Rongbaozhai Ancient Painting Anthology (53) - Qing Dynasty - Flowers and Birds: Qing Dynasty - Flowers and Birds

Author: (Qing) Bian Shumin (painter)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: Bian Shumin (1684–1753) was a native of Shanyang, Jiangsu (now Huai'an). His original name was Bian Weiqi, courtesy name Yigong, also known as Jianzeng, and styled himself Moxian. He was renowned for his paintings of reeds and wild geese, earning the titles Bian Luoyan and Bian Yan. He also called himself "Wejian Jushi" (Resident of the Reed Marsh) after building a studio among reeds. In his later years, he took the names Wejian Laomin, Liuru Jushi, Chuo Weng, and Chuo Chuo Laoren, among others. Bian Shumin was born into a declining scholarly family. From a young age, he was diligent in his studies and excelled in calligraphy, imitating the style of Taofu. At the age of twenty-one, he passed the county-level examination to become a xiaosan (a local scholar), but he remained indifferent to fame and fortune, especially in middle age, dedicating himself to painting. His reputation as a painter grew steadily. He was particularly famous for his depictions of reeds and wild geese, and his works were rarely repetitive, displaying a wide variety of poses. Starting from the physical form and structure of the subjects, he neither adopted Western-style block modeling nor fully embraced the hazy brushwork of traditional Chinese meticulous painting. Instead, he used dry brushes and light ink, lightly scraping and rubbing just enough to achieve the desired effect, while outlining the outer contours with fine lines to create a sense of "subtle yet profound, solid yet clear." His paintings often left large areas of blank space. His small works fully embodied the artistic principle of "painting should not merely imitate predecessors but capture their spirit."