Zhu Songfa, Heavenly Open and Excellent Scenery Scroll

Author: Jia Dejiang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Zhu Songfa, born in Ziyun Village, Huangshan in 1942. Member of the China Artists Association, Vice President of the Anhui Province Artists Association, National First-Class Artist, and an expert enjoying special allowances from the State Council. Currently employed at the Anhui Province Painting Academy. Skilled in painting landscapes, flowers and birds, and figures, with particular expertise in landscapes and ink plum blossoms. His artistic style is deeply influenced by the Xin'an School of Painting, standing out in the contemporary art scene with his distinct individuality and robust, grandeur. He is widely admired by the world.
This scroll is on paper, with a vertical dimension of 38 cm and a horizontal dimension of 41.8 cm. It features a light red and white landscape, with a (craggy and harsh) yet (nourishing and moist) brushwork, created in 2003. The scroll depicts the Anhui South Mountains that deeply moved the artist, blending meaning with imagery and casting emotions into the scenery. The horizontal and vertical strokes, bold and vigorous, contrast with the spontaneous, wet and lush splashes, creating a moist, rich, and profound artistic effect. The simplicity of the lines and the transformation of ink make the rocks and trees harmonious and ethereal. Amidst the powerful yet serene, the vigorous yet rustic, there lingers a sense of coolness, yet it is not desolate; it is still yet not rigid, with vitality surging and the heavens echoing softly. His style is simple yet his brushwork is rustic and aged, embodying the reflections of time and life, which are the charm and aesthetic appeal of Zhu Songfa's freehand ink paintings.
At the beginning of the scroll, the modern art master Li Keran inscribed: "Elegant interest. Keran inscribed." Sealed with two stamps: a red seal "Shiniutang" and a white seal "Keran." In the middle of the scroll, Zhu Songfa wrote: "Heavenly scenery unfolds, the greatest joy in the world lies in landscapes. In the year Guimai (2003), Zhu Songfa painted in Minhe Villa, Jixi, Huizhou." Sealed with a white seal "Zhu Songfa Seal" and a red seal "Flowing Clouds and Running Water" at the end of the scroll. At the back of the scroll, Zhu Songfa wrote a running script postscript, with a straightforward style, swift and lively brushwork, full of vitality.