One-generation painting king Zhang Daqian

Author: Lin Bin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This book portrays the legendary life of the renowned contemporary painter Zhang Daqian through detailed descriptions, shaping a vivid image of the "King of Painting" Zhang Daqian as someone devoted to art, patriotic, kind-hearted, and supportive of younger generations. The "Black Monkey Reincarnation" Zhang Daqian learned painting from his mother in childhood, experienced a brief "bandit life," and later studied under masters Zeng Xi and Li Ruiqing. His painting style was influenced by the Eight Great Mountains (Zhu Da) and the (Shi Tao). He traveled the world, deeply researching ancient art and Dunhuang murals, absorbing the strengths of various schools to create his own unique style. In his later years, he resided in Brazil and the United States before finally settling in Taiwan.
Combining his artistic genius with profound craftsmanship, Zhang Daqian could paint at the stroke of a brush, embedding his love in his works. With a brush, he wrote poems that depicted the grandeur of mountains and rivers. Whether painting mountains, water, flowers, grass, trees, animals, people, birds, or insects, Zhang Daqian not only stood shoulder to shoulder with a host of Chinese painters like Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, Hai Gousu, Fu Xinshe, and Huang Junbi but was also hailed alongside the Western master Picasso as "giants who dominated both Eastern and Western art scenes."
The romantic entanglements between Zhang Daqian and Zeng Zhengrong, Huang Ningsu, Yang Wanjun (art name Huaxiu Fang), Xu Wenbo, Li Qiujun, and Chi Zhongchun are filled with twists and turns, with conflicts arising one after another. For love, Zhang Daqian was willing to make a vow to be buried together in the next life, and every action was within reason. Yet, driven by love, he became a monk and later a layman, defying all expectations.