Modern Masters: Critical Biographies (Volume 1)

Author: Wang Senran
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-11-01
Features: Excerpts from the book: The thoughts and personalities of scholars differ, and the level of artistic practice varies, hence the differences. Now, if there is a painting like this, and the person holding the brush makes others view it, they will only see trees, mountains, water, bridges, and houses. To go further, the distance of the trees, the rise and fall of the landscape, the position of the bridges and houses, all seem to have a certain coherence. As for the schools of painting, the composition, the artistic conception, the interest of the painting, they are all obscure. Why? Because they lack the concept of painting, the research of painting, and the feeling of painting. Therefore, not all scholars can paint, and not all painters can be scholars. If a scholar's painting is viewed by others, there may still be a barrier, let alone those who are not scholars? If a painter's painting is viewed by a painter, then there is almost no barrier, but the differences in schools and systems may still not be entirely satisfactory. If a scholar's painting is viewed by a painter, even if they may criticize it harshly, they cannot but admire its unique aspects. If a painter's painting is viewed by the common people, they may not be able to distinguish between them, or they may even think that the scholar's painting is inferior to the painter's painting. Alas! People generally prefer neatness and dislike roughness, prefer elegance and dislike simplicity, prefer softness and dislike stiffness, prefer detail and dislike simplicity, prefer richness and dislike elegance. This is the nature of ordinary people. Can the realm of art be determined by mere appearance? As for considering weakness as grace, roughness as profundity, stiffness as depth, and superficiality as distant simplicity, these are common phenomena. Ignoring the pursuit of artistic spirit, rhythm, bone structure, and method, and being overly concerned with these, shows that one does not understand the essence of scholar painting. Scholar painting has a long history. Since the Han Dynasty, figures like Cai Yong and Zhang Heng were renowned for their paintings, though their actual works are not seen today, they are recorded in history. During the Six Dynasties, the philosophy of Zhuangzi and Laozi was prevalent, and scholars of that time held transcendent thoughts, desiring to break free from material constraints and express their free sentiments, lofty and tranquil realms. Figures like Zong Bing and Wang Wei emerged in landscape painting, expressing their thoughts and personalities, hence both had painting theories. Su Dongpo had poems on Zong Bing's paintings, showing the harmony between scholar thought and painting. The Wang family, including Wang Yi, Wang Xizhi, and Wang Xianzhi, were clear in their stance and gradually developed into a trend that flourished in the Tang Dynasty with figures like Wang Wei, Zhang Qian, Wang Zai, and Zheng Qian, forming a prominent school. At that time, poetry and discussions were closely related to painting, and this influence continued through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, with their dedication being imaginable. The Northern and Southern Song Dynasties saw a flourishing of literature, with scholars, poets, and lyricists emerging in large numbers, leading to the development of painting. Ouyang Xiu, Mei Shiyu, Su Dongpo, and Huang Shangfu all wrote poems on painting, showing their appreciation. Sima Guang, Wang Anshi, and Zhu Xi were also famous in painting history, demonstrating the close alignment between scholar thought and painting. Hua Guang Monks' ink plum and Wen Yanbo's ink bamboo became prominent during this time. Plum and bamboo were just one type of flower and plant, and ink plum techniques had never been heard of before, while ink bamboo was said to have existed since the Tang Dynasty. Qiang Xian, Zhang Li, and Sun Wei left ink traces, while the Later Liang Emperor's iron hook and gold painting had already changed traditional methods. The Wen Huazhou bamboo school opened the doors to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and Su Dongpo recognized its charm. Scholar painting was not limited to landscapes; nothing was beyond the scope of scholar interest. This book includes not only the well-known cultural and intellectual masters of modern times like Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, Zhang Taiyan, Yan Fu, Lin Shu, and Lu Xun, but also great figures from the literary and poetic circles of the late Qing Dynasty, such as Chen Baochen, Wang Yanyun, Shen Zongzhi, and Yi Shundeng, who are now forgotten but once flourished. The biographies and critiques preserved in this book contain a wealth of economic and literary works, providing a valuable perspective for understanding these overlooked figures who left no published collections.