Zhang Zhaohe

Author: Jiang Zhaohe (Illustrator) / Liu Xilin (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-03-01
Features: The painter, drawing upon the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, unites with the wondrous imagination of the human heart. Standing between heaven and earth, the painter is surrounded by all phenomena. With thoughts blending with delight, they suddenly draw with a swift stroke, pursuing what they see, hear, and feel. With a resounding cry, they create works of extraordinary brilliance. Our country's painting has a long history, dating back to Gu Kaizhi in the Jin Dynasty. For over a thousand years, numerous schools have emerged, with outstanding masters in every generation. From the south to the north, talented artists have emerged, each with distinct styles, forming their own unique traditions. The vast Yangtze River and the majestic Kunlun Mountains are not enough to describe their lofty heights. Later generations, wishing to learn the details and appreciate the wonders, find it difficult. I was born too late to be a painter, but by observing the works of ancient and modern masters and their inevitable changes of the times, I have come to understand that one must first learn the rules before one can transcend them. The ancients said that this path is full of artistic expression—was it truly so? Reading through the masterpieces of the past, I realize that their methods are like reflections in a mirror, water ripples, and moonlight—apparent yet elusive; while their lack of method is like the boundless blue sky and clear water, vast and limitless. Our society gathers works from ancient and modern times, selecting the finest from each era, describing their lives, artistic philosophies, technical features, and lineage, allowing readers to see a glimpse and grasp the whole, understand one painter and grasp an era's art, and through reading the collections of dozens of famous painters, gain an overview of our country's thousands of years of painting civilization. Due to the passage of time and frequent wars, countless famous paintings have been lost or damaged. There are masters whose paintings are lost, paintings that survive but are few in number, and painters who were famous but whose lives and deeds are not recorded. As a result, few illustrations and texts remain, and introductions cannot be complete. Thus, we gather a few works in each collection, better than having nothing at all. In the past, Ouyang Xun compiled Yiwen Lüju and said, "I wish to make every family rich in pearls and every person treasure jade, allowing the predecessors to compile their works, each expressing their own ideas." This collection embodies that very spirit. The Complete Collection of Famous Chinese Painters is a series of selected works by ancient and modern Chinese masters, from Gu Kaizhi in the Jin Dynasty to the late Guan Shanyue. Each book reflects the painter's life, artistic characteristics, technical features, and artistic theories, allowing readers to see a glimpse. This book is a portrayal of the life and art of the contemporary painter Jiang Zhaohe.