Recently, the "Le Reward - Talk about Wang Yuanqi" art collection sponsored by Yongle Auction was held in Yongle Art Space, and the guests attending the academic seminar included: Liu Dan, a famous artist, Shao Yan, professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Humanities of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Xu Li, a member of the Chinese Cultural Relics Society, Shang Hao, executive deputy general manager of Yongle Auction, and Wang Gefei of the Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Department of Yongle Auction.
At the meeting, experts and scholars launched a series of discussions around Wang Yuanqi's "Qiulin Yuandaitu", and explored Wang Yuanqi's artistic achievements in painting and the friendship between him and the Kangxi Emperor.
The guests attending the collection took a group photo to commemorate the occasion
This piece of Wang Yuanqi's "Autumn Forest Yuandaitu" depicts the natural scenery of the northern mountains and rivers: the upper part of the long-range painting of the mountain peaks and clouds and the clouds; the middle scene depicts the water bank of Ping Lake, the reeds are luxuriant, there are several water pavilions on the shore of the lake, and there are three or two thatched huts built on the flat slope and the top of the mountain; the near-view paints the slope corner horizontally, and the miscellaneous trees on it are beautiful and staggered.
Famous artist Liu Dan
The famous artist Liu Dan first said: "Because this painting is dedicated to the Kangxi Emperor, compared with his other works, the overall picture seems to be very restrained and self-disciplined. What came to his mind was how to express the legitimacy of jiangshan, rather than the expression of personal interest. ”
Shao Yan, professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Humanities of the Central Academy of Fine Arts
Shao Yan, professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Humanities of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, said: "This painting adopts a typical composition of Ni Zhan's 'one water and two sides'. However, Wang Yuanqi did not "copy" ni Zan's composition, the tree in the close-up was placed in the main position of the picture by him, and the distant mountain was layered and gradually faded out of the field of vision, which obviously had the intention of borrowing huang Gongwang's posture. Moreover, the slope area of the middle and long views of the painting is much larger than that of Ni Yunlin, making the viewer's field of vision more open. In addition, the houses and huts written on the slope shores in the middle and far views are also more abundant than those of Ni Zhan.
National Palace Museum in Taipei, Ni Zhan's "Rong Knee Zhai Tu" and "Qiulin Yuandai Tu" comparison
The tree and stone painting method in the painting can be traced back to Dong Qichang and as far back as Huang Gongwang. Wang Yuanqi's paintings also often use the foreground of Huang Gongwang's "Tianchi Stone Wall Map". However, Dong Qichang "simplified" Huang Gongwang's hills and ravines, while Wang Yuanqi had more changes in appearance, and even had a little more "rich" feeling than Huang Gongwang's prototype.
The Palace Museum collects Huang Gongwang's "Tianchi Stone Wall Map" and "Qiulin YuandaiTu" in comparison
In addition, in the use of pen and ink in "Qiulin Yuandaitu", Wang's use of outline is more than rubbing, that is, painting with the tip of the pen more than painting with the belly of the pen, and the "nib technique" in the painting comes from Dong Qichang.
From this point of view, from the perspective of the use of artistic language, it can be seen that Wang Yuanqi, like his grandfather Wang Shimin, not only attacked Dong Qichang's landscape and water samadhi, but also directly traced back to the Song and Yuan dynasties through the study of Huang Gongwang, and developed his own artistic style.
The National Palace Museum in Taipei collects Dong Qichang's "Ancient Map of the FengJing Path" and "Qiulin Yuandaitu" in comparison
Since it was painted at the behest of the emperor, the painting must contain the expectation of the emperor's "viewing", so When Wang Yuanqi created, he must take into account the content of the picture and the effect of the painting presented in front of the emperor's eyes. And the effect of this "watching" not only depends on the artistic language of the patriarchal predecessor mentioned above, but also adds his own "novelty", that is, the use of color. If his early landscape paintings were still confined to the huang gongwang style of shallow landscapes, then Wang Yuanqi, who entered the court, began to use the color design method in painting when creating "works that should be made".
The use of color in "Qiulin Yuandaitu"
Regarding coloring, Wang Yuanqi specifically said in "Rain Window Long Pen": "Coloring is the use of pen and ink, which means to make up for the lack of pen and ink, and the magic of pen and ink... However, do not take the color again, concentrate on taking the breath, and gradually wake up in the yin and yang to the back. Then the color is emitted by the qi, not floating and not stagnant, naturally written, not can be restless to engage in also. As for the obscurity of yin and yang, the twilight of the morning light, and the color of the trees, it is necessary to pay more attention to it in ordinary times. Light makeup is thick and thick, and it is suitable for touch, which is in the experience, and it can be determined without the law. ”
It can be seen that the "color" mentioned by Wang Shi is neither "filling" in the contour line, nor is it the "bonelessness" that directly depicts natural objects with color, but the use of color instead of ink and the mutual use of color and ink. Color is part of the ink method of rubbing dot dyeing in his paintings, and with the help of color, it enhances the distinction between blocks, creating a light and dark effect of the overall landscape, showing a little three-dimensional.
In this picture, Wang Yuanqi first constructs the mountain shape through the wet pen and light ink, and then uses blue, green and light daisy to dye the mountain stone with the brushstroke of melting, especially the scarlet color scattered in each section of the hand scroll is the most eye-catching, conveying a strong autumn meaning. The colors in this painting are dry, wet and dry, or thick or light, overlapping each other, the so-called "ink in color, color in ink, color does not hinder ink, ink does not hinder color"
Liu Dan also pointed out the bright use of color in "Qiulin Yuandaitu": "When this painting was just completed, it may be bluer and brighter than it is now. In addition, the green in the painting is made of garcinia and flower blue, after a long time, the flower blue fades more than garcinia, which appears to be particularly yellowed, in fact, this painting must be more vivid than this when it is first painted. ”
Xu Li, a member of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics
Therefore, whether it is the composition of the set, the painting of hills and valleys, or the use of color, this work is based on the predecessors and further develops its own novelty. As Xu Li said: "Wang Yuanqi's 'Qiulin Yuandaitu' clearly presents the painter's own education and his painting artist Cheng. In this painting, you can see the shadows of Huang Gongwang, Ni Yunlin and Dong Qichang, and the brilliance of Wang's is that he can present his inheritance, taste and his own understanding of Jiangshan in a painting without a trace, whether it is Fengxi or not, this work has reached a very high artistic standard. ”
Shang Hao, Executive Deputy General Manager of Yongle Auction
Shang Hao, executive deputy general manager of Yongle Auction, also lamented the exquisite brush and ink of this painting, recalling: "For Zhang Heng, Wu Hufan, Xie Zhiliu and other modern experts, the Four Kings are a must-read subject. Ten years ago, when I first saw this painting, the leanness of Wang Yuanqi's pen and ink deeply shocked me, and I could even read his inner feelings when he created this painting from his works. ”
Judging from the archives of the Yongzheng Dynasty and the Qianlong Dynasty, there were indeed many architectural spaces in the court at that time that were decorated with Wang Yuan qi landscapes. It is recorded in the Archives of the Interior Affairs Office of the Qing Palace that one day in the nineteenth year of Qianlong, Wang Yuanqi's landscape painting, which had originally been used in Jiuzhou Qingyan, was replaced by Fang Chun's painting. And the replaced paintings of Wang Yuanqi were required to be sent to the Maoqin Hall for repair and preservation.
If it is not deeply loved by the emperor, how can his works be hung in the hall for people to enjoy. As a "work that should be made", "Qiulin Yuandaitu" can be loved by Kangxi and Qianlong, not only because of the high art of Wang's painting and the strong visual perception of this picture, but also because the painting contains profound cultural and political connotations.
Looking at this painting, the autumn scenery in it not only does not have a sense of depression, but appears warm and lovely. Wang Yuanqi was unusually accustomed to using dry pens, the water was relatively rich and warm, the color ink was muddy, and it was full of lush greenery in the midst of the mottled land.
Yongle Auction Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Department Wang Gefei
When Wang Gefei of the Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Department of Yongle Auction talked about the look and feel of this painting, he particularly emphasized the meaning of "vitality" revealed in the painting: "Although this painting does not represent the scenery of the landscape in reality, it depicts all the living things... Many of the things expressed in the painting are no longer depicting the bitter cold and seclusion of the literati. Because Kangxi didn't need to hide, what he needed to see was a very perfect picture of the new dynasty. ”
"Le Reward - Talk about Wang Yuanqi" Yaji scene
Of course, the pen and ink and qiu ren in "Qiulin Yuandaitu" clearly reveal Wang Yuanqi's inheritance of Dong Qichang, which has also been explained in the aforementioned. Wang Yuanqi's paintings were deeply rooted in the dong clan's mantle, which was also an important reason why he was loved by the Kangxi Emperor.
Kangxi's "good study of the book", although it was due to nature, but he "especially loved Dong Qichang's pen" and "coolly imitated Dong Fa", but it was his teacher Shen Quan who gave him the cultivation of the day after tomorrow. Under the influence of Shen Quan, Kangxi not only studied Dong Shu, but also collected Dong Shu, and even gave it to his subordinates with royal books, so that Dong Qichang's style of writing reached its peak. At this point, the painting art circle is certainly no exception.
Wang Yuanqi, who was born in the Wang clan of Jiangnan, and his grandfather Wang Shimin was a disciple of Dong Qichang and had a family origin. He grew up with his grandfather, learning the orthodox painting style. Dong Qichang's Nanzong painting theory is naturally the theoretical basis for painting practice. In addition, after Wang's arrival in Beijing, the rich collection resources and the cultural atmosphere of advocating Dong Qichang provided Wang Yuanqi with favorable conditions for being affirmed and further learning from ancient people. As a result, Wang Yuanqi, who combined favorable conditions, quickly stood out and entered Kangxi's vision.
Liu Dan particularly said: "The Kangxi Emperor chose Wang Yuanqi as the 'orthodox of the state dynasty', which was very far-sighted. Wang Yuanqi was close to Dong Xuanzai and far away from the Hermit Literati of the Yuan Dynasty. Therefore, from a deeper point of view, Kangxi chose the most representative Yeyi painter of the Yuan Dynasty, and became the mainstream thing through the line of Dong Qichang, so as to win the hearts of the artists and literati in the world, which actually implied a very strong political intention. ”
Small statue of Wang Yuanqi
According to the record of the forty-fourth year of Kangxi in the "Old Biography of Lou Dongqi", Kangxi once wrote a couplet for Wang Yuanqi with the inscription "Heavenly Opportunity comes to paper, and the powder is in the chest" to praise Wang Yuanqi's painting talent. And choosing to personally present Dong Qichang font to Wang Yuanqi indirectly prompts Wang Yuanqi's inheritance relationship with Dong Qichang. From this, we can not only see Kangxi's satisfaction with Wang Yuanqi's performance, but also associate Wang Yuanqi with Dong Qichang.
In addition to Wang Yuanqi being "favored" by Kangxi, in addition to his painting dong zheng hitting Kangxi's "lower heart", there is also a reason that cannot be ignored is that Kangxi has taken a fancy to the cultural orthodoxy and appeal of the Wang family in the Jiangnan Shiren group.
Qing Anon. "Portrait of the Kangxi Emperor Writing in Casual Clothes" Collection of the Palace Museum
After the end of the San Francisco Rebellion, military stability, and the full rule of the Qing Dynasty in China, the problem faced by Kangxi was how to rule the Han people who were the majority in the empire, and the influence of the "Loudong Wang Clan" as a Jiangnan Wang clan among the Han literati was self-evident, so Wang Yuanqi became a suitable candidate for Kangxi to "win the hearts and minds of the Han people" culturally. Facts have also proved that after Entering the Hanlin Academy, Wang Yuanqi lived up to his holy expectations and successfully completed a series of major "national projects" such as compiling the "Pei Wen Zhai Calligraphy and Painting Notation" and presiding over the drawing of the "Longevity Ceremony Map".
As one of the most important poet painters during the Kangxi Dynasty, Wang Yuanqi was ordered to "enshrine pen and ink in Yuzhi Haidian" before he changed to Hanlin on the second day of May in the 40th year of the Kangxi Dynasty, and the signature of Wang Yuanqi's calligraphy works that can be seen can be traced back to the alternate stage before Wang Yuanqi changed to Hanlin. Therefore, the creation time of Wang Yuan Qichen's calligraphy works began about the time when kangxi was at the turn of the 39th and 40th centuries. And its lower limit, because Wang Yuanqi was promoted to hubu waiter in his later years, "although the ministry of the martingale palm, the retreat of food, but also the pen and ink painting fan, mail to the Rehe offering", it can be seen that until Wang Yuanqi's death, there were still the creation of the works of the courtiers.
According to Zhao Rui, executive producer of the "National Treasure" documentary, consulting the Qing Palace calligraphy and painting bibliography and related historical materials, there are only more than 20 works of "Feng Shu" or "Gong Painting" signed by "Qiulin Yuandaitu", about 10 works of "Chen" characters circulated, and only 6 works were created by the order of the Kangxi Emperor. The 27 paintings that have survived to this day are in the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Forbidden City in Taipei, the Imperial Palace in Shenyang, the Shanghai Museum and other museums, and this "Qiulin Yuandaitu" is the only private collection and the most magnificent work among them.
This "Qiulin Yuandaitu" screen created during the Kangxi Dynasty is stamped with the seal of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty", which is the most important collection certificate of the Qianlong Emperor. In the lower left of the picture, there is also a "Baoyunlou Calligraphy and Painting Record" seal, which indeed refers to the last time the work appeared outside the Rehe Palace outside the Guanxi Before entering the Baoyun Building.
Qing Wang Yuanqi's "Qiulin Yuandaitu" axis is printed in the middle of the "Treasure of qianlong Royal Collection" and "Treasure of Baoyunlou Calligraphy and Painting"
At the beginning of 1913, the chief minister of internal affairs of the Beiyang government proposed to "open a district of antiquities exhibition centers in the middle of the city as a precursor to the museum", with this purpose of preparing an antiquities exhibition center, and requested that the cultural relics collected in the Fengtian Palace and the Rehe Summer Resort at that time be transported to Beijing for safekeeping and exhibition.
A corner of the Antiquities Exhibition
In order to place these cultural relics, in 1915, the Baoyun Building was built on the site of the Xian'an Palace. Later, the Antiquities Exhibition Institute hired experts to register all cultural relics collections, and added "Baoyunlou Calligraphy and Painting Records" to the calligraphy and painting artworks, and Wang Yuanqi's "Qiulin Yuandaitu" is listed here. Because it was sent to the palace for collection earlier by the Beijing master, the works did not have the Qing Palace collection seals such as "Shiqu Baodi", "Sanxitang Jingjian Seal", and "Yi Descendants" of the Qianlong and Jiaqing Dynasties.
Restored Baoyun Building
In addition, Gu Jiegang once recorded in the "Memoirs of Calligraphy and Painting of the Antiquities Exhibition Center": "Wang Yuanqi's "Qiulin Yuanxiu Tu" erection", and Gu's record of Wang Yuanqi's "Qiulin Yuanxiu Tu" should be "Qiulin Yuandaitu", which may be Gu Jiegang's clerical error. Later, in the ten volumes of the Catalogue of Calligraphy and Paintings of the Antiquities Exhibition Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs compiled and published in September of the fourteenth year of the Republic of China (1925), "Yuanxiu" was changed to "Yuandai". This further confirms that Wang Yuanqi's work not only came from the Guanwai Palace, but also was collected in the Baoyun Building after the cultural relics were transferred, and was registered and recorded here by the predecessors of the cultural and cultural circles.
Catalogue of Calligraphy and Paintings of the Antiquities Exhibition Center of the Ministry of internal affairs, published by the Beijing Printing And Publishing Office in 1925.
Later, due to the corruption of the internal affairs of the National Government, those in power used the name of "official communication" to transfer, borrow, and even buy cultural relics from antiquities exhibition houses at low prices, resulting in the outflow of cultural relics. Perhaps "Qiulin Yuandaitu" was taken out of the Baoyun Building at this time and flowed to the people.
In the Catalogue of Calligraphy and Paintings of the Antiquities Exhibition Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Wang Yuanqi's works totaled five, three of which were originally stored in the Fengtian Palace, while the "Qiulin Yuandaitu" and the "Songxi Xianguan Tu" scroll, which is now in the Collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing, which has "Paintings by Chenwang Yuanqi Gong", come from the Rehe Palace. It is worth mentioning that these two paintings and calligraphy are printed in a similar way, both have the "Treasure of Qianlong Imperial Collection" of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty, the Zhu Baiwen Seal of Wang Yuanqi "Chenyuan Qi", the "Baoyunlou Calligraphy and Painting Record" of the National Government, and the "Flower" Seal of Half Square.
The plutonium printing knowledge of this work is compared with the printing knowledge of the "Songxi Immortal Hall" in the collection of the Palace Museum
Of these five works, four are stored in the Forbidden City on both sides of the strait, and only this "Qiulin Yuandaitu" is a private collection, so this "wandering in the world" should be made, which is particularly precious.
"Qiulin Yuandaitu"