Shanghai School
After the mid-19th century, as Shanghai became the economic and cultural center of modern China, it attracted famous painters from all over the world to gather in Shanghai, each giving his best. Gradually formed the "Shanghai School of Painting". Famous painters living in Shanghai at that time included Yu Gu, Ren Xiong, Ren Xun, Ren Yi (Bonian), Hu Gongshou, Gao Yongzhi, Gu Heqing, Wu Changshuo, Ni Mogeng, etc. Most of them were from civilian backgrounds, selling paintings as a profession, and creating With rich themes and fresh and popular pictures, it is very popular among business people and civilians. His legacy is still felt today. Their works still occupy a large share in today's calligraphy and painting art market.
The Shanghai School of Painting generally refers to a group of painters who were active in Shanghai from the mid-19th century (1843) to the early 20th century (1927) and engaged in painting creation. fashion. From a regional perspective, the social development triggered by the opening of Shanghai as a port is political, cultural, and diverse in life, including the frequency of commerce. It has become a special activity zone in China, and people's lives have also followed business interests. And with a broader perspective; in terms of economic development, symbols of wealth, and even rewards and gifts, fall on the development of refined culture; in terms of cultural characteristics, painting creation is an extremely suitable theme art. Therefore, although there are records of selling paintings since ancient times, literati mostly gave them to close friends, or stayed at teaching and apprenticeships in order to seek support for "shuxiu". Although Zheng Banqiao and others first had similar professional opinions, the real The incident of taking painting as a career and the prosperity of the Shanghai area became the catalyst for this trend. The reason is, of course, that the Shanghai area was influenced by foreign culture, including political involvement, and was classified as a port for foreign Taoist merchants; the inheritance of its own traditional culture, such as the survival of the Yangzhou School of Painting, in fact, merchants and gentry During the exchanges, the gifts of painting and calligraphy are extremely realistic gifts, elegant and appropriate. This measure of economic status also indirectly contributes to the vigorous development of art activities in Shanghai. Therefore, the painting style in Shanghai is close to professional and professional. Professional paintings with realistic themes, including traditional humanistic spiritual forms, such as auspicious meanings, moral comments, ideal prayers, etc., and even tend to be "emotional" creations, such as joy, anger, sorrow, and joy. This is the main reason why most of the Shanghai School of Painting focuses on flower and bird paintings. Because it is difficult for landscape paintings to express the impromptu theme of wealth and wealth, speaking of this, it is also necessary to examine the speed of completion of the painting. Flower and bird paintings have a symbolic meaning, and together with figure paintings, they are also close to humanistic and sophisticated themes. As long as the placement is proper, the painter can At a fast speed, it is easy to achieve the desired effect. Although landscape painting can use simple drawing methods, it cannot be sloppy. Therefore, there are many paintings of the Shanghai School whose style tends to be folkloric. Of course, as far as the development of painting is concerned, the extension of the external is the enrichment of the introverted. When the painter feels the influence between the gentry and business, how to guide the humane, elegant and concise painting method is the main factor that promotes the painting style.
Based on the above reasons, this article can summarize the following characteristics from many painters of the Shanghai School of Painting.
Firstly, there are mostly flower and bird paintings, then figures, then landscape paintings, and then miscellaneous themes. In the traditional sense, there are ancient poems and literature as the keynote, and then they are supplemented by Western contrast methods, Structural methods, coloring methods, etc., as well as the application of brushwork and ink, are simple and clear, focusing only on the artistic conception and omitting the form.
The second is quite symbolic. Whether it is a painting of flowers, birds or figures, wealth and honor are contained in peonies and other flowers, the friendship in the peach garden is used to refer to the past, and the scenery of mountains and rivers is at the foot of Nanshan, etc., they are all symbolic. Techniques, pay attention to the enrichment of connotation.
Thirdly, the shape and color are gorgeous. For practicality and reality, the smoothness of the shape and the richer color can cater to commercial activities and are more popular among ordinary people. , this style is obviously also influenced by the Western style of art expression.
The fourth emphasis is on the origin of painting techniques, which has a great relationship with the textual criticism of the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, there are often imitations or simulations of similar paintings. However, there is a constant stream of people seeking paintings, which shows this Paintings have their origins and have begun to have a formal trend.
In addition to these characteristics, the number of paintings produced by painters also tends to be mass-produced. It is probably impossible to estimate the number of paintings of the Maritime School that can still be inspected.
As for the painters who are often discussed, several representative painters can be briefly mentioned according to their painting styles, as a reference for further in-depth research. It can be divided into:
People of the folk painting school: Zhu Xiong, who works on flowers and plants, learns from Baiyangshan people, especially simple and elegant brushwork; Zhang Xiong [Flower Album
1872], a flower worker, with a conservative painting style. In his later years, he painted boneless, dripping ink paintings with bright and elegant colors. He had many disciples; Wang Li, who studied flowers, followed Silla, Chen Laolian, Yun Nantian and others. His disciples include Zhu Xun, Ren Bonian and others; Ren Xiong, whose compositions are unique and varied, including good figures, flowers and birds, etc., together with Ren Xun, Ren Yi, Ren Yu and others, is called the leader of the "Four Rens" of the early Shanghai School; Zhu Huan first studied flowers and birds from Zhang Xiong, and later studied under Wang Li, from whom many scholars studied; Qian Hui'an painted figures mostly, followed by flowers, from whom many scholars studied; Ren Xun, painted figures, flowers, and landscapes all from his brother Ren Xiong His brushwork: Wu Jiayou specializes in figures, ladies, landscapes, flowers and birds; Ren Yi is good at flowers, birds, figures and animals, and his painting style is closer to the spirit of folk reality. This style continues in the middle and upper class society, and the aesthetic concepts it inherits include, in addition to the elements of the spirit of literati painting, popular plain themes, which have the meaning of borrowing scenery and freehand brushwork, and began to include Western-style sketching, which is obviously influenced by modern times. The influence of Western art concepts can clearly be traced back to its influence on the Chinese painting style in the modern fifty years.
Those of the Epigraphy School of Painting: Mainly integrating calligraphy and freehand brushwork. Although it also has the meaning or form of literati painting, more importantly, it is the beginning of the formalization of Chinese painting. The author Ji Youxugu mainly uses freehand brushwork in his paintings, deforming, simplifying and writing the natural scenery; Zhao Zhiqian is good at both calligraphy and painting, and is good at textual research on epigraphy. The best paintings are flower and bird paintings, and the brushstrokes contain the spirit of epigraphy, that is, dry, wet, dense and dry. Bai uses calligraphy lines as his writing method; Pu Hua uses Qingteng and Baiyang as his style, and his brushwork is unrestrained, unrestrained, and sincere. His student Yang Shiyou passed down his method; Wu Changshuo [Wisteria 1919], who is good at calligraphy, painting and sealing, uses brushwork as written, simple painting environment, and strives for smoothness and balance in the picture. Those influenced by him include Qi Baishi, Pan Tianshou, etc.; Gao Yong, with Mainly calligraphy, with deep and heavy brush strokes. Painting masters Bada and Shi Tao have made great contributions to calligraphy and painting activities. The characteristics of this painting school are that they emphasize painting techniques such as calligraphy. Calligraphy and painting have the same origin. Calligraphy brushwork is applied to the painting form, and the brush and ink are urged to be sophisticated and simple.