Wang Jiaxun Water Margin 108 Heroes Painting Album Poetry, Calligraphy, Painting, and Seal Engraving Combined in Four Exquisite Works

Author: Wang Jiaren et al
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: "Is it fate that only the nobles can be kings?" One hundred and eight heroes gather at Mount Liang, robbing the rich to help the poor, upholding justice for the heavens. Although they were later subdued and destroyed, their rebellion against authority, subversion of the established order, and boosting the morale of the common people in Datongping truly brought joy to the heroes of the wilderness. With the mists of history settled, the story of Water Margin has long become idle talk among fishermen and woodcutters. The heroic deeds of Water Margin heroes are depicted in music and songs, and even in calligraphy and paintings. In the Song Dynasty, Gong Kai wrote "Triumphs of the Thirty-Six Heroes of Shang Jiang," and in the Ming Dynasty, Chen Hongshou painted "Water Margin Leaves," among countless examples, showing the timeless charm of the heroes of Mount Liang.
In modern times, with peace restored and the reversed history set right, the characters and stories of Water Margin have become a treasured part of national culture, household names, and a celebrated event in the art world. The Hangzhou painter Wang Jiaren, with a rugged appearance like a man from Guanxi and a posture like a martial arts master, seems to embody the one hundred and eight heroes of Mount Liang. With the strength of lifting a tripod, he wielded his brush to paint the true likenesses of the one hundred and eight heroes of Water Margin. As the book went to press, he asked me to write the preface. I told Brother Jiaren: "A southerner with a northern appearance, generous and hospitable, yet in art, he seeks truth from all directions, his heart as light as a floating thread. When he first entered the world of painting, he aimed for traditional techniques, starting with Ren Weichang and emerging through Chen Hongshou, while also exploring folk art. Learning from multiple masters, he achieved a breakthrough in integrating and comprehending, like a sudden realization of a path to enlightenment—like a willow in the shade and flowers in the light, his art advanced greatly. After three years of tireless effort, he completed the long scroll depicting the one hundred and eight heroes of Water Margin, as the saying goes, 'A skilled artist is not rushed by others, and Wang Zai was willing to leave a true masterpiece.'
The heroes of Water Margin have diverse personalities and appearances, ranging from beautiful to ugly. Brother Jiaren does not exhaust himself in depicting their forms but instead pursues the expression of their spiritual essence. With his unique artistic language and techniques, he opens up new aesthetic perspectives, cultivating unconventional yet harmonious tastes. He portrays a sincere and rustic elegance, an artistic fashion that finds beauty in the ugly. His Water Margin characters do not seek to exaggerate their external heroism or fierceness but instead reveal the richness of their inner character in the subtlety of 'great skill in the guise of clumsiness' and 'great wisdom in the guise of ignorance.' In their expressions and connotations, they embody the might and bravery of the Water Margin heroes, creating a new group portrait of these characters.
Wang Jiaren is a learned and versatile artist, with a comprehensive artistic pursuit. He studies the Wei Stele and enjoys the Han bamboo slips, claiming, "I do not despise the modern but love the ancient." This time, he hands-calligraphed the quatrains on the one hundred and eight heroes by Pang Jian, who is elegant and refined, with a full classical charm, truly an embellishment to the existing works. Pang Jian is a member of the Chinese Poetry Society and former executive director of the Shanghai Poetry Society. His knowledge spans both literature and science, and he has long been immersed in poetry, favoring the Jiangxi school and the Tongguang style, excelling in both ancient and modern forms. At Jiaren's request, he composed quatrains on the heroes of Mount Liang, unleashing his brush with boundless creativity, revealing not only their personalities but also their expressive essence.
Shen Ailiang, my junior, is a member of the Chinese Calligraphy Society and the head of the Qiushi Seal Society at Shanghai Normal University. He carved the seals of the one hundred and eight heroes in just a month. Within the tiny space, one can almost hear the clash of swords and armor; at the moment of carving, one imagines the grandeur of shedding robes in a powerful stance.