"Three Thousand Great Thousands" originates from the Buddhist cosmology "Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds". It is the source of Zhang Daqian's Dharma name, the commonly used seal name, and the great thousand worlds he created in his paintings.
2019 coincides with the 120th anniversary of the birth of Zhang Daqian. On July 13, the exhibition "Three Thousand Great Thousands - An Exhibition of Zhang Daqian's Paintings During the Anti-Japanese War" will be opened at China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing to commemorate this 20th century Chinese painting master.
The Paper has learned that a total of 84 Zhang Daqian-related works are on display in the exhibition, including 21 from Jilin Provincial Museum, 31 from Sichuan Museum, and 32 from China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing. This is also a large-scale exhibition of Zhang Daqian's works collected by the three museums. . The theme of the exhibition is positioned to express Zhang Daqian's painting achievements during the Anti-Japanese War, with his patriotism as a hidden thread running through it. The division of units is mainly based on the creative themes, namely landscapes, figures, flowers and birds, as clues, and his interactions with relatives and friends on the road of artistic growth, as well as the period of copying Dunhuang murals, which was particularly important for the transformation of his painting style, are presented as sub-lines. At the beginning and end, there are also auxiliary exhibits such as the seals used by Zhang Daqian during the Anti-Japanese War and published picture albums.
Zhang Daqian
Zhang Daqian was praised by Xu Beihong as "the first person in five hundred years" and the most legendary Chinese painting master in the 20th century. He always adhered to the lifestyle of a celebrity throughout his life, with a beautiful beard and long gown, and was full of interesting and strange stories.
On May 10, 1899 (the first day of the fourth lunar month), Zhang Daqian was born in Neijiang, a small town in central Sichuan. He was the eighth eldest child in his family. His original name was Zhang Zhengquan, also known as Yuan, with the courtesy name Ji Yuan. Because he became a monk in Songjiang , Shanghai, he was given the Buddhist name Daqian; after he returned to lay life, he took the title "Daqian layman". He once studied in Japan with his brother and went to school to learn dyeing and weaving techniques. After returning to China, he and his brother Zhang Shan set up their famous painting studio in Shanghai as "Dafeng Hall" and became apprentices to Zeng Xi (1861-1930) and Li Ruiqing (1867-1920). Both Zeng and Li were good at calligraphy and painting. , which had a profound influence on his painting skills throughout his life. He has extraordinary attainments in painting, calligraphy, poetry, painting theory, seal cutting, collection appreciation, photography, etc. In the late 1920s, Zhang Daqian began to travel around famous mountains and rivers, switching from studying ancient to studying Zaoxing. He climbed Mount Huang three times, Mount Huayue twice, and Mount Emei several times, and lived in Qingcheng for a long time. From 1941 to 1943, he went to Dunhuang to copy murals, which was the key to the transformation of his painting style. Integrating literati painting, courtyard painting, court painting and folk art into one furnace, his creations span the past and present, going back and forth between the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, achieving an artistic state of "seeing the strengths of all families at a glance, and the magnificence of both the northern and southern sects". After living overseas, he combined painting style, workmanship and writing, heavy color , ink and wash, especially splash ink and splash color, creating a new artistic style. His poems, calligraphy and paintings are as famous as Qi Baishi and Pu Xinshe , was called "South Zhang Bei Qi" and "South Zhang Bei Pu" by people at that time. In his later years, together with Huang Junbi and Pu Xinshe, he was known as the "Three Crossing the Sea".
Zhang Daqian
In 1937, the Anti-Japanese War broke out in an all-round way. Zhang Daqian, who was trapped in the occupied area of Beiping, swore to die not to be a slave to the country, but also to not cooperate with the Japanese invaders. Later, Zhang Daqian continued to fight wits and courage with the Japanese invaders regardless of life or death. Risking a narrow escape, he returned to Sichuan in the rear area, preserving his national integrity. At the same time, he also saved a large number of national treasure-level cultural relics from all over China collected by Dafeng Hall from being robbed by the Japanese invaders. After returning to Sichuan, he combined with the severe anti-Japanese war situation in which a large area of land was lost, loudly put forward the creative slogan of "write the scenery around you and express your inner feelings", and painted a large number of beautiful scenery in the "Land of Abundance". He enthusiastically eulogized the splendid country of the motherland, thus greatly inspiring the enthusiasm of the soldiers and civilians to fight the enemy to the end. In the early 1940s, Zhang Daqian went to Dunhuang to copy murals. After struggling to face the wall, he came across about 300 Dunhuang murals, and then held a large-scale "Zhang Daqian's Dunhuang Mural Exhibition" in Lanzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and other places, which caused a sensation throughout the country.
The first person in five hundred years
"The first person in five hundred years" expresses Xu Beihong's praise of Zhang Daqian's paintings, saying that his landscapes, figures, flowers and birds are "all outstanding".In the exhibition, the first unit selected four representative events of great significance to Zhang Daqian and displayed them in the form of sand painting videos. They are: studying at Chongqing Qiujing School, the origin of the names "Zhang Yuan" and "Zhang Daqian", The self-portrait at the age of 39 shows his unyielding integrity and his persistence in traditional culture when he went to Dunhuang. These four scenes are in chronological order, with geographical location and era as the background, and the content is closely related to the theme of the exhibition. They are intended to arouse the audience's intimacy with the master, awe of his feelings and art, and create psychological expectations for the exhibition. .
Interior of the exhibition hall
People from the East, West, North and South: Daqian’s Circle of Friends
This part mainly displays the joint paintings of Zhang Daqian and his relatives and friends. Collaborative painting is a popular painting method in modern times, which reflects the relatively harmonious and harmonious artistic atmosphere at that time. On the one hand, this kind of joint painting reflects the communication and gathering between painters, on the other hand, it also demonstrates the exquisite skills of the painters. In the design of drawing with relatives and friends, you can peek into some of his circle of friends through paintings, paintings, etc., such as with Wang Rong, Xie Yucen, Yu Fei'an, Pu Ru, Wang Xuetao, Yan Jiyuan, etc. , these works are not only witnesses of their friendship, but also reflect the trajectory of Zhang Daqian’s artistic growth. It is worth mentioning that Zhang Daqian's second brother Zhang Shanzhu had a crucial influence on Daqian's artistic path. In his early years, the two went to Japan to study printing and dyeing, founded the Dafeng Hall, appreciated ancient calligraphy and paintings, and compared painting skills. They were nicknamed "Double Beards". .
In this unit, the key exhibits are "Tiger Crossing the Sun" collaborated with Zhang Shanju, "Plum Butterfly Picture" collaborated with Yu Fei'an, "Bajiao Lady" collaborated with Zhang Shanju and Yu Fei'an, and "Plum Blossom Lady" collaborated with Xie Yucen "Landscape Figures" and so on.
"Tiger Crossing the Sun", Zhang Daqian and Zhang Shan's collaboration
"Plum Butterfly", Zhang Daqian and Yu Fei'an collaborated
"Ji Gu is Me: Daqian Landscape"
This unit shows Zhang Daqian's achievements in landscape painting. As an outstanding all-round painter, he is exquisite in landscapes, figures, flowers, birds, animals, etc., and landscape painting is the main aspect of his talent in painting, so this part is the most important in the entire exhibition. , the most works. It is divided into three subsections, which are not logically progressive, but highlight several aspects of Zhang Daqian's achievements in landscape painting during the Anti-Japanese War. The exhibits include "Looking at the Mountain in the Boat", "Landscape Picture", "Looking at the Mountain", "Zhurong Peak Picture", etc.
"Looking at the Mountain in the Boat", Zhang Daqian
"Looking at the Mountain", Zhang Daqian
Tsinghua Yinyi: Daqian Figures
Taoist scholars and ladies are the two most distinctive types in Zhang Daqian's figure paintings, so this part will focus on display. In addition to the typical characteristics of the characters in Zhang Daqian's paintings of Gao Shi, namely similar oval faces, a few strands of beard, tied hair or wearing a scarf, elegant and simple clothing patterns, and a chic and unrestrained image, the paintings are always full of tranquil and elegant classical style. The mood has become the hallmark of Zhang Daqian's style. Zhang Daqian's achievements in painting ladies are rarely surpassed. He is both superior to the ancients and different from his peers. Early ladies followed the example of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and were close to the delicate and graceful style of Kaiqi and Fei Danxu. However, after seeking art in Dunhuang, the style of painting changed accordingly. The shapes of the ladies became more rounded and muscular, full of the vitality of the times, and charming. The characters' hair buns, clothing, backgrounds, etc. were decorated with a large number of elements taken from Dunhuang murals, and the colors also changed. More colorful and bold. Key exhibits include "Portrait of Tao Qian", "Picture of a Taoist in the Willow Shade", "Picture of a Lady in the Willow Shade", "Picture of a Hunan Girl with Bamboo Branches", etc.
"Portrait of Tao Qian", Zhang Daqian
"Lady in the Willow Shade", Zhang Daqian
Extremely vivid: Thousand Flowers and Birds
This unit displays Zhang Daqian's rich and unique flower and bird paintings, which shows the depth of his painting skills.
He followed the example of the ancients, and also paid attention to the detailed observation of physical conditions, physics, and physical states. After the age of 30, he began to follow the exquisite and delicate birds and beasts of the Song Dynasty from the Ming Dynasty Chen Laolian , using double hooks and heavy colors. Mainly, occasionally freehand.In the depiction of flowers, he likes to use flowers with inherent spirituality in his paintings, such as plums, orchids, bamboos, chrysanthemums, plantains, narcissus, etc., which shows his love and persistence for the traditional Chinese spirit. Zhang Daqian's painting techniques are multi-faceted, including splash ink, freehand brushwork, ink and fine brushwork. In the exhibition hall, we can see "Imitation of Lin Chun's Brushwork of the Song Dynasty", "Two Apes", "Golden Peony", etc.
"Imitation of Song Dynasty Lin Chun Brushwork Intention", Zhang Daqian
"Golden Peony Painting", Zhang Daqian
Living in the Past: Pilgrimage to Dunhuang
The experience of seeking art in Dunhuang is an indelible page in Zhang Daqian's paintings during the Anti-Japanese War, and it also established him as a painting master A foundational page, the final part of the exhibition is the achievement of this period.
Over the course of two years and seven months, Zhang Daqian talked with medieval art day and night, and gradually realized that paintings should be grand and magnificent, and that vision determines the heart. This laid the foundation for the majestic magnanimity and shocking power displayed in his paintings in the future. Foreshadowing. He also paid more attention to the strength of lines and strokes, and began to widely use the technique of repeated brushstrokes and heavy colors, making the pictures more magnificent and the charm more profound. The exhibition displays "Yaksha Pictures of the Western Wei Dynasty", "Shuiyue Guanyin Picture of the Five Dynasties", " Hairpin Flower Pictures ", "Red Makeup Cat Taming Picture", etc.
"Water Moon Guanyin Picture of the Five Dynasties", Zhang Daqian
"Hairpin Flower Picture", Zhang Daqian
The dialogue between Zhang Daqian and the ancients can be seen everywhere in the exhibition. His closeness to nature and integration with the times run through Mr. Daqian's persistence in traditional Chinese culture. It presents the artistic achievements of a Chinese painting master with flesh and blood and true temperament during the Anti-Japanese War.
Exhibition poster
The exhibition "Three Thousand Great Thousands - An Exhibition of Zhang Daqian's Paintings During the Anti-Japanese War" will be on display until October 13th.
(This article is synthesized from the official account of China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing)
