This bizarre situation is similar to the Genius Dutch painter Van Gogh! And this wizard known as "Qingteng" is Xu Wei, one of the three talents of the Ming Dynasty.
Xu wei
The characters are long, and there are many nicknames, such as Qingteng Old Man, Qingteng Daoist, Tianchi Sheng, Tianchi Shanren, Tianchi Yuyin, Shanyin Buyi, Baiji Shanren, Goose-nosed Shannon, Tian Danshui, Tian Shuiyue, etc., and Shanyin (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang).
A bumpy fate
He was gifted and intelligent since childhood, known as a prodigy, and at the age of twenty, he passed the Xiucai examination, but after that, he had a bad fate, and due to his informal writing, he took eight consecutive township examinations during the examination, and he was even named Sun Shan, and his career was depressed all his life.
He once drafted the "Table of Offering White Deer" for Hu Zongxian, and because of this official document, he was greatly appreciated by Emperor Ming.
However, contrary to his wishes, Xu Wenchang thought that he could exert his ambitions, who knew that soon Hu Zongxian was impeached, classified as a Yan Song party, and after being arrested, he committed suicide.
After this incident, Xu Wei was forced to leave his hometown, and was deeply stimulated, once mad, mentally disturbed, and even often suicidal tendencies, and even committed suicide nine times, fortunately rescued in time, and finally failed to achieve his wishes.
As for Xu Wenchang's suicide method, it is creepy to say. It is said that he once broke his own head with a sharp axe, so that the blood flowed all over his face, and his skull was broken, and he kneaded it with a sound; he also pierced his ears with a sharp awl, and went deep into the inches, and he actually survived.
The painter Van Gogh also committed suicide many times before his death, and even cut off his left ear and dedicated it to his lover!
During the period of madness, Xu Wenchang also suffered from paranoia, suspected that the step-room Zhang shi had an affair, thought that he was unfaithful to himself, and in a confusion, he actually killed his wife, thus going to prison and surviving seven years of imprisonment.
Xu Wei - the ink hero who cries in a long song
Poor and depressed old age
Later, thanks to the rescue of his friend Zhang Yuanchen, he was released from prison at the age of 53.
After encountering all kinds of tragic life experiences, xu Wenchang began to give up his career, travel everywhere, or write books and write poems and paintings in his place of residence.
In his later years, he lived in the Qingteng Bookstore in his hometown of Shaoxing, selling calligraphy and paintings for a living. However, he lived a wild life, despised power, and refused to be flattered. Once the high-ranking officials and nobles who are making a fortune come to ask for paintings, they can't get a word.
Because of such an arrogant and strange temper, he often thanked the guests, and he was even more destitute and impoverished, often leading to the point of "wandering alone under the moon of hunger".
In the end, this "southern and northern tuneter" ended his life of debauchery in his "crooked house". It is said that the only companion with him before he died was a dog, and there was not even a mat on the bed, which was extremely miserable.
Xu Wei's "Ten Songs of the Female Fuguan" Volume (Partial)
The supreme in the world of painting and calligraphy
Although Xu Wei suffered misery, as a master of calligraphy and painting in the Ming Dynasty, he had an almost supreme position.
In the field of painting, Xu Wenchang landscapes, figures, flowers and birds, bamboo and stone all-round work, especially with flowers as the most outstanding, created a generation of painting style, do not seek shape like god, directly express uneven feelings, very shocking artistic appeal, so it is known as the founder of China's "Splash Ink Painting School" and is respected as the originator of the "Qingteng Painting School".
Xu Wei's "Durian Real Map"
His calligraphy is good at splashing ink, the best in cursive, with wild grass brushwork indulgently waving, this random dot dyeing method, magnificent, expressing the painter's fiery and indignant feelings.
His cursive "Wing Yue Poem", ShiFa Mi Fu, the penmanship is unrestrained and indulgent, the knot body is arbitrary, although the content describes the wind and snow moon, the resentment and sorrow, but the strokes are heavy and vigorous, and the boldness is fierce, which can be called a treasure passed down from generation to generation.
His cursive "Tomb Table Endowment" is well-organized and sharp, and the calligraphy layout is dense and vigorous, indulging with the pen and opening in waves. Like a running snake, Gorgon Senran, full of paper cloud smoke, breathtaking.
Xu Wei's "Xingshu Wang Wei Five Laws of Poetry Axis"
Xu Wei's wild grass is magnificent, but it is difficult for ordinary people to accept, the pen and ink are wanton, and he often calls himself "Wushu First, Poem II, Wen III, Painting IV", which shows that he is extremely conceited about his calligraphy.
He also said in the "Title from the Book of a Branch": "The high book does not enter the vulgar eye, and the person who enters the vulgar eye is not a high book." However, this statement can also be said with the knower, and it is difficult to speak with the layman. ”
Twenty years after his death, Yuan Hongdao, the leader of the "Public Security Faction", was greatly admired by Xu Wei, believing that his poems "swept away the filthy atmosphere of modern times", and praised his calligraphy as "as unrestrained as his poems, leaping out of the posture in a vigorous manner, above Wang Yayi and Wen Zhengming"; also known as "the scattered saints of the Eight Laws of Sincerity, the Chivalrous Guest of the Character Forest".
In addition, Yuan Hongdao also personally wrote a small biography of a famous figure in the history of ancient Chinese literature, "Xu WenChang Biography", which can be described as the first confidant of Xu Wei's later generations.
The tragic encounter of life stimulated his depression, coupled with his innate uninhibited artistic disposition, Xu Wei wantonly poured out his inner emotions with pen and ink, thus creating his unique artistic wizard.
About author:Sima Wudang, Zi Dangge, born in April 1957, Yichuan, Henan, vice chairman of the China Hard Pen Calligraphy Association, secretary general of the review committee, member of the Hard Pen Professional Committee of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, chairman of the Henan Hard Pen Calligraphers Association, member of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, consultant of the Henan Calligraphers Association, vice chairman of the Zhengzhou Calligraphers Association, calligraphers creator of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Academy of Fine Arts calligraphy.