Zhao Zhichen

Zhao Zhichen

Zhao Zhichen (1781-1852) was born in Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang). It is called Xianfu, Xianfu, Baoyue mountain people, and buluojia room. Butterfly hidden garden painting mixed with Zhao Zhiying. In the Qing Dynasty, famous seal carvers, calligraphers and painters were very fond of antiquity and had a profound knowledge of gold and stone. Seal cutting was passed down by Chen Yu Zhong, who was his hometown, and they were able to do their best. Ruan Yuan imitated and published Zhongding's articles, and worked as an official in law, and was good at regular script. Ni and Huang, landscape painters, take Xiaoshu and Youdan as their ancestors. The flower style is natural and unrestrained, the Fu color is elegant, has the Chinese spirit interest greatly. Intercropping with grass and insects, random point pen, all kinds of physical appearance, all of them. However, Zhang Chi's wrist strength is already thin. Although it can't trace the ancients, it should also compete with Xi Gang, Fang Xun and Huang Yi.

Life of the characters

Zhao Zhichen is a representative of the Zhejiang School of seal cutting. After the "four Xiling schools" (Ding Jing, Jiang Ren, Huang Yi and Xi Gang), he was listed in the "four Xiling schools" (Chen Yuzhong, Chen Hongshou, Zhao Zhichen and Qian song). The four schools are collectively known as the "eight Xiling schools". As a disciple of Chen Yuzhong, he also took the advantages of Huang Yi, Xi Gang and Chen Hongshou. In seal cutting techniques, he was a great achievement of Zhejiang School. After Jiaqing and Daoguang, he was famous and effective.

The second time is to make the seal skillfully. The composition is stable and contains the posture. The sabre technique is heavy but contains light and precipitous. He is especially famous for his skill of cutting knives. However, what he gained from it is also what he lost. His style is also limited by it. In his later years, his works were more habitual, which was ridiculed by later generations as "swallow tail and crane knee"; besides the sabre technique, his pattern was less creative and tended to be rigid, and the border treatment was also slightly fragmented. The edge of the seal is unique, with the combination of Li and Xing characters, spicy cutting and strong lines. He is diligent in playing swords and has printed more than a thousand of them.

Ruan Yuan has a solid foundation in the study of inscriptions on bronze and stone. In his book the collection of Yi utensils from Zhongding in jiguzhai, Ruan Yuan copied many of the inscriptions on ancient utensils. It is said that he always stayed at home and devoted himself to calligraphy, painting and seal cutting, and often copied Buddhist statues, so he had the Zhai name "buluojia room".

The seal of Bu Luo Jia Shi can be regarded as his representative work, which is his own seal. Zhang Fa, Zhuan FA and Dao FA are all very particular. For example, the lower left side of the character "Luo" and the side of the character "Jia" are simple and complex, which is not only the typical structural method of the Zhejiang School, but also shows its cautious intention.

In addition to seal cutting, Zhao Zhichen's paintings and calligraphy are both his works, while his works of landscape and flowers have their own features and charm. He was not an official all his life. In his later years, he was displaced in the war of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and died in a foreign land. There is a collection of Bu Luo Jia Shi.

Painting attainments

On Zhao Zhichen's double hook bamboo and stone painting

Bamboo is one of the most popular painting themes of ancient Chinese painters. Because bamboo is tall and straight, chaste, open-minded, and resistant to cold, ancient Chinese painters often use it as a spiritual portrayal and a symbol of personality. Whether it is the "four gentlemen" of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, or the "three friends of pine, bamboo and plum", Xiao xiuhuang is among them. As for the combination of bamboo and thin stone, it has been a masterpiece of literati painters since the song and Yuan Dynasties. In the history of ancient Chinese painting, there are many painters who are good at bamboo and stone.

The painting methods of bamboo can be generally divided into two categories: one is double hook coloring, and the other is freehand brushwork. The former is based on painting and devoted to form; the latter is based on writing and emphasizes Fengshen. Zhao Mengfu said that "the stone is as white as flying, the wood is as thin as a stone, and the bamboo should be written in eight ways. If anyone can understand this, it should be noted that calligraphy and painting are the same." that is to say, taking dead wood, bamboo and stone as an example to explain the calligraphy principle of Chinese painting, especially literati painting. However, in Zhao Zhichen's painting of bamboo and stone with double hooks, the drawing method of bamboo is with double hooks. On the earth slope at the bottom of the picture, there are three bamboo poles, standing in a graceful and graceful manner. The bamboo leaves are luxuriant, draped left and right, and the posture is graceful. The light green rendering makes the whole bamboo more vigorous and fresh.

On the whole, Zhao Zhichen can accurately grasp the shape of bamboo pole, node and leaf. He is strict in method, meticulous in brushwork, natural and reasonable in position arrangement, and has a good sense of skill and ingenuity. At the front end of the bamboo, the painter painted a side of the lake and stone, exquisite and clear, thin and steep, which is also a common technique of Chinese literati painting. Its function is to set off the bamboo and stabilize the picture. It should be noted that Zhao Zhichen's Lake stone is unique in shape, with a forward leaning center of gravity, which makes it rather dangerous in composition. However, the painter's ability to deal with the danger is commendable. The surrounding of the Lake stone is decorated with thatch, which is helpful to the harmony and nature of the picture.

Generally speaking, Zhao Zhichen's "double hook bamboo and stone painting" has no novelty in the content, and there is not much to be praised in the language and techniques of painting. However, it is not easy for a painter to show his interest in ordinary subjects and show his skill in the usual language and techniques.

The picture is a paper version with colors, 128.2 cm in length and 61.5 cm in width. It is intended by Zhao in his later years. It is now stored in Zhejiang Provincial Museum. In the age of Zhao's life, the feudal society is coming to an end, the literati painting has declined, and the maritime painting school, which was the last rise of literati painting, has emerged. Although there is no direct connection between Zhao Zhichen and the maritime painting school, his painting style still reveals some information about the change of painting physique. Therefore, in a sense, Zhao Zhichen can also be regarded as a transitional figure before the maritime painting school.

Calligraphy attainments

Calligraphers may not be able to manage seals, but they must be able to write. Without calligraphy, it is impossible to be a good seal cutter. Zhao Zhichen didn't use the title of the book, but his calligraphy was still very impressive, including gongxingshu, Zhuan, Li and painting.

This small regular script is 31 cm in length and 37 cm in width. It has a dark case. It has three words of its own. It is now stored in Tong's office in Shanghai. The small characters are very precise. You can see the spirit when you write. The strokes are tight. Sometimes the strokes are heavy and sometimes light. The strokes are neat when you start and finish. The structure is mostly lateral, so it is full of ups and downs. Although it's a small work, it's a very good one to watch and taste.

Life works

Collection of paintings:

Collect calligraphy works:

Chinese PinYin : Zhao Zhi Chen