Those People, Those Things: Art's Light Ink Records

Author: Wang Mulan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Art is the cornerstone of their bond, and art is the bridge of their friendship. With my pen, I narrate the stories that once happened between them. Why can our hearts remain calm and composed year after year? It is because we possess the past, and we yearn for it with boundless passion. I believe that Mrs. Shen treasures and meticulously preserves the people, the events, and the immortal figures and deeds, just like the mountains, seas, sun, moon, and stars, because her heart has always been filled with the sublime and genuine emotions of the world. There are many good books in the world worth reading, and Mrs. Shen's compilation is one of them. As time flows, one by one, classic and engaging stories leap into people's eyes. Ah! It turns out that masters' letters convey emotions simply and modestly. Lu Yanshao's letters to Shen Roujian, blending passion and friendship, evoke not only admiration but more profound warmth. Care and relief, sorrow and desolation—the affairs of that era are uncertain, and no one can speak for sure. There is one thing that is: the commonality of art transforms into a silent action. Regardless of how (troubled and hidden worries) their respective circumstances may be, the right path among friends remains faintly visible. Wang Mulan observes the familial affection between Shen Roujian and his "comrades," and with a sense of release, she adds color to her brushwork. The farewell after enduring together with Lin Fengmian symbolizes the shared hardships; the close relationship between Shen Roujian and Zhang Leping, rising from colleagues to brothers-in-arms, represents brotherhood; and the inseparable friendships with Tang Yun, Guan Liang, Liu Haisu, and Lai Sheng, among others, erupt with artistic passion.