Who knows who the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou are?

There are different opinions on which painters the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" refer to. Some say eight, some say more than eight; some say these eight, some say the other eight. According to various writings, there were as many as fifteen people. Since Li Yufen's "Bibliographic Research on Calligraphy and Paintings of the Ou Bo Luo Chamber" in the late Qing Dynasty was the earliest and most complete record of the "Eight Eccentrics", most people still refer to the eight people proposed by Li Yufen. Namely: Wang Shishen, Zheng Xie, Gao Xiang, Jin Nong, Li Eel, Huang Shen, Li Fangying, and Luo Pin. As for other painters mentioned by others, such as Ruan Yuan, Hua Yan, Min Zhen, Gao Fenghan, Li Mian, Chen Zhuan, Bian Shoumin, Yang Fa, etc., they can also be incorporated because their painting styles are similar. Because the character "eight" can be regarded as a numeral or a divisor.

1. Zheng Xie

Zheng Xie (1693--1765), courtesy name Kerou, alias Banqiao, was born in Xinghua, Jiangsu Province. He was elected as a Kangxi scholar in the imperial examination and was elected in the tenth year of Yongzheng's reign. , Jinshi in the first year of Qianlong. The magistrate of Fan County and Weixian County in Shandong Province had political voices asking for relief for the people because of the year-round hunger. He disobeyed the officials and begged for illness. Before and after he became an official, he lived in Yangzhou and made a living by painting and calligraphy. He is good at painting orchids, bamboos, stones, pine, chrysanthemums, etc., and he has made the most outstanding achievements in painting orchids and bamboos for more than 50 years. The method was borrowed from Xu Wei, Shi Tao, and the Eight Great Masters, and became its own method, with a sparse appearance and a strong style. Gong calligraphy uses Han Bafen mixed with regular cursive and calls itself Six and a Half Fen calligraphy. And integrate calligraphy into painting. He advocated inheriting the tradition and learning seven out of ten, discarding three, not adhering to ancient methods, and paying attention to the originality of art and the diversity of styles. The saying is that before painting, do not establish a frame, and after painting, do not leave a frame, which still has reference for today. significance. The poems are sincere and interesting, and are loved by the people. It can also cure seals. There are "The Complete Works of Zheng Banqiao", "Mr. Banqiao's Seal", etc.

His representative work is "Bamboo and Stone Pictures". Banqiao's bamboo painting theory is that he has "no idea". He did not learn from a teacher. He painted bamboo mostly from the sunlight and moonlight on paper windows and painted walls, and directly adopted the natural method. In response to Su Dongpo's statement that "you have a clear mind", Banqiao emphasized that you have "no knowledge of the bamboo in your mind" and "have no bamboo in your mind". The two theories may seem contradictory, but in essence they are similar. They emphasize the high degree of combination of conception and skilled skills, but Banqiao's method should be "like thunder and thunder, and vegetation growing in anger." In Banqiao's "Bamboo and Stone Picture", the bamboos are drawn thin and straight, standing tall and straight into the sky. Each of its leaves has a different expression. The ink is watery and has different shades, which realistically represents the bamboo. texture. In terms of composition, Banqiao coordinated the positional relationship between bamboo and stone and the text of the poem. The slender and rustic beauty of bamboo sets off another style of stone. This clump of plants becomes the ideal phantom of Banqiao. Regarding Banqiao’s bamboo, even Jin Nong, one of the “Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou”, lamented that compared to the paintings of the two of them, the bamboo he painted was not as forest-like as Banqiao’s.

Banqiao's calligraphy is self-proclaimed "six and a half calligraphy". He uses orchid grass painting method to write, which is extremely free and natural. He uses seal script, official script, cursive script and regular script to create endless changes. This running calligraphy painting of "Two Rests of Yanglindong Ferry" embodies the unique formal beauty of Zheng Banqiao's calligraphy art. The three characters "Peach Blossom Bank" between Tetons are particularly bright and moving. Zheng Banqiao's unique new calligraphy style created a precedent in the history of calligraphy.

Orchid and Stone Picture

Orchid and Bamboo Picture on Stone Wall

Nine Wand Orchid Picture

2. Gao Xiang

Gao Xiang Gao Xiang (1688--1753), also known as Fenggang, also known as Xitang, also known as Xiitang, was a native of Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, a painter of the Qing Dynasty, and one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". Lifelong commoner. Good at painting landscapes and flowers. His landscape paintings are based on the techniques of Hongren and Shi Tao, and the small garden scenes he painted are mostly from sketches. They are elegant, green and moist, and have their own pattern. The painted plum blossoms all have sparse branches and thin flowers, and they are all beautiful in their charm. 〗 He is also good at portraits. The small portraits printed at the beginning of the poetry collections of Jin Nong and Wang Shishen were written by Gao Xiang, with concise line drawings and lifelike expressions. Fine engraving, profound learning. He is also good at poetry and has "Notes on Poems of the Western Tang Dynasty".

In his later years, due to the disability of his right hand, he often painted with his left hand. Befriended Shi Tao, Jin Nong, and Wang Shishen. Li Dou of the Qing Dynasty had this record in "Yangzhou Painted Fang Lu": "After Shi Tao's death, the Western Tang Dynasty would visit his tomb every spring, and he would not stop until his death." This means that after Shi Tao's death, Gao Xiang visited Shi Tao's grave every spring and never stopped doing so until his death.

It can also be seen from here that the friendship between them is deep. In addition to being good at painting landscapes and flowers, Gao Xiang is also good at portraiture and engraving.

Yangzhou’s immediate scene picture 1

Danzhi Pavilion picture 2

Yangzhou’s instant scene picture 2

3. Jinnong

Jin Nong (1687-1764), courtesy name Shoumen and pseudonym Dongxin, was born in Renhe (now Hangzhou), Zhejiang, and lived in Yangzhou for a long time. He had never been an official in his life. He was once recommended to be a scholar of Hongci, but he returned to Beijing without taking the exam. He was erudite and talented. He began painting after the age of fifty and remained poor throughout his life. He is good at flowers and birds, landscapes and figures, especially plum blossoms. His paintings have ancient and simple shapes, elegant layouts, and innovative ideas. His works include "Dark Plum Blossom Picture", "Moon Flower Picture" and so on. He created an original official script style, which he called "lacquer script". It is also interesting, also called Jinnong style or Dongxin style. The strokes are thick horizontally and thin vertically. They are elegant but heavy. The fonts are mostly rectangular and top-heavy, which is very beautiful. .

Jin Nong (1687--1763), also known as Shoumen, Sinong, Jijin, also known as Dongxin, also known as Jiliu Shanmin, Qujiang Waishi, Xiye Jushi, etc., lived in Renhe, Zhejiang (now Hangzhou) ) people, living in Yangzhou for a long time. He had never been an official in his life. He was once recommended to be a scholar of Hongci, but he returned to Beijing without taking the exam. A good travel, "half the world's footprints". Erudite and talented, he started painting after the age of 50 and lived in poverty all his life.

Excellent at seal cutting and appraisal, and good at painting bamboo, plum blossoms, pommel horses, Buddha statues, figures, and landscapes. Especially fine plum blossoms. The plum blossoms he painted have many branches and flowers, full of vitality, and are also combined with ancient epigraphic brushwork. The style is elegant and simple. His works include "Ink Plum Blossom Picture", "Moon Flower Picture" and so on. He is also good at inscriptions and chants, "Every time you finish a painting, there must be an inscription and a touch of it." He is also good at calligraphy, taking the method from "Tianfa Shenfei Stele", "Guoshan Stele" and "Gulang Stele". The official script written in official script is simple and simple, and regular script has its own style, known as "lacquer script", which is also interesting. It is also called Jinnong style or Dongxin style. The strokes are thick horizontally and thin vertically, and are elegant and heavy. The fonts are mostly rectangular, top-heavy, and even For good looks. Seal cutting was done in the Qin and Han Dynasties. His poems include "Mr. Dong Xin's Collection" and "Mr. Dong Xin's Miscellaneous Works". His calligraphy and painting inscriptions and postscripts have been compiled into Dong Xin's bamboo paintings, plum paintings, horse paintings, self-portraits, miscellaneous painting inscriptions, etc. The picture of plum blossoms fighting against squares

The picture of chrysanthemums

The picture of Gao Wuyu standing up

4. Li Wei

Li Wei (1686--1762), His courtesy name was Zongyang, his nickname was Futang, and he was also called Chao Daoren. He was a native of Xinghua, Jiangsu. In the 50th year of Kangxi's reign, he passed the imperial examination. In the 53rd year of Kangxi's reign, he was invited to serve as a painter in the inner court. He was excluded because he did not want to be bound by the orthodox painting style. In the third year of Qianlong's reign, he was selected as the magistrate of Teng County, Shandong Province, and returned because he disobeyed the officials. After Liangge was demoted, he went to Yangzhou to make a living by selling paintings. He has the closest relationship with Zheng Xie, so Zheng You sells paintings in Yangzhou and grows old with Li. In his early years, he learned landscape painting from his fellow villager Wei Lingcang and inherited Huang Gongwang's path. When he was serving in the imperial court, he studied painting with Jiang Ting, and his painting techniques were exquisite. Later, he sought advice from Gao Qipei, a master of finger painting, and further advocated freehand brushwork. In Yangzhou, he was inspired by Shi Tao's brushwork, so he painted with broken brushes and splashed ink. His style changed drastically, and he formed his own unique style of free and easy blending of ink and ink. He liked to write long inscriptions and postscripts on the paintings, with uneven handwriting. The picture is very rich, and his works have a great influence on the flower and bird paintings of the late Qing Dynasty.

Sanyang Kaitai Picture

Banana Goose

Banana Xuanshi Picture

5. Huang Shen

Huang Shen (after 1687-1770), also known as Gongmao, Gongmao, Gongshou, Juzhuang, nicknamed Yinglaiao, Donghai Buyi, etc., was born in Ninghua, Fujian. He is good at freehand brushwork of figures, with occasional paintings of flowers, birds, and landscapes, with bold strokes and bold colors. He is one of the versatile painters among the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou".

When he was young, he studied diligently. Due to the difficulties of his family, he lived in Xiao Temple. "Books were paintings, and I had no wax at night, so I read under the bright lamp of the Buddhist temple." He is good at painting figures. In his early years, he learned from Shangguan Zhou, and he mostly painted fine brushwork. 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.

Huang Shen’s freehand figures create a unique style that incorporates cursive script into paintings. When Huaisu's cursive script came to Huang Shen, it became "barely bald", with intermittent links, the brushwork became more bold and wild, and the style became more bold and unbridled.

With such wild cursive brushwork in painting, the strokes are "as fast as the wind," the atmosphere is majestic, and the stippling is like the wind blowing fallen leaves. Huang Shen's figure paintings mostly draw from stories about gods and immortals, and depict historical figures and real-life civilian lives such as woodcutters, fishermen, refugees and beggars, which brought a new flavor to figure paintings in the Qing Dynasty. Huang Shen's character album "Lady Admiring Flowers" depicts a beautiful woman obsessed with flowers. The "Western Mountain Crane Drawing" is based on Su Shi's "Crane Flying Pavilion". There is a white crane standing on the right side of the picture. The old man seems to be looking up at the flying crane in the sky, while the boy is holding a flower basket, but he is enjoying himself. "I have always dreamed of the road to Yangzhou, and the cranes returned empty-handed" (Huang Shen's "Picture of Lin Bu Taming the Crane"). Huang Shen lived in Yangzhou twice for 17 years, ten miles away from Yangzhou, which became his lifelong attachment. His figure paintings are the most distinctive, including "Silk Lun Picture", "Group of Beggars", "Fisherman Picture" and so on. His poems were collected by Lei Hong, a fellow countryman, and compiled into "Jiaohu Poems". Picture of a figure holding a musical instrument

Picture of Zhong Kui

Picture of a lady holding a vase

6. Li Fangying

Li Fangying (1695～1755) , Chinese poet and painter in the Qing Dynasty, with the courtesy name Qiuzhong, nickname Qingjiang, nickname Qiuchi, Yiyuan, Baiyishanren, etc., from Tongzhou (now Nantong, Jiangsu Province). He lives in Borrow Garden in Jinling and calls himself the owner of Borrow Garden. He is one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". Born into a family of officials, he served as magistrate of Le'an County, Lanshan County, Qianshan County, acting Chuzhou magistrate, etc. When he was an official, he "benefited the government and was a virtuous person". Later, he was dismissed from office because of false accusations. He lives in Nanjing and calls himself the owner of Borrow Garden. He often travels to Yangzhou to sell paintings. He interacted with Li Wei, Jin Nong, Zheng Xie, etc. He was good at poetry, calligraphy and painting, and was good at plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, pine, fish, etc. He paid attention to the tradition of learning and learning from nature, and was able to create his own style. His brushwork is vigorous Old and thick, the cut is simple, informal and lively. Listed as one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou. There are "Wind Bamboo Pictures", "Swimming Fish Pictures" and "Dark Plum Pictures" handed down from generation to generation. Author of "Meihualou Poetry Notes". He is good at painting pine, bamboo, orchid, chrysanthemum, plum, miscellaneous flowers, insects and fish. He is also good at painting figures, landscapes, and is especially good at painting plum blossoms. The work is vertical and horizontal, bold and full of ink, with thick heads and random clothes, informal ink, and the intention is between ivy, white sun, and bamboo. Painted plum blossoms are known for their thin and hard appearance, with old trunks and new branches, and curved sides. It is printed with "Plum Blossom Means", and the famous poem about plum blossoms has the sentence "No matter how hard it is, it will not be strange". I also like to draw pines and bamboos in the strong wind. Work documents. He was capable of poetry, and later generations compiled "Plum Blossom Tower Poems", which contains only twenty-six poems, most of which are scattered in paintings. Wind Bamboo

Plum Blossoms

Autumn Chrysanthemums

Li Fangying is not from Yangzhou, nor is he like Huang Shen, Jin Nong, etc. who have lived in Yangzhou for a long time and sold paintings. Why is he listed among the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou"? Regarding this issue, Guan Jincheng's posthumous manuscript "Li Fangying's Biography" published in the third volume of "Chinese Literature and History" in 1980 has been verified. The main points are: 1. The character and painting quality are comparable to those of the other seven people (according to Li Xian, Jiang Shishen, Gao Xiang, Jin Nong, Huang Shen, Zheng Xie, and Luo Pin); 2. Tongzhou was established before the first year of Yongzheng (1723). It was just a scattered state belonging to Yangzhou Prefecture. When Li Fangying entered school in the 57th year of Kangxi (1718), his native place was Tongzhou, Yangzhou Prefecture, so he was a native of Yangzhou in a broad sense. The friendship between Li Fangying and Zheng Banqiao, the leader of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou", can be seen from the "Flowers Picture" and "Three Friends Picture" jointly created by several people mentioned above, and there is more that can be described. . First of all, Banqiao admired Li Fangying's painting skills very much and spoke highly of him. Ink bamboo is Zheng Banqiao's best skill, but his "Ink Bamboo Album Inscribed on Li Fangying" still believes that Li's ink bamboo "Dongpo, Yu is awe-inspiring". Even the masters of ink bamboo painting Su Shi and Wen Tong are "afraid of it" , which shows its high evaluation. As for Li Fangying's best painting of plum blossoms, the discussion is more specific and the evaluation is higher. Zheng Banqiao said in "A Long Scroll Inscribed on Li Fangying's Painting of Plum Blossoms" written five years after Li Fangying's death:

"Orchid and bamboo paintings, what everyone does is not good. What the whole world does not do about plum blossoms and bamboos is even less good. Only lay people and monks do it. Every time I see a large piece of charcoal holding my eyes, it is so disgusting and filthy that it makes me want to vomit." Brother Li of Qingjiang works alone when the whole world is not doing anything, so he paints plum blossoms with his mouth. Taste, then lead the spirit of plum blossoms, appreciate the nature of plum blossoms, imitate the charm of plum blossoms, and express the feeling of spitting out plum blossoms. The plum blossoms also bow down and fall into the cutting and carving of the plum blossoms and cannot come out.

The so-called tailoring does not mean cutting, but true cutting; the so-called carving does not mean carving, but true carving. It is advisable to stop the crooked journey, and not to exhaust the world. There are people who don't know how it happened. If you ask Qingjiang, you don't know it yourself, and you can't tell others. If you come to Tongzhou and see this scroll, you will be energetic and full of interest. This volume is full of new branches and ancient trunks, mixed with flying and dancing, making it impossible to find its ups and downs. I want to sit and lie down under it, do my homework for ten days, and then remove my ears. Inscribed by Zheng Xie of Banqiao on May 13th, the 25th year of Qianlong reign. "

On this painting, he also wrote a four-character poem;

Megan gnaws, the plum blossoms shine,

a few petals Ice soul, eternal snow

According to the postscript of "Huang Shen's Painting of Ding Youyu Xiang Volume" written by Zheng Banqiao at the same time ("Banqiao Painting and Calligraphy Rubbing Collection", the original is in the Nantong Museum), "Hao Xiangshan, Qingjiang, Li Gong's servant, Bao's pen and ink are like the arch wall, and the cable inscription is written on the old man Banqiao. "We know that Zheng Banqiao came to Tongzhou for the second time in the early summer of the 25th year of Qianlong (1760) when he was sixty-eight years old. Li Fangying's servant Hao Xiangshan took out the paintings of the owner he visited and invited Zheng Banqiao to visit him. Inscription. Zheng You felt the original deep friendship between him and Li Fangying and Hao Xiangshan's loyalty to his master, so he happily wrote the inscription and poem above. Zheng Banqiao came to Tongzhou this time and lived in the north of the city for more than 20 years. Qin Zao, who lived there, "lived in Baobei Jijing Valley Garden" (Jinbang's "Haiqu Supplements"), and went to visit Langshan. In his collection, he left two of the seven unique poems "Visiting Bailang Mountain"

This postscript first criticizes the disgusting plum blossoms painted by lay workers and lay monks; then praises Li Kuying's plum blossom paintings as "difficult to see the craftsmanship" and "the first in the world" and details the use of plum blossoms painted by Li Kuying. Not cutting is cutting, not carving is carving, which follows the nature of plum blossoms and does not show the artistic experience of artificial carving; in the end, he expressed his admiration for the "new branches and ancient trunks, mixed with flying" of this plum painting, and was willing to "sit and lie under it" , do your homework for ten days and then go." This inscription is so specific, profound and full of emotions, which also reflects that Zheng Banqiao and Li Yunying have been friends for a long time, have many contacts and have a deep understanding. It is an important testimony of their profound friendship.

In the winter of the 16th year of Qianlong (1751), after Li Fangying was dismissed from his post as magistrate of Hefei County, he borrowed Xiang's Garden in Nanjing, borrowed the name of the garden, and settled down there until 20 years (1751). 5) In autumn, he returned to Tongzhou due to illness. For four years, he often stayed with Yuan Mei, a leading literary figure at that time, and Shen Feng, a painter, and had a very close relationship with him in the early spring of Yihai, the 20th year of Qianlong's reign (1755). Li Fangying returned to Tongzhou once, and Yuan Mei wrote poems to send him off. Volume 11 of the collection of poems contains three poems "Send Li Qingjiang back to Tongzhou". The first poem has a sentence: "I just sent him plum blossoms and filled his clothes with snow, and the plum painter drove away again." fly. How light is the light on the wine and spring? The shadows of the four seas are even rarer. "It is indeed an early spring scene, and the word "spring" is clearly highlighted. Li Fangying likes to paint wind bamboos. His "Xiaoxiang Wind Bamboo Picture" depicts a square of ugly stones and several poles of Xiang bamboo. The bamboo tips are curved and the bamboo leaves are towards one The direction is fluttering, showing the scene of strong winds.

A small poem on the painting:

The history of painting has never been about painting style. I have overcome difficulties