Lu Yinshao calligraphy ink traces

Author: Shen Mingquan (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: Lu Yanshao, an exceptional master of landscape painting in contemporary Chinese art, has established a distinctive artistic style in landscape painting with his profound skills, erudite knowledge, and extraordinary creativity, reaching a new pinnacle in the art of landscape painting. His landscape paintings have a significant international influence and are renowned alongside Li Keran as "North Li, South Lu." However, when viewed through the lens of traditional brushwork and artistic essence, his achievements clearly surpass Li's. Lu Yanshao's landscape paintings have attracted increasing interest and collection from more and more people. This article aims to elaborate on four aspects: his unique and spirited landscape painting style, artistic originality, the examination of brushwork and ink charm, and structure, inscriptions, and other elements.
Lu Yanshao was born in 1907 and passed away in 1993. His courtesy name was Wanru, and his alias was Di. He was from Nanxiang, Jiading, Jiangsu. He excelled in poetry and calligraphy, was particularly skilled in landscape painting, and occasionally painted flowers, plants, and figures. In his early years, Lu Yanshao studied painting under Feng Chaoran, learned poetry from Wang Tongyu, and later became a disciple of Wu Huafen. Lu Yanshao's landscape paintings began with the orthodox tradition of the "Four Wangs" and later traced back to the masters of the Song and Yuan dynasties. At the age of 20, his copied works were deemed indistinguishable from the originals by Feng Chaoran. He also copied authentic works by Wang Shigu, Wang Yuanqi, Dai Chunshi, Wu Mojing, and Yun Xiangshan from the Ming and Qing dynasties. These copies demonstrated extraordinary skill and a refined style. Although he studied the "Four Wangs," he never blindly adhered to tradition. In his view, the works of the "Four Wangs" still held value, preserving many techniques from the Song and Yuan dynasties that were passed down through them. He did not blindly worship the great masters of art history but chose to learn from the best. He admired Shi Tao's unconventional and lively brushwork and small compositions, recognizing their exceptional qualities. However, he found that Shi Tao's large-scale works often lacked the fluidity and ease of composition, failing to reach the realm of effortless and natural arrangements. He studied Wu Huafen not because of his fame or his role as a mentor in his artistic career but as a guide. He once said, "At that time, Wu Huafen's paintings were renowned throughout the world. His use of color was unique and unmatched by others. I once summarized his paintings in eight words: 'Brushwork is inferior to ink, ink is inferior to color.' If I were to follow his path and focus on color, although I could learn his techniques, I could never match his graceful and elegant artistic realm, his charming and serene beauty. Each person has their own innate talents, strengths and weaknesses vary, and what he excels at may not be what I excel at, and what I excel at may not be what he possesses. I assess my own temperament as straightforward and resolute, which is reflected in my brushwork—without the subtlety of elegance, more poetic than lyrical. He favors tranquility, while my brushwork is dynamic, making them largely incompatible. Therefore, if I followed his path, I would inevitably fall short; but by leveraging my strengths, I could surpass him. Unique skills are not as valuable as originality. Thus, I focused on lines, studied brushwork and ink, ensuring every stroke was distinct, avoiding the temptation of color to charm and completely breaking away from imitation, forging my own path to create a new artistic identity."
From this soliloquy, we can not only see Lu Yanshao's invaluable spirit of artistic innovation and exploration but also understand the reasons behind his unique artistic style that sets him apart from others.