Xini Ning Paintings Collection

Author: Yu Xining
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: Among Mr. Xining's numerous floral works, they comprehensively absorb and embody the fine traditions of Chinese literati painting. The perfect integration of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving, the literary and poetic conception and theme, the calligraphic composition of brushwork and ink application, and the profound and vigorous sense of gold and stone engraving, all fully reflect Mr. Xining's years of research, absorption, and integration of literati painting. Taking plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, known as the "Four Gentlemen," as an example, these traditional themes not only manifest in the integration of calligraphy into painting techniques but also in the expressive meaning of cherishing emotions for objects, enriching these ordinary floral subjects with deeper philosophical connotations. Under the cultural background of the new era of socialism, Mr. Xining has endowed them with fresh artistic connotations and a sense of the times. Taking plum blossoms as an example, from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, Mr. Xining traveled to Jiangnan four times in a row to explore plum blossoms, continuously deepening and elevating his understanding and experience of this subject. His large-scale plum paintings are widely known, often featuring entire old plum trees in his works, towering and majestic, boldly breaking through the artistic spirit and framework of predecessors, transforming the cool and detached into the passionate, and the sparse and desolate into the lush and abundant. They not only reflect the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people in their struggle against nature and difficulties in the socialist era but also depict the prosperous and thriving landscape of the great motherland. As a result, the old habits and flaws of literati painting are swept away, reviving this traditional theme. In classroom teaching, Mr. Xining believed that things like the "Four Gentlemen" not only hold independent significance in terms of subject matter but are also a fundamental skill for young students and practicing Chinese painters when it comes to painting flowers. If one can master these four types of flowers and plants—plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum—then painting other numerous woody and herbaceous plants becomes easier, as one can generalize in terms of brushwork, ink application, or the choice between simplicity and complexity. Therefore, in the process of studying bird-and-flower painting, it is essential to oppose stagnation and the uncritical adherence to tradition, while also extracting useful elements from the traditional themes of literati painting. "Taking the essence and discarding the dross" is the correct direction for learning and inheriting tradition.