Genius painters are often lonely. It is difficult for them to become popular during their lifetimes. Their talents are discovered by the world only after their death. As a result, they become famous all over the world, and the value of their works will also soar. This is the case with the top foreign painter Van Gogh. , the same was true for Zheng Banqiao in the Qing Dynasty. Zheng Banqiao was born in Xinghua, Jiangsu Province. He was a serious talent from the south of the Yangtze River. He was known as one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". He had a profound foundation in poetry and extremely high attainments in calligraphy. He could be said to be unique. He was also a rare painter in the Qing Dynasty. He is the "three masters" of poetry, calligraphy and painting.
In the 32nd year of Kangxi, Zheng Banqiao was born. His ancestor’s family was in a pretty good condition, but unfortunately, he had fallen into poverty at this time, and his life was quite difficult. When Zheng Banqiao was a child, he was a miserable child. His mother died of illness when he was three years old. A few years later, his father remarried him and married his stepmother. Fortunately, his stepmother was kind-hearted and took good care of the young Zheng Banqiao. His father taught him poetry and couplets. I hope he can achieve something in the future, and nothing could be better than Guangzong Yaozu.
Most of the people who left their names in history have experienced hardships that are unimaginable to ordinary people. Zheng Banqiao was not easy. In terms of family, he lost his mother when he was young, and lost his stepmother when he was young. He finally made it to middle age, and his wife, who was deeply in love with them, passed away. How can it be such a tragedy. Not only that, his career path to fame was also very difficult. It took him three dynasties to pass the Jinshi examination.
He became a scholar at the age of 20. Kangxi was still in power at this time. After that, he failed many provincial examinations. It was not until the fifth year of Yongzheng that he obtained the status of a scholar. During the Qianlong period, he passed the imperial examination. He is over forty. For more than ten years after that, Zheng Banqiao was basically a minor official such as a county magistrate or a county magistrate. He understood the people's sentiments and paid attention to farming and mulberry. He was an honest official and lived a simple life. He did not travel in a sedan chair.
Zheng Banqiao wanted to make a difference and serve the people, but found that he had more than enough ambition but not enough power, and was depressed and frustrated. Finally, he offended his superiors by asking the court to release grain for disaster relief, and he became disheartened. He chose to resign and go into seclusion and devote himself to painting creation. Maverick in art, Zheng Banqiao only painted three kinds of things, namely orchids, bamboos and stones. Orchids symbolize elegance, self-confidence, and an unyielding temperament; bamboo represents perseverance.
The reason why he only painted orchids, bamboos and stones was explained by Zheng Banqiao: "The orchid that never fades in all seasons, the evergreen bamboo with a hundred knots, the unbeatable stone through the ages, the unchanging person through the ages." In the poem, there are There are poems in paintings. Zheng Banqiao likes to write poems on his paintings. He once wrote a seven-character quatrain in which he expressed his ambitions and expressed his noble character of integrity, selflessness and perseverance. The last seven words are difficult to describe. Beyond.
"Bamboo and Stone" - Zheng Banqiao
Do not let go of the green mountains,
The roots are still in the broken rocks.
Even though you have endured countless blows, you will still be strong.
No matter how strong the wind is, it will blow from east to west, north and south.
Since ancient times, bamboo has been highly praised by literati. It symbolizes self-improvement, elegance and refinement, and does not conform to the trend. The great writer Su Dongpo also loved bamboo very much. He once said: "I would rather eat without meat than live without it." Bamboo. No meat makes people thin, and no bamboo makes people vulgar." One or two sentences "Don't let go of the green mountains, and the roots are in the broken rocks." It depicts the bamboo rooting into the rock, and the word "bite" is the finishing touch. That kind of toughness cannot be matched by ordinary plants.
The following "remains strong even after being struck by thousands of blows", the stone is extremely hard, and the seemingly fragile bamboo roots have experienced thousands of blows and tempers, and their momentum has not diminished at all. Don’t give up until you reach your goal, you must plunge into the rock. On the surface, he praises bamboo, but in fact it is the poet's own character, the ups and downs of officialdom. Although Zheng Banqiao gradually took a dim view of it and wrote "It is rare to be confused" to remind himself, his tenacious heart has never changed.
The last sentence is "Let the east, west, north and south winds blow", just 7 words, and a little arrogant despite being free and unrestrained. No matter it is strong wind or heavy rain, severe winter or hot summer, I will never bow my head. I have a fearless spirit and an iron frame. Zhengzheng's character is the best portrayal of Zheng Banqiao's life.