Rongbaozhai Huapu. 162, Part of Flowers and Birds

Author: Zheng Naiquan (Illustrator)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Mr. Zheng Naiquan has abandoned the drawbacks of the current courtly and luxurious style of ink-and-color flower-and-bird paintings, forging a unique path by delving into the treasures of life. He observes objects in the forest and flowers with meticulous detail and ingeniously incorporates common wildflowers, vegetables, and seasonal fruits—elements often overlooked by predecessors—onto his canvases, elevating them to the realm of high art and imbuing them with poetic charm. Mr. Zheng emphasizes composing paintings with poetic inspiration and infusing them with the emotional attitude of a poet. If freehand brushwork often deepens the artistic conception through inscriptions and colophons, meticulous brushwork places greater emphasis on evoking viewers' poetic associations through the "form" of the painting. The essence beyond form is empty, but the essence within form gives life; only when form and spirit are harmonized can one truly depict objects with vitality. Thus, the flowers in his works bloom with vitality, their moods resembling clear skies, dewdrops, dancing in the wind, or greeting the morning sun. The birds are equally lively, their behaviors suggesting foraging, playing, preening, or adorning themselves. Whether in grand or miniature compositions, his works are brimming with life. Peacocks and peonies, though vibrant in red and purple, are not adorned with the opulence of palaces. The wildflowers in the fields, though single blossoms or branches, exude tranquility and leisure without the sentiment of recluses in the wilderness, revealing a serene and peaceful beauty.