Qing Jin Nong at the foot of Mount Hua Stele

Author: Jin Nong (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Jin Nong (1687-1763) was a renowned painter of the Qing Dynasty. His courtesy name was Shoumen, and his sobriquets included Dongxin. He had many aliases, such as Jin Niuniu, Lao Ding, Guquan, Zhuxuan, Qujiang Wai Shi, Jimei Zhu, Lianshen Jushi, Long, Chi Chun Weng, Shou Daoist, Jin Jijin, Sufala Jisufala (in Buddhist scriptures, "Sufala" is the Chinese character "Jin," and Sufala Jisufala is the same as Jin Jijin), Xin Ershiliu Lang, Xiantan Shaohua Ren, Jin Niuniu Hu Lake Meeting Elder, and Baer Yan Tian Fu Rongzhuang, among others. He was originally from Rinhé in Zhejiang (now Hangzhou) and lived in Yangzhou for a long time. He never held any official position in his life. He loved traveling and had "" (his footsteps covered half the world). He was fond of oddities and learning, excelled in poetry, prose, and calligraphy, with his writings being ancient and unique, and he was also skilled in appraising antiques. His calligraphy created a flat brush style, combining the forms of regular script and clerical script, and was known as "Lushu." He collected thousands of volumes of inscriptions and stone carvings. In the first year of the Qianlong reign (1736 AD), he was recommended for the position of Boge Hongci but declined. He only began painting at the age of fifty-three. His paintings had strange and ancient shapes, and he was good at using light ink and dry brush to create small flower-and-blossom works. He first painted bamboo, then horses, Buddhist figures, and plum blossoms, which he uniquely created and became one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou." His representative works include: "Dongse Tuhua Tu" (Eastern Calyx Blooming), "Kong Gan Ru Sua Tu" (Empty Handle Like Wine), "Lamei Chuanzhu Tu" (Early Plum Blossoms), "Yudie Qingbiao Tu" (Jade Butterfly's Clear Character), "Tie Xuan Shu Hua Tu" (Iron Studio Sparse Flowers), "Pusa Miao Xiang Tu" (Bodhisattva's Wonderful Appearance), "Qiongzi Si Shang Xiang Tu" (Graceful Figure Awaiting Appreciation), etc. His writings include "Dongxin Shicao" (Dongxin Poetry Collection), "Dongxin Suibei" (Dongxin Notes), "Dongxin Huamei Titie" (Dongxin Plum Blossom Inscriptions), "Dongxin Huama Ji" (Dongxin Horse Painting Records), and "Dongxin Zaha Zhu" (Dongxin Miscellaneous Writings), among others. This book is Jin Nong's rendition of the "Han Xiyue Huashan Miao Bei" (Han Dynasty Western Yue Huashan Temple Stele). Jin Nong's calligraphy excelled in stele studies, especially in clerical script, with a high and ancient style, forming its own unique style. His brushwork completely reversed the habits of clerical script calligraphers from the Tang and Song dynasties, truly capturing the essence of Han calligraphy.