(1. Academy of Fine Arts of Shaanxi Normal University, xi 'an 7, Shaanxi10062; 2. Academy of Fine Arts, Hexi University, Zhangye, Gansu 734000)
Han Gan, a master of pommel horse painting in Tang Dynasty, and Zhao Mengfu's Drinking Horse in Autumn Suburb in Yuan Dynasty both described the image of the horse in detail, but there are many internal differences in the description of the horse's manner, posture and posture management, the use of pen and ink, and the pursuit of artistic conception, which reflect their respective artistic styles and unique artistic pursuits.
[Keywords:] pommel horse painting; Han Gan; Zhao Mengfu; originality
In Chinese painting, the image of horse has always been favored by painters. Throughout the history of painting in China, professional painters and literati painters have described horses too much, which has spawned a unique painting branch-pommel horse painting, which greatly enriched the theme and spiritual connotation of Chinese painting.
First, the historical evolution of pommel horse painting
A long time ago, the horse appeared as a visual image in China plastic arts. Since the Neolithic rock paintings, horses have always been one of the themes that painters are keen to express. For example, "Horse" painted on the Altai Mountain Rock in Xinjiang and "Painting Horse Rock" in Guizhou are extremely rich in content. The image of horses can also be seen everywhere in bronze decorations, tomb murals and sculptures. Stone carving, jade carving, bronze carving and portrait brick with horse as the theme were very popular in Han Dynasty, which produced many masterpieces with romantic style, such as the white jade immortal galloping horse in the Western Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu stone carving in front of Huo Qubing's tomb, and the bronze carving in the Eastern Han Dynasty. From the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, a large number of horse images began to appear in scroll paintings, such as Gu Kaizhi's The Goddess of Luo and Zhan Ziqian's You Chuntu. In the Tang Dynasty, due to the emperor's preference and social fashion, the theme of "pommel horse" began to become an independent discipline, which became famous for a while and ushered in the heyday of pommel horse painting. There were many masters of horse painting in the early Tang Dynasty, such as Li Yuanchang of Hanwang and Xu Li of Jiangdu. In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the development of pommel horse painting was unprecedentedly prosperous, and a number of famous painters specializing in pommel horse painting, such as Cao Ba and Han Gan, appeared. The prosperous Tang Dynasty was also the first peak in the history of pommel horse painting in China, which laid the foundation for the development of pommel horse painting. The horses painted by the Song people are characterized by well-proportioned flesh and blood, vigorous brushwork, full of spirit, simple and elegant charm, elegant and noble literati sentiment, which is closely related to the aesthetic fashion of their time. Yuan Dynasty is another peak period in the history of pommel horse painting. Zhao Mengfu, an outstanding representative of this period, emphasized the observation of the horse's life, paid attention to describing the horse's expression, and pursued the past with books, leaving many valuable experiences for future generations. Due to the prosperity of landscape painting and flower-and-bird painting in Ming Dynasty, pommel horse painting declined. Until the Qing dynasty, due to the martial arts of the rulers, pommel horse painting began to become the favorite theme of the emperor, and famous artists came forth in large numbers. Among them, Italian missionary Lang Shining was particularly good at drawing horses and was appreciated by the emperor. Today, pommel horse painting is still valued by the world for its unique charm, and a large number of painters such as Xu Beihong still like pommel horse painting, giving it new spirit of the times and historical connotation.
Two, Han Gan's "Night White Map" and Zhao Mengfu's "Drinking Horses in Autumn Suburbs".
(A) Han Gan and "White Night Map"
Han gan (about 706 ~ 783), an native of Shaanxi province, was a court painter in the middle Tang dynasty. Han Gan mainly depicts the famous horses in the royal stables, and his paintings mostly depict the travel and amusement scenes of the royal nobles. His horse paintings pay attention to sketching, realism, reasoning and rigorous structure. Han Gan's 52 works recorded in the Book of Flowers in Xuanhe are all painted horses, among which "A White Picture in One Night" has the greatest influence on later generations.
"Taking a White Picture at Night" (hereinafter referred to as "Taking a Picture") is a colorful paper with a length of 30.8cm and a width of 33.5cm. In the 1930s, this national treasure masterpiece flowed out of the Forbidden City and is now collected in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This painting is simple in composition and ingenious and vivid in conception. The mount of Xuanzong in the painting is tied to a stake, with his head held high, his ears erect, his eyes wide open, his nostrils wide open and his hooves jumping as if to escape. As can be seen from the shape of the horse, this is an unruly horse, full of strength and movement, as if wandering in the vast space, which makes people sigh that it is not a secular horse, but a god horse. At the top left of the picture is the inscription "Painting White Night in Han Gan" by Li Yu, the last emperor of the Southern Tang Dynasty. On the upper left is an inscription by Zhang Yanyuan, an art historian in the Tang Dynasty. On the lower left is the inscription of Fei, and it is stamped with the seal, which is a real reward in a person's life.
(2) Zhao Mengfu and Drinking Horses in Autumn Suburbs.
Zhao Mengfu (1254 ~ 1322), an imperial clan in the Song Dynasty, was a passerby in Song Xue. Kublai Khan attached great importance to the Yuan Dynasty, and he graduated from imperial academy with a bachelor's degree. He lost his father when he was young, but he was not born. The rough life experience has created his unique personality, which led to his lack of a strong and masculine temperament since childhood. Zhao Mengfu is proficient in temperament and appreciation, and his achievements in calligraphy and painting are particularly high. His orthodoxy, cursive script, official script, seal script and calligraphy are all the best in ancient and modern times. Dong Yuan and Li Cheng, landscape scholars, figures and pommel horses, and Li Yuan, Tang people. There are also some paintings handed down from generation to generation, such as "Quehua Autumn Color Map", "Lohan in Red" and "Drinking Horses in Autumn Suburbs".
Drinking Horses in Autumn Suburb (hereinafter referred to as Autumn Map), a silk version with a length of 23.6cm and a width of 59cm, is now in the Palace Museum, which is one of the masterpieces of Zhao Mengfu's pommel horse paintings in his later years. The layout of the whole painting is sparse and the composition is from top to bottom. In the picture, the shepherd officer drives dozens of good horses to shuttle between the vigorous red maple and the pine. The picture is full of rich life breath, which makes the viewer feel more cordial. The horses in the painting have different postures, some chase each other, some bow their heads and daydream, some drink water and eat grass, and some look back, with vivid expressions and delicate descriptions. The middle scene is closed in the open air, and people and horses walk to the left, hiding the place outside the painting. River banks and streams extend to the left, and through the rush of two horses on the shore, we can see infinite foreign scenery, showing a feeling of wanting more. At the top right of the picture, the words "drinking horses in the autumn suburbs" are written, and at the top left, the words "Emperor Qingyuan's son Ang in November" are signed. There are "Ke Yin" on the painting, as well as the seals of Qingganlong and Neifu. There are inscriptions by Ke, Wang Youdun on the back of the book.
Third, the comparison of horse images in Korean paintings and Zhao paintings.
(A) the comparison of physical appearance and image
According to historical records, the "Night White" in Zhao Tu came from Ningyuan, which was one of the two "Hu Gong Horses" presented by Ningyuan Wang to Tang Xuanzong. Tang Xuanzong named these two BMWs "Yuhua Banner" and "Zhao Yebai" respectively. The so-called "Hu stallion" is also called "blood horse" or "Tianma". This horse is graceful and plump, with a thin head and a high neck, slender limbs, thin skin capillaries and light and elegant steps. In the ancient traditional culture of China, bloody BMW represents courage and strength, and contains people's ideals and fantasies. Known as "the friend of the dragon" and "the medium of the dragon". In the Song Dynasty, Sima Guang praised his heroism: "The Great Bay is sweaty and ancient, and the keel in Qinghai is even more strange. I have seen old paintings of mesh before, but I didn't expect to see them today. " The horse in Qiutu should be a Mongolian grassland horse. In the Yuan Dynasty, Mongolia not only provided a large number of horses for the government, but also provided stallions and technical strength for pastures all over the country, which promoted the development of the economy, especially the transportation industry, in the brotherly ethnic areas of China. [1] (P270) Mongolian horse has rough and strong hair, large head, wide and flat forehead, prominent eyes, small and upright ears, straight nose, large nostrils, slightly straight back, long waist, large abdomen, hard hoof and complex coat color. Most of them are collar, blue, black and millet hairs. The physical characteristics of the horses painted in Autumn Map are just similar to this, which is in sharp contrast with the "white hair shining at night".
"Night White" was Xuanzong's favorite mount in the Tang Dynasty, and the poet Du Fu rated it as "Han Wei painted meat instead of bones, so that even the best ones lost their spirit". According to the picture, only one horse was drawn in. In the picture, the protagonist "Yiye" screams with his head held high, his mane flying, his eyes shining, and he looks down on the world, giving people a condescending feeling. The horses painted in Autumn Map have different postures and are full of weather. But the horses in the painting are lazy and idle, their eyes are closed like Zhang Wei, and they are very docile, which coincides with the literati temperament of the painter Zhao Mengfu.
There are objective reasons for the differences in physical characteristics and psychological images of horses in the two paintings. Zhao Tu was created in Tianbao period of Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty. At this time, the national strength of the Tang Dynasty was strong, the economy was prosperous, ethnic relations were harmonious, and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries were quite active. It is also the most epoch-making historical stage in the history of China painting. Horses played an important role in the historical achievements of the Tang Dynasty. Influenced by the martial spirit, the rulers in the early Tang Dynasty loved famous horses. According to "Literature General Examination", during the 40 years from Zhenguan of Emperor Taizong to Linde of Gaozong, the total number of horses in China increased from less than 1 10,000 to more than 700,000, and the royal family attached great importance to the introduction of "Hu Gongma". It is no exaggeration to say that horses are the most important part of the trade and diplomatic tribute between western countries and the Tang Dynasty. "Night White" is one of the best. "The world is unified, the western regions come to offer sacrifices at the age of Dawan, and the herds are established in the north. After a long time, they can adjust the power of Xi, escape from differences and make great efforts to chase after the wind, and shine on the ground, which is indescribable." [2] (p188-189) Tang Xuanzong loved tame horses and peaceful dancing horses, so he liked horses with gorgeous fur and fat height, which was in line with the aesthetic characteristics of the times. "xuanhe painting spectrum" says: "the world refers to painting women, mostly rich people ... no one else, you are expensive and beautiful, so you have money. However, there are few women in Guanzhong, and they are far away from their intentions. Those who are suitable for browsing also have income. This is consistent with Han Gan not painting thin horses. " In this social atmosphere, the theme of pommel horse is particularly popular, so Zhao Tu fully embodies the spirit of the times and aesthetic fashion of the rulers in the Tang Dynasty. Autumn Map was written in the first year of Qing Dynasty, with the alternation of Song and Yuan Dynasties, which undoubtedly had a great influence on Zhao Mengfu, a southern intellectual. Therefore, the image of horses in Autumn Map is not as fat and strong as that in Night White, with bearded horses and elderly old horses. Almost all of them are listless with their heads down, and their spirits are much worse than those in "Night White". This is the era and environment that was influenced by the orthodox culture of the Han nationality and left a deep imprint on the hearts of the literati.
(B) Comparison of performance technology
"According to the Figure" uses a triangular composition, which is clever and vivid, and the pen is concise and vigorous, looking up to highlight the heroic spirit of the horse. The strength of the lines is appropriate, but the shape is full of tension and flows in the overall silence. There is a wooden stake in the picture with black and white edges on both sides, which is in sharp contrast with the whole white and partially rendered horse, thus making the whole shape full of a rhythmic beauty of life. "Autumn Map" pays close attention to color, and the layout is composed with a right opening. It organically combines the three landscaping techniques of head-up, looking up and looking up, and flexibly handles the scenery, making the picture look open, dense and colorful, presenting a lyrical picture scroll. In the pastoral areas in the clear autumn, officials in red robes stand out against the backdrop of large green lawns, effectively highlighting the main figures.
Han Gan sketched objects with ink lines, without color, and only slightly rendered horse's head, horseshoe and other parts. This painting method originated in the Tang Dynasty and is called "line drawing". The nose, mouth, eyes, neck, chest, hooves, mane and other parts of the horse are painted and dyed, and the dynamic and detailed description shows a strong sense of volume, and attention is paid to highlighting the beauty of flesh and blood and the luster of hair, so that the physical appearance of the horse can be fully reflected. "Zhao Mengfu used calligraphy pens in his paintings, and he used to make iron wire seals. Therefore, his wrist strength is excellent. Look at his horse, the lines are strong and straight, such as writing seal script, which is elegant in simplicity and strong in stability, which is amazing. " [3](p29) His paintings inherited the painting methods of the Jin, Tang and Five Dynasties, including the ethereal and bright line drawing of the Tang Dynasty and the elegant and clever pen and ink of the Song Dynasty, forming a simple and mixed style. The line drawings of horses and people are fine and vigorous, the brushwork of trees and slopes is dignified and vigorous, and it is elegant in Cang Yi; Green embankment, red maple, red dress, bright and beautiful. "The outline and color of the horse are both integrated and relatively independent, so that' the line does not hinder the color, the color does not bully the line, and the pearls complement each other'." [3] (page 29)
Han Gan's Painting a Horse not only pursues the similarity of appearance with a real horse, but also uses the artistic expression technique of combining sketch and rendering, which makes people feel a free and unique momentum and successfully depicts Ma Jian's beautiful image and peculiar charm. It is recorded in Postscript of Guang Chuan Painting: "According to legend, when Han Gan painted horses in the world, he must test the time and face orientation, and then set the shape, bone and coat color." Zhao Mengfu's picture was designed as a relatively closed place, where he came from and where he went. He pinned his ideal on it, used this natural picture to dispel his inner sadness, used old horses, old horses and thin horses to show the hardships of life, and used bones to show his backbone.
The spiritual tone of the Tang people is rich and confident, the steed is full of romanticism, the image is heroic and spirited, and the spirit is optimistic and generous. Ma's enterprising spirit is in line with the splendid social and cultural atmosphere in Tang Dynasty. In Ma Qiutu, one of the representative murals of Prince Zhang Huai's tomb in Tang Zhongzong period, the image of a horse is mainly plump. Another example is Zhang Jue's "Lady You Chuntu of the State of Guo", in which the shape of the horse is muscular and majestic, and the buttocks are butterfly wings, which combines the modeling elements of the Han horse. Painting in Yuan Dynasty pays attention to interest, giving priority to freehand brushwork, pursuing vivid expression with pen, and even looking for interest in pen and ink. "Therefore, although the paintings in the Yuan Dynasty are not as neat as those in the Tang and Song Dynasties, their pen and ink can beat the exquisite and rich works in the Tang and Song Dynasties with simple charm, and the Yuan paintings are still elegant, which is an improvement in painting." [4](p 164) Ren Renfa's "Two Horses" in the same period is a thin horse with a strange skeleton, fresh bones and muscles, thoughtful and exhausted, which reminds people of Ma Zhiyuan's "Old Road and West Wind Thin Horse" in the Yuan Dynasty. Zhao Mengfu showed the horse's bodybuilding and good running habits incisively and vividly, permeated the extensive and frank beauty of the grassland people in Yuan Dynasty, and injected the ethereal and leisurely literati spirit into the rough and wild, which was physically and mentally damaging.
(3) Comparison of artistic connotation
Han Gan compared the emperor with a horse in According to the Picture. The Book of Changes has a saying that "being a horse". The horse is a symbol of heaven and represents the king. The main purpose of Han Gan's horse painting is to please the emperor. Tang Xuanzong believed in Taoism and advocated freedom. The emperor should also be responsible for the prosperity of the country and should not abandon his post to pursue personal freedom. This situation is like the white night in the painting being bound, bound and fettered by wooden stakes and reins. After seeing this painting, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty couldn't help singing and praising it. Zhao Mengfu, on the other hand, compared himself with Malay. He is over half a year old, but he can't display his talents. Zhao Mengfu was, after all, the imperial clan of the Song Dynasty, so when he was an official in the Yuan Dynasty, he was inevitably laughed at, so he often felt infinite grief and anguish in his heart. His thoughts are full of contradictions. The pressure of public opinion and mental discrimination from the literati group made him feel extremely depressed and humiliated, and the feeling of pain and contradiction accompanied him all his life. So he spoke for himself with a horse, longing for spiritual freedom and detachment.
(D) creative comparison
In the Tang Dynasty, when the economy was prosperous and the society was stable, Han Gan, as a court painter, naturally had to cater to the aesthetic trend of kings. In the Tang Dynasty, horses represented military exploits, talents and loyal subjects. Those who walk in the sky are like dragons, and those who walk in the earth are like horses. The dragon is the symbol of the emperor, and the dragon horse has become a metaphor for the monarch and his subjects. In the Tang Dynasty, powerful border enemies were eyeing up and faced with threats from Turkic and other ethnic groups, so border politics and horse politics were very important. After Kaiyuan, the four seas were peaceful, and the foreign name was Male, while the ruler of the Tang Dynasty was a descendant of Hu and had a natural love for horses. Horse has become an indispensable military force in pacifying the world and a symbol of national dignity and kingship in times of peace and prosperity, so the pommel horse painting in Tang Dynasty was branded with political and religious thoughts in a sense. So there is a natural masculine beauty in Han Gan's works. Zhao Mengfu's personality is modest and introverted, and most of his works express a kind of literati feelings and yearning for his homeland, which makes his works have a feminine beauty. He often uses painting as a metaphor for life. The horses he draws are taken care of by others. In his complex personality psychology, the most prominent ones are sentimentality and melancholy with feminine characteristics, and he inevitably tends to feel inferior, often "depressed inside and unable to relax". In his poems, the adjectives that are used most frequently are "sorrow", "sorrow", "sorrow", "bitterness" and "pity", which fully shows his gloomy and pessimistic psychological characteristics. In addition, his special official life, obscurity and resignation, caused his suspicious, alert and sensitive personality characteristics. This character is reflected in his artistic works, that is, showing an elegant, restrained, warm and soft artistic style.
Han Gan's "Zhao Tu" and Zhao Mengfu's "Autumn Tu" both belong to the pommel horse theme, and both draw horses, but their styles and connotations are quite different, each with its own characteristics. It reflects the respective artistic styles and unique artistic pursuits of the two painters. Matisse said: "Only those painters who reflect this era most profoundly in their own creations are great." When creating works of art, artists should not only reflect real life, but also express the painter's thoughts and feelings. When artists create artistic images, they will inevitably condense their own aesthetic judgments on various life images and the emotional reactions brought about by them. Han Gan and Zhao Mengfu had a unique aesthetic feeling and experience for horses, so the horses written by the two painters all had their own obvious individuality and originality. Starting from their own aesthetic psychology, they described different spiritual worlds with the same theme, recorded the aesthetic characteristics of different times, and left two classic masterpieces and thought-provoking artistic essence to future generations.
References:
[1] Mongolian general history compilation group. General history of Mongolia [M]. Liaoning: Ethnic Publishing House, 200 1.
[2] Zhang Yanyuan. Records of famous paintings of past dynasties [M]. Beijing: Beijing People's Fine Arts Publishing House, 2004.
[3] Gong. Appreciation of China's pommel horse painting (IV) [J]. Production designer, 1998 (4): 29-33.
[4] Pan Tianshou. History of China's Painting [M]. Shanghai: Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House, 1983.
【 China Library Classification Number 】 J205
[Document ID] A
[ArticleNo.]1003-3653 (2012) 03-010/-03
[Receiving Time] 20 12-04-29
[Author's Brief Introduction] Lv Xia (1987 ~), female, from Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, is a 201/graduate student of Academy of Fine Arts of Shaanxi Normal University, and her research direction is art theory.