Wang Jiaxun's Illustrated Collection of the 108 Heroes of Water Margin

Author: Wang Jiaren et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-08-01
Features: "Are the nobles and generals born of noble blood?" One hundred and eight heroes gathered at Mount Liang, looted the rich to help the poor, and upheld justice for the heavens. Although they were later suppressed after being incorporated into the imperial service, their rebellion against authority, subversion of the established order, and boosting the morale of the common people in Datongping truly brought joy to the heroes of the grasslands. With the mists of history settled, the story of Water Margin has long become idle talk among fishermen and woodcutters. The heroic deeds of Water Margin heroes have been depicted in music and poetry, and immortalized in ink and brush. The Song Dynasty poet Gong Kai wrote "A Tribute to the Thirty-Six Heroes of Song Jiang," and the Ming Dynasty painter Chen Hongshou painted "Water Margin Leaves," among countless examples, showing the timeless charm of the heroes of Mount Liang.
In modern times, with peace restored and the world in harmony, the reversed history has been set right again. The characters and stories of Water Margin have become a treasured part of national culture, household names, and a celebrated event in the art world. The Hangzhou painter Wang Jiaren, with a rugged appearance like a man from Guanxi and the posture of a martial arts master, seems to embody the one hundred and nine heroes of Mount Liang. With the strength of lifting a tripod, he wielded his brush to paint the true likenesses of the one hundred and eight heroes of Water Margin. As he prepared to publish the work, he asked me to write a preface. I said to Jiaren: "A southerner with a northern appearance, generous and hospitable, yet in art, he seeks truth from all directions, his heart as light as a floating silk thread. When he first entered the world of painting, he aimed for traditional techniques, starting with Ren Weichang and emerging through Chen Hongshou, while also exploring folk art. He learned from many masters, achieving a breakthrough in his art, as if a path opened up like sunlight through willow trees and flowers, greatly advancing his craft. After three years of tireless effort, he completed the long scroll depicting the one hundred and eight heroes of Water Margin, as the saying goes, 'A skilled artist is not rushed by others, and Wang Zai was willing to leave his true masterpiece.'
The heroes of Water Margin have diverse personalities and appearances, ranging from beautiful to ugly. Jiaren does not exhaust himself in depicting their forms but seeks to express their spiritual essence. With his unique artistic language and techniques, he opens up new aesthetic perspectives, cultivating unconventional yet harmonious tastes. He portrays a sincere and rustic elegance, an artistic trend that values the ugly as beautiful. His Water Margin characters do not the exaggerated bravado and fierceness of their appearances but reveal the depth of their characters in the subtlety of their expressions, embodying the might and courage of the heroes in their spirit and essence, creating a new ensemble of Water Margin figures.
Wang Jiaren is a learned and versatile artist, with a comprehensive artistic pursuit. He studies the Wei Stele and enjoys the Han bamboo slips, saying, "I do not despise the present but love the past." For this occasion, he inscribed the quatrains on the one hundred and eight heroes composed by Pang Jian, with a refined and elegant style, full of ancient charm, truly an embellishment to the work. Pang Jian is a member of the Chinese Poetry Society and former executive director of the Shanghai Poetry Society. He is knowledgeable in both literature and science, deeply immersed in poetry for many years, skilled in both ancient and modern styles. At Jiaren's request, he composed quatrains on the heroes of Mount Liang, unleashing his brush with boundless creativity, revealing not only their personalities but also their expressive essence.
Shen Ailiang, my junior, is a member of the Chinese Calligraphy Society and the head of the Qiushi Seal Society at Shanghai Normal University. He carved the seals of the one hundred and eight heroes in less than a month. Within the tiny space of the seals, one can hear the clash of swords and armor; at the moment of carving, one imagines the grandeur of shedding robes and embracing battle.