A Selection of Fine Sketches from Around the World. Volume 6

Author: Wu Xiansheng / Pan Wenxun (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: "Some people think that sketches themselves are beautiful, but they do not realize that the beauty of sketches is entirely due to the genuine emotions they express." (Note 1) The masters, with their piety toward art and love for humanity, entered the realm of artistic creation. With brushes soaked in heartfelt emotions, they created artistic figures that coexist with humanity, though devoid of human flesh and blood, they possess the spirit and emotions of humans. Those deities humanized, those humans deified, have been with the human spirit since their birth. Those diverse portraits, those dynamic human figures, speak of the shared emotions of humanity. That vibrant life, with enduring vitality, brings hope to those in suffering. They radiate eternal youth, comforting the masses in the real world. They bring hope to the afflicted. That eternal beauty allows people to savor the goodness of life, where there is human perseverance, the trials of pain, the struggles for freedom, the confusion of desires, and the solace of the soul. Those beings on paper breathe and exist alongside humanity. They live on because of their authenticity. In artistic creation, falsehood is inevitably short-lived, while truth endures! "The essence of art has always been to express beauty through the senses, passions, and dreams of each individual" (Note 2). The masters' exceptional creative talent, "There are as many ways to seek happiness as there are types of beauty" (Note 3). With their wise eyes, the masters discovered and captured fleeting moments of beauty, freezing them into brilliant works and narrating the history of beauty. The flow of lines is sometimes joyful, sometimes somber; the flicker of tones is sometimes intense, sometimes gentle; the charm of beauty is like a cup of sweet wine, nourishing the human soul. People greedily embrace beauty, knowing that in the masters, the source of beauty will never dry up; in the masters' works, the content and form of beauty achieve a harmonious unity. The greatness and nobility of masculinity, the purity and tenderness of femininity, the piety toward religion, the reflection on history, the longing for love, the celebration of life, the compassion and composure toward death—all are vividly embodied by the masters'. The expression of artistic form is so natural and precise, without pretense or artificiality, completing the expression of beauty effortlessly. This is the true master. They opened doors for later generations to reach the pinnacle of sketch art, yet silently, as if inviting you to follow them, whether consciously or unconsciously. Their allure is the allure of beauty. People are well aware that following the footsteps of this allure may lead them into the masters' creative realm, inspiring them to discover truth and create beauty. What could be more captivating than this allure?