Wu Daozi (about 680~759 AD) was a famous painter in the Tang Dynasty, and his painting history was praised as a sage in painting, as well as metaphysics. Han nationality, from Yangzhai (now Yuzhou, Henan). Born in 680 AD (the first year of Yonglong), he died around 758 AD (the first year of Gan Yuan). Lonely and poor, you will have a painting name when you are young. He used to be the county commandant of Qiu Yan (now Ziyang, Shandong Province), and soon resigned. After that, he settled in Luoyang and engaged in mural creation. During the Kaiyuan period, he was called to the DPRK for his good painting, and successively served as a doctor, an internal teacher and Wang You. He studied calligraphy with Zhang Xu and He, watched sword dancing and experienced the skill of using a pen. He is good at Buddhism, ghosts and gods, figures, landscapes, animals, plants, pavilions and so on. , especially good at Buddhism and figures, and good at mural creation.
The life of the character
Young and diligent
Born of Gautama Buddha, Wu Daozi (partial)
Wu Daozi was born in about 685 AD (Tang Gaozong period). As a teenager, he was lonely and poor. He studied calligraphy under calligraphers Zhang Xu and He, and then made great efforts to attack painting, gradually mastering the wonderful method of painting. Because of his hard work and eagerness to learn, when he was not weak in the championship, he was already "poor and talented".
In 709 AD (the third year of Jinglong), Wei was named assistant minister and Tong Zhongshu. At this point, Wu Daozi served as a beadle under his command. He "makes him angry with good wine, and he drinks it every time it costs him money." Later, he served as county commandant (now Yanzhou, Shandong Province). In the early years of Kaiyuan, Wu Daozi stopped being an official and began to "wander east".
Go to the palace to paint.
Wu Daozi's Eighty-Seven Immortals Volume (Part)
Because he can be a poor painter, he is famous in the painting world. Around 7 13 A.D., he was summoned by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty to Chang 'an, Kyoto, where he served as a doctor of Neijiao, and ordered him to "not paint unless he has faith". Later, it was officially changed to "Your Excellency Wang Ning". After Wu Daozi entered the temple, he painted in the palace and sometimes followed Xuanzong. On one occasion, he drove to Luoyang, the eastern capital, and met General Pei Min and calligrapher Zhang Xu, who showed their unique skills: Pei Min was good at sword dancing and immediately danced a sword; Zhang Xu is good at cursive writing, splashing ink and making book walls; Wu Daozi also works hard at painting. He said, "If God helps me, I will be there soon." .
In 725 (13th year of Kaiyuan), Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty sealed Mount Tai in the east, accompanied by Wu Daozi. After that, I went to Luzhou (now Changzhi, Shanxi) and drove over Jinqiao, which was "tortuous". Xuanzong was very excited to see that "the flag was fresh and clean, and the Yulin army was purged". He said to the left and right attendants, "Zhang Yue said,' There are 300,000 soldiers with a flag of a thousand miles, and the upper right party is in Shaanxi, but as for Taiyuan'. What a genius. " Long live the left and the right. So he called Wu Daozi, Wei and Chen Hong and ordered them to draw a map of Jinqiao together. Chen Hong painted the true face of Xuanzong and the white horse he rode at night, Wei painted dogs, horses, mules, donkeys, cattle and sheep, and Wu Daozi painted bridges, landscapes, cars, figures, grass trees, wild birds, warships, curtains and other thematic parts. After the "Golden Bridge Map" was drawn, "time is called three musts".
From 742 to 755 AD (Tianbao period), Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty suddenly remembered that the Jialing River in Shu was beautiful and interesting, so he ordered Wu Daozi to mail it to Jialing River to sketch. Arriving at the Jialing River, Wu Daozi roamed the river. Looking from a distance, there are good mountains and good waters, and a scene passes by. He remembered the experience and feelings at that time deeply and did not draw a sketch. When Wu Daozi returned to Chang 'an after touring the mountains and rivers of Jialing River, Xuanzong asked him about his paintings, and he replied, "I don't have a chalk book, keep it in mind." Xuanzong ordered him to paint on the wall of Datong Temple. Wu Daozi did not list the landscape of Jialing River, but grasped the charming realm of Jialing River with one mountain, one water, one mountain and one valley, that is, he highly summarized the magnificent and beautiful mountains and rivers and natural features in this area and concentrated on writing for one day. The beautiful scenery of Jialing River in three hundred miles jumped from the paper, and Xuanzong was amazed at it. Prior to this, the great painter General Li (Si Xun) was good at landscape painting, and once painted the landscape of Jialing River on the wall of Datong Temple. Although the painting is also wonderful, it took several months to finish, and it is not as good as Wu Daozi's painting. Therefore, Xuanzong said with deep feelings: "Li Sixun's achievements in a few months and Wu Daozi's achievements in a day are extremely wonderful." It can be seen that Wu Daozi's painting skills and skillful brushwork. Wu Daozi is not only good at painting landscape paintings, but also can vividly paint animals. He drew five dragons in Datong Temple. "Our armor flies, and every time it rains heavily, it produces smoke." It's really alive.
Wu Daozi mural
Legend of the aged
Wu Daozi was still alive in 758-759 (the first year of his reign). Lu Lengga is Wu Daozi's protege. "At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, he painted some high-ranking monks blocking the streets in the east and west corridors of the temple." . Later, he painted in Sanmen of Zhuang Yan Temple, where he was "keen and open-minded, quite wonderful". When Wu Daozi saw Lu's paintings, he felt that he had made great progress and was very similar to his own brushwork. He exclaimed, "This son's brushwork was not as good as mine at that time, but it is mine now. It's a child, and it's cool. " Because Lu Lengga painted with all her heart, she died a month later. In his first year in office, Wu Daozi was an old man in his seventies. As for Wu Daozi's later life and career, due to the loss of historical records, there is no textual research.
About 759 AD (Tang Suzong period), Wu Daozi died.
Major achievements
Painting attainments
Wu Daozi Mural "Vimalakīrti Jing" (partial)
Wu Daozi's outstanding achievement in painting art stems from his deliberate innovation and courage to create. His two words are recorded in the famous paintings of past dynasties: "Everyone is close at hand, but I am far from painting. Everyone is alike, but I am far from the mortal world." "This shows that he is unconventional in painting art and bold in innovation. Therefore, his works have become a model for painters to learn, and his paintings are called "Wu Family". Therefore, Zhu, a native of the Tang Dynasty, praised the painters of the Tang Dynasty in the Preface to Famous Paintings of the Tang Dynasty, but he was lucky in his name. Wu Daozi, who is talented, can be unique in this world, and can trace back to Lu (exploration) and Gu (opening). "
A veritable teacher
Wu Daozi also promoted the art of painting, carefully taught his disciples, and passed on his superb skills to the next generation, so that the art of painting was succeeded by others. According to the Records of Calligraphy and Painting and the records of famous paintings in past dynasties, he has many disciples, among which Lu Lengjia, Li Sheng, Zhang Zang, Zhu Yao and Zhai Yan are famous. Qiu Han "defiled Danqing, studied under Wu Daozi, and was especially good at Taoism and Buddhism". Zhu Xi studied under Wu Daozi, and he was also "wonderful". Wu Daozi taught by example, or asked his disciples to recite formulas and learn colors. Or ask them to copy his paintings or fill in the colors according to his instructions. There is a record in the Record of Famous Paintings in Past Dynasties: "When Wu Sheng (Daozi) painted, he put pen to paper and left, making Yan (Zhai Yan) and Zhang Zang paint more colors." Sometimes, when Wu Daozi paints a mural, he only sketches and leaves the rest to his disciples to finish. In Luoyang's revered temple, Zhai Yan completed Wu Daozi's "Tibetan scriptures change to the sun, Tibet and the moon". Wu Daozi's painting art had a far-reaching influence on the painting in the Tang Dynasty. He was honored as a "painting saint" by later generations, and later his apprentice took over the title of "painting saint".