Technique Interpretation of Lü Ji's Works

Author: Wang Qingli
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Lü Ji (1477–?), styled Tingzhen, styled Leyu, also styled Leiyu, was a native of Yinxian (now Ningbo, Zhejiang). He excelled in bird-and-flower painting, and was also skilled in landscape and figure painting. During the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty, he served as an official in the Renshi Hall and rose to the rank of Jinwei Commandery Commissioner, becoming one of the most renowned court painters of the Ming Dynasty alongside Bian Jingzhao and Lin Liang in the bird-and-flower painting style. His painting style can be divided into two main categories: one is primarily ink and wash with light color, characterized by bold brushwork, while the other features rich and vibrant colors with meticulous detail, exhibiting a luxurious courtly decorative aesthetic. Lü Ji's transition from ink-and-wash painting with light color to meticulous, heavily colored painting was largely driven by the need to cater to the different tastes of various emperors. Specifically, the Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhen had different preferences compared to his predecessor, the Chenghua Emperor Zhu Jianshen, which led Lü Ji to focus more on subjects like peonies, pheasants, cranes, peacocks, and mandarin ducks, interspersed with flowers, plants, rocks, and grasses, all imbued with vitality. He was adept at combining meticulous coloring with ink-and-wash brushwork. Lü Ji initially learned from the masters of the Tang and Song dynasties and his contemporary Bian Jingzhao before developing his own distinctive style. His bird-and-flower paintings are known for their bright colors and lively energy, earning him the title of "Master of Ming Dynasty Bird-and-Flower Painting." It is said that Lü Ji often used allegorical techniques in his paintings to advise the emperor, and the emperor understood his intentions, once saying, "In mastering the arts, Lü Ji could advise." His representative works include Spring Peacock Pair, Osmanthus and Birds, Remnants of Lotus and Eagle, and Autumn Crane and Hibiscus. The line drawings in this book are suitable for tracing, so the black lines are relatively dark. When copying, please refer to the text descriptions and pay attention to the variations in line thickness.