【18】
Shen Zhou 's life, be indifferent and clear, and be quiet and far-reaching.
The founder of the Ming Dynasty painting world " Wumen School of Painting ", is a true "man among immortals". His calm and composed life philosophy and free and easy artistic concepts are in the mutual expression, which profoundly influenced the artistic interest and aesthetic trend of literati paintings. With the dual charm of his personality and painting pattern, he has laid out a flawless story in the history of painting.
Shen Zhou (1427-1509), whose courtesy name is Qi Nan, his nickname is Shi Tian, Bai Shiweng, Yu Tiansheng, and the master of Youzhuju, a master of painting in the Ming Dynasty, founder of the Wumen School of Painting, one of the four schools of Ming Dynasty, and from Changzhou (now Suzhou, Jiangsu).
From the Hermit to the Exposed Hidden
Shen Zhou was born in a family of scholars and also a family of seclusion.
His grandfather Shen Cheng was elected as an official during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, but he refused to accept it. His uncle Shen Zhenji and his father Shen Hengji also inherited their family traditions without intending to have a career. By the generation of Shen Zhou, Shen Zhou, who was born under such family rules, was deeply imprinted by the "Three Generations of Hiddenness".
In his youth, Shen Zhou, influenced by such a family atmosphere, worked hard on the "useless use" of poetry, calligraphy and painting, but was not interested in words such as the "step-off" of the imperial examination. This life ambition laid the foundation for his basic style of artistic creation from the very beginning. That leisurely and leisurely elegant interest is the aesthetic guide in his works.
This kind of luck is not a blessing that everyone can have and bear, but Shen Zhou's identity and plain and scattered nature are just in line with such an environment, which is even more fortunate.
"The Dove Calls Rain"
Since childhood, he has studied poetry with the local knowledgeable master Chen Mengxian (Chen Kuan), and a famous teacher has become a high disciple. When he was eleven, Shen Zhou could write a hundred rhyme poem. After reading the Ministry of Revenue Cui Gong , he was surprised, so he wrote an essay on the spot with the title "Phoenix Platform Fu". Shen Zhou quickly completed it in one go without any ambiguity. Therefore, his literary reputation was very prosperous and was considered by people at that time to be the reincarnation of Wang Bo, a talented man in the Tang Dynasty.
Western proverb says that a nobleman was born in three generations, which was fully reflected in Shen Zhou. He perfectly pushed the reputation of the Shen family to a new height. As he got older, his knowledge was greatly improved in all aspects. In addition to his home studies, he was also well guided by Wumen painters at that time, such as Du Qiong, Liu Yu, Zhao Tonglu, etc. He soon became the leading young talent in Wuzhong, and was the best in his peers at that time, both in poetry and calligraphy and painting.
When he was twenty-eight years old, the prefect of Suzhou Wang Hu recommended him to the government. After receiving the letter, Shen Zhou firmly rejected the prefect's kindness on the grounds that he had obtained the ninth fifth line of the Dun Gua by divining the "Book of Changes", and from then on, he strengthened his determination to live in seclusion. This heart has never changed, and this feeling has not changed. In the later journey of life, he repeatedly rejected his friends' idea of persuading him to enter the government on the grounds of his old age, but instead lived in seclusion in the green mountains and clear waters and enjoyed his leisure.
Shen Zhou has a peaceful personality, a calm mind, and has a deep understanding of the doctrine of the mean. While he is hidden and not accused of his career, he does not be proud of himself. Instead, he is kind to others with great officials and nobles or all ancestral ancestry. This kind of humble and gentlemanly demeanor makes his reputation famous in the court and the country.
"Fisherhouse"
Shen Zhou's low-key is a low-key that can be high-key at any time, although Shen Zhou disdains to have never been high-key in his life and work.
In his later years, Shen Zhou encountered such a thing that he didn't recognize Mount Tai. Once, the new prefect summoned the painter to paint the walls on the mansion. Someone reported Shen Zhou's name for some reason, so Shen Zhou happily finished his work before returning home.Shortly after that, the prefect came to Beijing to report his work. As soon as he arrived in the capital, he was asked by the responsible person of the department who selected officials. Mr. Shen Zhou was in good health? After the prefect responded vaguely, he saw the Prime Minister of the Cabinet Li Dongyang . Before he could report his work, Li Dongyang asked Mr. Shen Zhou if he had any letters? The prefect was scared and sweated coldly, so he had to stammer and say that the letter had not arrived yet. I don’t know about such a big man in the place yet, so I quickly asked the minister Wu Kuan who is Shen Zhou? Facing his hometown official Wu Kuan, he told the prefect in detail about Shen Zhou's appearance.
"Three Vegetables Picture"
Wu Kuan is eight years old. The two have been old friends for decades. Moreover, when Wu Kuan went to Beijing to work, they parted, Shen Zhou also deliberately imitated Xu Daoning "Autumn Mountain Sunny Away Scroll" and drew "The Book of Fruits and Vegetables and Fruits" to give it to good friends who went to Beijing. This shows how deep the two are in love. He knows Shen Zhou's personality and situation well, so he probably did not think deeply about the prefect's affairs at that time.
After the prefect came back, he found out that the famous Shen Zhou in the capital was actually the inconspicuous old man who painted the walls on his mansion. So he immediately went to Shen Zhou's house to visit Mr. Shen Zhou and apologized. He probably sat a lot of self-criticism for himself. Later, Shen Zhou's family asked for a meal, and then he completely let go of his heart.
The hermit Shen Zhou, based on his reputation at that time, seemed to be inconsistent with his original intention, but from another perspective, this is the true hidden hidden hidden secret, the hidden name is revealed, and the famous one is far away from the world and is famous in the court. This paradoxical result that begins with hidden and finally reveals that Shen Zhou's glorious mind has reached the realm of Taixu.
"Tongshi Picture"
From fine to coarse
In the "Four Masters of Ming Dynasty", there has always been a saying of "coarse text and fine text and fine text and fine text and fine text and fine foot to praise." According to the principle that things are rare, that is, Wen Zhengming's rough strokes and Shen Zhou's fine strokes are the most precious among the works passed down by the two.
From Shen Zhou's works, moving from "fine and sunny" to "coarse and sunny" is a distinctive feature in his artistic creation, and this watershed is about forty years old. His student Wen Zhengming wrote this passage on the evolution of his painting techniques and style:
Mr. Ishida is a man of a god and has a very sensible knowledge. Since he was young, he has left home habits. The master of the ancients had some imitations and often made up the original works, but what he did was a small scene. At 40, it was first expanded into large scale, thick and large leaves, and made of grass. Although it was innocent and rotten, it was regular and dyed, and it was no longer as exquisite as the time...
Wen Zhengming's comment was exactly consistent with his own aesthetic taste. In terms of skills, Shen Zhou's works, from the style of his teacher Du Qiong's brushwork, catching up with the technical characteristics of Wang Meng's , in the Yuan Dynasty, which has a lot to do with his family's origins. His great-grandfather Shen Liang had a close relationship with Wang Meng, and there were many paintings of Wang Meng in his family. Under such an environment, it was the most natural for Shen Zhou's early paintings to be like the Dharma King Meng. From his work "Making Landscape Pictures for the Bitian Man" when he was 35 years old, Wang Meng's technical characteristics can be described as very obvious. He mainly uses the techniques of wiscens and ox-mao curl. The whole picture looks dense and complex, with vivid aura, and shows the subtle and meticulous details in the majestic composition. In his early works such as "The Picture of Secluded House" and "Picking Rock Painting", we can see the influence of Wang Meng's techniques. Imitating Wang Meng's brushwork has become the standard technique in his works during this period, and it is also the source of his brushwork skills and aesthetic characteristics of fine brushwork.
"Making Landscape Pictures for the Bitian Man"
Inject your own understanding and thinking on the basis of imitation, imitating the past and creating new things. This is the key step for all masters in the painting world to achieve their own face and style. Shen Zhou is no exception. Based on Bi Xiao and Wang Meng, Shen Zhou's style is also gradually changing, further learning from and integrating the brush and ink skills of Huang Gongwang, Dong Yuan, Juran , and others. Techniques such as pipa and scribble gradually increase in his paintings, just as he said in a poem about painting at the age of 49:
I have been painting for more years. Spending ink and wash will make a river.
is the beginning of Dong Ju's intentions, so what if we don't think we should be?
was later traced back to the Song Dynasty. It is compatible with the pen and ink techniques of "Four Masters of the Southern Song Dynasty" Li Tang , Liu Songnian , Ma Yuan, Xia Gui , and Xia Gui . It learns from others' strengths and integrates them into one's own, and naturally realizes the continuous-speed conversion of the style. The most famous work " Lushan Gao " written by his teacher Chen Kuan at the age of 41 can be regarded as a masterpiece from the transition period of "fine Shen" to "coarse Shen" and one of Shen Zhou's representative works. This work is powerful and has great power in the contrast between people and scenery, emptiness and reality, thick and light. Overall, it mainly focuses on the wisp and wisp brushwork in Wang Meng's brushwork and the wisp brushwork with Dong Yuan and Juran, but it incorporates its own ideas, making this work appear thin and thick compared to previous works. It switches freely between ink and thick brushstrokes. The full picture contains a rich atmosphere, which looks lively and vigorous. Although the characters in the painting are written in light ink, the echo between people and mountains further highlights the lofty personality and broad mind of his teacher Chen Kuan. Through this secret relationship, the theme of this work is highlighted, and the topic is pointed out with the inscriptions in the painting. "Is it true! It's vast and swaggering in the surface of things, and the yellow swan is held high and the wind is shining." It directly interprets the style of teacher Chen Kuan's high mountain to the fullest, and is a classic in the painting of literati in this subject in the birthday picture.
"Lushan High"
Shen Zhou's calligraphy is almost synchronized with the change in his painting style. In the early days, he was significantly influenced by the neatness of Shen Du , Zhao Mengfu and others. He began to turn to learning Song people's calligraphy around the age of 40 and Mi Fu , Su Dongpo and others. After he was fifty, he basically formed a rough and distinctive face based on Huang Tingjian's calligraphy, which was basically at the same time as his rough strokes. 's "Night Sit" written by him at 65 is an obvious example. Shen Zhou wrote a long article above this work. The rough style of painting and rough style of calligraphy complement each other, showing a wild and elegant interest and unrestrained sentiment. In a sense, this type of work has a more direct power to express one's thoughts, and its imagery, symbolicity and expression are more prominent and intriguing.
From fine to coarse, it should be an evolutionary progress in terms of expression, but it is no secret that with Shen Zhou's personality, his socialite works in his later years diluted the depth of expression of the works to a certain extent. In addition to the number, this is also one of the important factors that fine works are more expressive than coarse works.
"Night Sit"
From painting people to immortals
Shen Zhou's uncontested personality, coupled with the birth of a wealthy family, has always maintained a childlike mentality. His childlike album such as "Observing Things" is a typical example, and his open-minded personality also has a kind of advanced humor, which leaves many stories that make people smile.
"On the Birth of Things" one of
"On the Birth of Things" two
His poetry, calligraphy and painting were popular at that time, but he did not have to make a living by it. He claimed that he was an "The heaven and earth are crazy, and he did not exchange money for writing and writing poems" . His student Wen Zhengming also called him "a man among gods." He lived in seclusion all his life and did not serve the official position. The poem "City Yin" written in Chenghua in the 19894-1895 is just like the expression of his own personality:
Mo Yanjia escaped from Zhongnan alone, and even if he lives in this city, he is willing to live in it.
is open and calm, and it is still funny and playful.
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From the picture of Lin Quan, I feel like I am talking while drinking.
Passing by carriage and passing by horses, sweeping the floor and burning incense for three days.
is not a good customer, and the customer also likes to leave Ding Man.
The eaves are soaked in the wind, and the corners of the building are half a month old.
The snail wall is deep and the rain is left in the seal, and the swallow's nest is warm and the spring is warm and the servant is afraid to visit.
comes to Busi to listen to the discussion, and occasionally sees the neighbors asking about raising silkworms. (Yi refers to " Yijing ")
is recommended to report to the public, but now his temples have been fed.
"Weiyuan Elegant Collection Picture"
"Rain Intent"
Indeed, for Shen Zhou, he did not distinguish between high and low in his friendships. He was kind to all classes, whether high officials, literati, monks or poor scholars, even to the point of being a good man. So there were endless people asking for paintings from him. His friend Liu Bangyan once wrote a poem for him:
sent paper and knocked on the door and searched for paintings frequently, and there was nowhere to avoid the world of monks' buildings.
Going east to get the debt of Nanyou, and you must transform into a golden immortal with a billion-dollar body.
Faced with such a situation, he was also helpless, which led to the quality of his later paintings being different from the true and false, and sometimes even signed his own name for paintings that knew they were fake. He also did not mind some "unreasonable" painters. He once painted a painting "Five Horses Traveling in the Spring" for a prefect who asked him for painting. The ignorant prefect did not know that "Five Horses" were the synonyms of the prefect, so he was unhappy and asked why there was no follower in the painting. Shen Zhou was also very funny and added six followers, and explained that because the silk cloth was short, he could only draw three pairs of ceremonial leaders.
He also wrote a funny picture of "The Whishou Shu", writing a letter to his friend Zhao Mingyu to beg for his bearded Zhou Zongdao, whose ten beards were begging for him. The words were very interesting. After reading them, it made people laugh. It was said to be a beautiful story:
is because the eunuchs of heaven have thorns and the horns of earth are not hairy, so they need to be homophones. Now they can be found, and there is no meaning, which is the same as in ancient times. It is not a false intention, but a person is promoted. Relaxation is the basis of giving, and Cui Chen’s method of spreading seeds. But if you dare to divide the ten stems, how can you not pull a single piece of it? It is better to supplement it if you can do anything. The Tao of the sect broadens the kindness of things, beggs all neighbors to accompany them, and the Tao of the Tao has the beauty of becoming a human being, so that I can decorate the slope of the world and worship it. When you are happy in front of the mirror, you suddenly feel the difference in the wind and the shadows, and you can see the complete appearance. If you don’t want to gently brush the dye soup, how can you dare to easily pinch the sentence? The lotus is abundant, and treasure it is valuable. Be careful and misleading.
"Huaxu Shu"
Shen Zhou's style of dealing with people is rare among the unruly famous people. He always feels that his humor is sometimes quite similar to Su Dongpo, and it is indeed a rare state. His wisdom and talent are extraordinary. His paintings are the key to his reputation in history, but his demeanor among gods and immortals is also an important plus point for him.
Only by great wisdom can we achieve great realm, and only by a big mind can we create a big picture.
Shen Zhou's life, self-nature awakening, casual and calm, watching the flowers bloom and fall outside the window, without any fear of favor and disgrace; looking at the sky, clouds rolling and unwinding, without any intention of staying or leaving. It is this kind of calm mentality that makes him focus on his mind, be brave and diligent in the field of poetry, calligraphy and painting, and enjoy himself. He also has a comprehensive lineup, grasps his subtlety, and creates a new style, thus leading the momentary style, and moistening his future generations, creating a famous Wumen painting school in the history of painting in the Ming Dynasty.
