Appreciation of plum blossoms in the ancient famous painting "Plum Appreciation" in spring. Plum blossoms are a famous ornamental plant in my country. Plum blossoms combine nobility, elegance and perseverance, with excellent color, fragrance, charm and appearance. In the severe cold of winter, the plum blossoms bloom before hundreds of flowers, and spring emerges alone in the world, which is deeply loved by poets and painters. They plant plums and appreciate them, either to express their feelings or to paint them. Now, I invite readers to follow my writing style and slowly appreciate the "Plum Blossom Appreciation Picture" painted by ancient painters. "Walking in the Snow in Search of Plum Blossoms" by Dai Jin of the Ming Dynasty (Fig. 1), silk, vertical scroll. Now lost to the American people. Dai Jin (1388-1462), courtesy name Wenjin, nicknamed Jing'an, was a native of Yuquanshan, Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang). In his early years, he was a craftsman of gold and silver jewelry. Later, he switched to calligraphy and painting and made a living by selling paintings. During the Xuande period, paintings were dedicated to the inner court. He is good at painting landscapes, figures, flowers and birds, and cordyceps, and is the founder of the Zhejiang School. The weather is freezing, the ground is covered with snow, the water is thin, the mountains are cold, and the trees are desolate. In the picture, a scholar and a book boy are walking in the snowy sky. The target is obviously the plum blossoms blooming beside the small bridge on the right front. The whole picture gives people a sense of simplicity and elegance, and the noble and elegant temperament of the characters is vividly displayed on the page. "Viewing Plum Blossoms" by Tang Yin of the Ming Dynasty (Figure 2), on paper, vertical scroll, light color, 10
8.6 cm long, 3
4.5 cm wide. Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing. Tang Yin (1470-1523), also known as Bohu, was extremely talented and good at both poetry and painting. Together with Zhu Yunming, Wen Zhengming and Xu Zhenqing, he was known as the "Four Talents in the South of the Yangtze River". His painting name was changed, and he was known as the "Four Talents in the South of the Yangtze River" together with Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming and Qiu Ying. "Four Families of Wu Clan". In the picture, there is a Taoist scholar standing on a stream bridge with his hands sleeved. On the edge of the cliff behind him, two plum trees are in bud, which is very consistent with the poetic meaning of the author. The composition of the whole painting draws on the courtyard style of the Southern Song Dynasty, seeking victory in danger. The outlines of mountains, rocks and trees are of appropriate thickness, with more blurring than scratching. The clean and refreshing brushwork and the quiet background highlight the noble image of the subject. The lines of the characters are thin and smooth, and the shapes are handsome and elegant. There are poems and paintings, which are rare masterpieces handed down from generation to generation. Du Jin's "Hengqin Tu under the Plum Blossoms" (Fig. 3) of the Ming Dynasty, on silk, vertical scroll, ink and color, 20
7.9 cm long and 10
9.9 cm wide. Collection of Shanghai Museum. Du Jin, a painter of the Ming Dynasty, was good at poetry and prose, and was good at painting. Boundary painting towers, the most strict and orderly. He is also an expert in line drawing of figures. Most of his figure paintings show ancient legends or anecdotes, with landscapes and garden scenes as backgrounds. Some of them also include poems and rhymes, showing a strong style of using text into painting. This picture shows an elegant scene of scholars playing the musical instrument and admiring plum blossoms on a hillside platform. The old plum blossoms are singing like a dragon in the sky, the red plum blossoms are blooming, and the peaks appear and disappear in the clouds and mist in the distance; the scholar is leaning on the tree trunk, stroking the strings of the piano, looking up at the plum blossoms, and there are boys making tea and serving them, which vividly expresses the elegance of the literati. Interesting. "Plum Willows Waiting for wax" (Picture 4) by Sheng Maoye of the Ming Dynasty, vertical scroll, ink and color on silk, 186 cm long and 9
8.5 cm wide. Now lost to the Japanese people. Sheng Maoye, a painter of the Ming Dynasty. No. Nian'an, first known as Yan'an, a native of Changzhou (now Suzhou, Jiangsu). He is good at landscapes, with a sense of misty forest and clear open space, and the characters are also exquisitely crafted and elegant. This picture depicts the scene in a deserted mountain garden after the winter solstice, when plum blossoms are about to bloom and spring is coming. The branches of the willow forest are as dense as smoke in the close-up view; the plum blossoms bloom in the middle-ground view; the clouds are floating in the valley in the distant view, reaching into the distance. The self-titled poem "The tourists on the shore are waiting for the generals to relax the willows, and the mountains are cold and want to bloom the plum blossoms." The poetic and picturesque meaning comes to life on the paper. The whole picture not only gives an overview of the clear and vast forest with smoke, but also conveys the atmosphere of the approaching spring. "Walking in the Snow in Search of Plum Blossoms" by Xiao Chen of the Qing Dynasty (Fig. 5), vertical scroll, on paper, light color, 123 cm vertical and 5
8.5 cm wide. Collection of Qingdao Municipal Museum. Xiao Chen, courtesy name Zhongsu and nickname Lingxi, was born in Yangzhou, Jiangsu. He is good at painting landscapes and figures. Learning from the traditional brushwork of the Tang and Song Dynasties, it is delicate, elegant and light, with beautiful colors and profound skills. In the picture, the cliffs, slopes, rocks, and plum branches are all covered with silver. The entire background is rendered in light ink to present a snowy scene. The plum trees stand tall and straight, vigorous and strong. The plum blossoms are dotted with lead white and are surrounded by white, just like flowers in the snow. Standing under the tree is an old man holding a staff, looking up at the plum blossoms and contemplating. It has the charm of "the meaning is in it and the emotion is seen outside". Behind the old man stands a boy, carrying luggage. He seems to have no interest in the plum blossoms, but is fascinated by the slowly flowing water. This is a thought-provoking masterpiece. It does not fall behind the old stereotype of "walking in the snow to look for plum blossoms" made by painters of all ages. "Appreciating Plum Blossoms under the Moon" by Chen Mei of the Qing Dynasty (Fig. 6), silk, ink and color, 37 cm vertical and 3
1.8 cm wide. Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing. Chen Mei, his birth and death dates are unknown. His courtesy name was Zaidong, his nickname was Dianluan, and his later nickname was Zhiwotoutuo. He was a native of Lou County (now Songjiang, Shanghai).
He first studied painting from the Song Dynasty, but later compromised with the Ming Dynasty painter Tang Yin, and also incorporated Western painting methods. He was able to draw mountains and valleys on an inch of paper. This picture depicts the hedonistic life of court ladies in purdah, looking for plum blossoms, admiring flowers, reciting poems, and playing with the moon. The left page shows a scene of the first lunar month. In the picture, a maid holding a lamp leads five ladies in long skirts to come slowly from another courtyard. Colored lanterns are hung under the eaves of the courtyard, and two ancient plum trees are blooming outside the window. There are four ladies standing or sitting in the pavilion and gallery in front of the lamp under the moonlight, looking at the flowers and chatting. The colors of the works are harmonious, well-proportioned, antique, solemn and elegant. It is exquisitely made and exquisitely carved. His painting techniques are skillful, the scenery is vivid, and the characters' expressions are lifelike. "Holding Plum Blossoms" by Huang Shen of the Qing Dynasty (Fig. 7), paper, vertical scroll, 124 cm long and 65 cm wide, collected by the Liaoning Provincial Museum. Huang Shen, whose courtesy name is Gongmao and Gongmao, and whose nickname is Yinglaozi. A native of Ninghua, Fujian. He is good at painting figures. Later, he was inspired by the original works of Huai Su, a calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, and used wild cursive brushwork in his paintings, which turned into rough freehand brushwork. There is an inscribed poem on the upper left side of "Holding Plum Blossoms". The picture shows an old man holding a plum blossom in his hand. The plum blossoms bloomed with a delicate and elegant fragrance. The old man admired and smelled them, smiling with joy. The concept of this picture is very simple, just one person and one plum. However, the folds of the figure's clothes are combined with dyeing, which is both square and round. The facial hair and eyebrows are written in letter pen with fine double lines; the plum blossom branches lie horizontally, which is simple and vigorous. The blend of human and plum blossoms is full of quaint taste.
Source: Oriental Collection