画坛五百年——兼论“明四家”

古今吴门画作跨越时空对话——由中国美术馆、江苏省委宣传部、江苏省文联、苏州市人民政府主办的“回眸600年——从明四家到当代吴门”绘画特展于11月30日至12月10日在中国美术馆举办。展览展出中国画、油画、版画、水彩画等作品164幅，展现了“明四家”为代表的吴门画派的艺术风华。本刊刊发故宫博物院研究员单国强的文章，以展现吴地艺术“兼容并蓄、多方融合、含蓄蕴藉、以道统艺”的特征。

Initiated as a cross-time dialogue between the ancient and the present paintings of the Wu School, "Looking back 600 Years---From Four Great Painters of Ming Dynasty to the Present Wu School special painting exhibition hosted by National Art Museum of China, Publicity Department of Provincial Government of Jiangsu, Federation of Literature & Art of Jiangsu, Government of Suzhou City has been held at NAMOC from 30, November to 10, December. The exhibition displays 164 artworks, including the Chinese painting, oil painting,engraving, watercolor painting etc., demonstrating the artistic style of the Wu School represented by the Four Great Painters of Ming Dynasty. This article by SHAN Guoqiang, a researcher of the Palace Museum, is committed to showing such artistic characteristics as comprehensive inclusiveness,diversified combination, refined implication and aesthetic tradition in the art works of the region.

苏州是座举世闻名的历史文化古城，自春秋吴国建城以来，距今已有2500多年，文化积淀也十分丰厚。近500年的明清时期，苏州更成为全国农渔业、工商业经济的重心和文化艺术中心，其文化艺术昌盛的主要特色是综合实力强，门类齐全，发展持续。最盛名遐迩的，苏州是工艺之邦，瑰丽精细的苏绣，为我国四大名绣之一；玉雕有“鬼斧神工”之誉；桃花坞木刻年画是南北三大民间木刻年画流派之一；还有他处无及的苏裱、富于变化的苏州折扇、活泼生动的虎丘泥人、高雅绝俗的苏式家具、玲珑剔透的红木小件以及缂丝、剧装戏具、民族乐器等。苏州还是园林之城，据统计明代园林多达270余处，清代园林有130多所，有“城里半园亭”之说。苏州又是状元之乡，清代出状元26名，占全国总数的22.8%。苏州更是诗、文、书、画文坛的重镇，明代有号称“吴中四杰”的高启、杨基、张羽、徐贲，“吴中四才子”的文徵明、唐寅、祝允明、徐祯卿，通俗文学家冯梦龙、文学批评家金圣叹、戏剧作家李玉等。尤其是明代中后期的吴门书画，名家辈出，流绪不绝，其中有号称“吴门四家”的沈周、文徵明、唐寅、仇英以及由沈、文创立的“吴派”诸家如文嘉、文伯仁、陆治、钱谷、周天球、陆师道等画家；称为书坛“吴中三大家”的祝允明、文徵明、王宠；影响所及，在明末清初，画坛还形成了以董其昌为首的“松江派”，号称“四王”画派的王时敏、王鉴、王翚、王原祁，以及由他们所创立的“娄东派”“虞山派”诸家，流绪直至清末民初。

明代从成化至嘉靖年间（1465年-1566年）的明代中期，以苏州为中心的江南地区，崛起了一批画家，他们取代明早期的“院体”“浙派”而主盟画坛近百年，代表人物有号称“吴门四家”的沈周、文徵明、唐寅、仇英，以及由沈、文创立的“吴派”诸家，这些名家的弟子、传人络绎不绝，成员达百余人之多，为明代阵容最大的画派。

其实，在吴门画坛异军突起之前，苏州地区已经聚集了一批颇有知名度的画家，他们主要继承“元四家”的文人画传统，代表画家稍早的有徐贲、谢缙、王绂等人，为元明之际的传承人物，稍后的杜琼、刘珏、姚绶、沈贞吉、沈恒吉等人，则直接影响了“吴派”创立者沈周。这批文人画家堪称“吴派”前驱。

明代中期的“吴门四家”中，沈周年岁最高，文徵明师事之，唐寅也受其影响。沈周早年受伯父沈贞吉、父亲沈恒吉的家庭熏染和老师杜琼、刘珏的亲自指授，最初即接受以“元四家”为主的文人画传统。40岁以前，沈周宗王蒙，兼取董、巨，作品景致繁复，结构严谨，笔法工细锐利，风格精谨缜密，史称“细沈”。40岁以后至58岁，逐渐转为“粗沈”风格，泛学诸家，主宗黄公望，从精工的盈尺小景，渐拓为粗枝大叶的大幅，并形成集诸家大成、呈苍润雄厚的自身风格，他最倾心的是董源、巨然、李成和“元四家”，入选的《仿董巨山水轴》，绘于47岁，即反映了由细入粗的转变阶段风貌。沈周58岁时自号“白石翁”，此后20余年可称晚期，他醉心于吴镇，用笔更为粗简，常常率意而为，下笔粗重，时出侧锋，于遒劲中见浑厚；墨色也趋酣畅，多湿笔渲染，富浓淡变化，于简率中见苍茫，其粗笔山水已达炉火纯青，如入选的《沧州趣图卷》即为晚年代表作。

文徵明与沈周共同创立“吴派”。他的山水画也可分为三阶段，早期从30岁到44岁以前，他原名“壁”，42岁改为“徵明”，44岁弃“壁”不用，故改名前可称早期。此阶段曾师事沈周，兼学赵孟頫、王蒙，无论青绿或水墨，均以工细为主，时称“细文”。青绿山水主宗赵孟頫，兼取赵伯驹和赵伯骕，并融入“元四家”和“二米”笔墨，形成丰姿多彩、行利相兼的小青绿山水风貌；水墨山水则取王蒙的缜密、黄公望的虚灵和赵孟頫的秀雅，构成俊逸秀润的风格，作于60岁的《漪兰室图卷》就反映了这类面貌。60余岁至90岁晚期，兼长粗细两种画法，本色的细笔画更见精工，粗笔画又更趋苍劲。在沈、文共创的“吴门画派”中文徵明的影响更大，追随者也更多。

唐寅和仇英与沈、文有所不同，两人并非是纯粹的文人画家，故亦非“吴派”成员。唐寅出身商贾之家，少习诗文，负才气，与文徵明、张灵、都穆、徐祯卿等文人为友，29岁乡试曾得中第一名解元，是位典型的文人。后进京会试，因受科场舞弊案牵连，断绝了仕途，遂以卖画为生，成为职业画家，故而他的画风中兼容了文人画和专业画的特色。他的画技艺全面，山水、人物、花鸟各科兼善，工笔、写意、白描、水墨、设色诸法俱精，面貌多样，行利相兼。就山水画而论，30岁以前属其早期，受沈、文等吴门文人画家的影响，多宗元人传统；30岁至40岁的中期，成为职业画家后，曾师事老画家周臣，主宗南宋“院体”，笔墨变为刚健劲峭，然也保留了早期细秀清润的特点；40岁至54岁的晚期，逐步形成本色的细笔山水面貌，熔南北采于一炉，如盛大士《溪山卧游录》所评：“伯虎参松雪之精华，其皴法虽似北宗，实得南宗之神髓者也。”典型风格是：景色简约清朗，近景突出，远景简略；用笔多细劲中锋，纤而不弱，力而有韵，刚柔相济；皴法变化丰富，短斫、长皴、顺锋、逆毫、方折、圆转交替使用，不辨何种皴法，却杂而不乱，穿插有序；墨色淋漓，又具层次，满布全幅却不显迫促，具秀润和空灵感；总体风格谨细绵密，平淡清远。《双鉴行窝图册》作于50岁，反映了其晚年细笔典型面貌；《事茗图卷》则更多集大成技法，近景湖石、松树仿北宋李郭画派，远山渲涮又近南宋夏圭拖泥带水皴，中央的屋宇、坡台则似元人和文徵明，此图当属中晚期过渡时期作品。

仇英出身贫寒，当过漆工，后习画，青年时代拜周臣为师，故他与唐寅是师兄弟。开始主宗的当是周臣专擅的南宋“院体”画风，后结识文徵明，又与吴中诗人、文人书画家王守、王宠、文彭、文嘉、文伯仁、彭年、陆治、陆师道、周天球等人交往，深受“吴派”熏陶，风格逐渐由刚劲严整转为清逸秀润。中年时他还在大收藏家项元汴处馆居十余年，后又至昆山收藏家周六观家作画，饱览他们珍藏的大量宋元名家真迹，画艺大进，传统功力精湛，尤其青绿山水和工笔人物，深得宋人三味。《临萧照高宗瑞应图卷》即是他较忠实于原作的摹古作品，完整的六段场景可补已缺佚的肖照原作之失。仇英和唐寅堪称职业画与文人画兼容的画家，故虽未形成流派，却雅俗共赏，士商皆宜，在当时也有不少传人，声誉不逊于沈、文。

由沈、文创立的“吴派”，则代有传人，阵营强大。沈周已有较多追随者，家传子孙有沈豳、沈召、沈轸、沈丝、沈泸州、沈颢、沈湄等人，学生和传人有文徵明、张复、项承恩、盛时泰、吴麟、周用、雷鲤、陈铎、陈焕、陆文、喻希连、孙艾、宗周、谢时臣、陈天定、杜翼龙、朱南雍、李著、徐弘泽等人，其中佼佼者为文徵明，有“出兰”之誉，谢时臣亦自具创意，享有时名。谢时臣擅画山水，善作巨幛大幅，喜绘高俊雄伟的名山大川，运笔纵横，设色浅淡，颇得沈周苍劲之力和磅礴之势，唯过于外露，有“浙派”霸悍之弊。《溪亭逸思图轴》即反映了他的典型风格。

“吴派”自沈、文学生辈以后，许多作品陈陈相固，毫无新意，日趋衰微，如清方吉偶在《题杜琼山水卷》中所评：“有明一代，高手出吴门，末流亦在吴门。”然在晚明，苏州画坛受董其昌影响，也出现了一批向“松江派”兼拢的画家，如邵弥、卞文瑜等人，达到一定成就。还孕育出一些描绘城市世俗生活的人物画家，如李士达、袁尚统、张宏等人，他们的风俗画也为苏州画坛重新注入了新风和活力。

仅以绘画领域这一门类，来纵观苏州五百年的历史发展，就可领略其厚重深邃的文化底蕴和丰富博大的文化内涵。画坛五百年来人才辈出，代现巨匠，一脉相承，传绪不绝，正从一个侧面反映了悠久而灿烂的吴地文化。传布、总结、研究和继承优秀的吴地文化，推陈出新，古为今用，必将为新时期苏州的文化建设作出有益贡献。

As a globally-renowned ancient city of history and culture,Suzhou, since the foundation during the Wu Dynasty in the Spring and Autumn Period, has a history of over 2,500 years with profound cultural heritage. The city has even become the national center of agriculture, industrial and commercial economy, culture and art Over a period of nearly five centuries during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the main features of its cultural and artistic prosperity lie in the aspects of strong comprehensive strength, complete categories and continuous development. Suzhou is mostly famous as a city of arts and crafts, showcasing the magnificent fine embroidery,one of China’s most famous four embroideries, jade carving reputed for the Extraordinary Skills, Taohuawu woodcut New Year painting, one of the three major folk schools of its kind,unparalleled picture mounting, the changing Suzhou fans, lively Huqiu clay figurines, elegant Suzhou-styled furniture, exquisitelycarved small pieces of mahogany and tapestry, properties,folk musical instruments etc. It also earns the reputation of garden city, "Half City Covered by Gardens", showing over 270 gardens in the Ming dynasty and more than 130 during the Qing dynasty according to the statistics. Suzhou is also the homeland of China’s best academicians, with 26 scholars in the Qing dynasty, accounting for 22.8% of the country’s total number.More importantly, Suzhou is a great city of poetry, literature,calligraphy and painting, with Four Great Men of Wu during the Ming dynasty, GAO Qi, YANG Ji, ZHANG Yu and XU Ben, Four Talents of Wu, WEN Zhengiming, TANG Yin, ZHU Yunming and XU Zhenqing, light literature writer, FENG Menglong, literary critic,JIN Shengtan, dramatist LI Yu amongst others. Famous experts of painting and calligraphy of Wu School emerged continuously during the middle and later period of the Ming dynasty, including SHEN Zhou, WEN Zhengiming, TANG Yin and QIU Ying, Rwown as Four Great Figures of Wu School as well as WEN Jia, WEN Boren,LU Zhi, QIAN GU, ZHOU Tianqiu, LU Shidao and other painters of Wu School created by SHEN Zhou and WEN Zhengming,Three Great Calligraphers of Wu School ZHU Yunming, WEN Zhiming and WANG Pang, the Songjiang School of painting circle headed by DONG Qichang emerged during the late Ming and early Qing dynasty, WANG Shimin, WANG Jian, WANG Hui and WANG Yuanqi, the Four WANGs School, and the Loudong School,Yushan School and others created by them have enjoyed much popularity until late Qing dynasty and the early Republic of China.A group of painters from southern China centered around Suzhou emerged from the year of Chenghua to Jiajing (1465-1566)during the middle Ming dynasty. Replacing the Yuan School and Zhe School of early Ming dynasty, they dominated the painting circle for nearly a century, represented by the Four Great Figures of Wu School, SHEN Zhou, WEN Zhengiming, TANG Yin and QIU Ying, and other painters of Wu School created by SHEN Zhou and WEN Zhengming. The disciples and followers of these famous painters have reached over a hundred, creating the largest school of painting in the Ming dynasty.

Suzhou area had already gathered a number of well-known painters before the sudden rise of Wu School. They had mostly inherited the tradition of the literati painting of the Four Painters of Yuan Dynasty, represented by XU Ben, XIE Jin and WANG Fu at earlier time as the transitional figures between Yuan and Ming dynasties, and DU Qiong, LIU Jue, YAO Shou, SHEN Zhenji, SHEN Hengji and others following later cast direct influence towards SHEN Zhou, founder of Wu School. Hence, this group of literati painters was known as the predecessor of Wu School.

Of the Four Great Figures of Wu School, SHEN Zhou was the oldest, WEN Zhiming as his student, with his influence to TANG Yin. Under the family influence by his uncle SHEN Zhenji and his father SHEN Hengji and personal instruction by his teacher DU Qiong and LIU Jue at early years, SHEN Zhou had initially accepted the tradition of literati painting dominated by the Four Great Painters of Yuan dynasty. At early days before the age of 40, he mainly studied from WANG Meng while absorbed knowledge from DONG Yuan and JU Ran, with his artworks showing complex landscape and rigorous structure, sharp drawing technique and refined and meticulous style, earning him the reputation of XI SHEN in history. From the age of 40 to 58,he generally turned to the style of CU SHEN by studying from all painters with main model of HUANG Gongwang, transforming from the exquisite and refined small scenery to the crude large extension while integrating all the advantages of other great painters. His most favorite was DONG Yuan, JU Ran, LI Cheng and four great painters in Yuan dynasty. The selectedLandscape Scroll by Imitation of DONG Yuan and JU Ran, drawn at the age of 47, reflects the phase of XI to CU transition. SHEN Zhou called himself Bai Shi Weng. Hence, the 20 years after this period can be considered the later period, during which he was obsessed with WU Zhen with rough and heavy style, hearty use of ink with rendering by wet brush and changes of shade, creating vastness from simplicity and reaching the perfection in landscape painting by thick brush, such as the selectedScroll of Cangzhou Landscape, the representative work of his old age.

洛阳春色图卷 陈道復 Scroll of Spring in Luoyang CHEN Daofu

WEN Zhengming and SHEN Zhou jointly created the Wu School.Wen's landscape paintings are divided into three phases, the early phase was from the age of 30 to 44, as his original given name was Bi, changing to Zhengiming at 42 and eventually giving up the Bi. Hence, it could be the early phase before the name change. During this period, he acknowledged SHEN Zhou as his teacher, while learning from ZHAO Mengfu and WANG Meng with exquisite style in both green landscape painting and water landscape painting, namely Xiwen. He learned the green landscape painting primarily from ZHAO Mengfu, combining ZHAO Boju and ZHAO Bosu and integrating with styles of four great painters of Yuan dynasty, MI Youren and MI Fu, forming the colorful and charming green landscape style of small size. His water landscape painting, on the other hand, borrowed WANG Meng’s deliberation, HUANG Gongwang’s imagination and ZHAO Mengfu’s refinement, constituting the pretty and smooth genre.The Scroll of Yilanshicreated at age of 60 is a reflection of such appearance. Moreover, being skillful in both thick and thin styles at his late period between the age of 60 to 90, he showed more vigorous efforts in thin style and harsh taste in thick strokes. Due to the greater influence in the Painting Style of Wu School, WEN Zhengiming possessed more followers.

Quite different from SHEN Zhou and WEN Zhiming, TANG Yin and QIU Ying were not pure literati painters and members of Wu School accordingly. Born in a family of merchant, TANG Yin studied poems at his youth with great talent and made friends with WEN Zhengiming, ZHANG Ling, DU Mu, XU Zhenqing and other literati. Having claimed the first place in the imperial exam at the provincial level at the age of 29, he was a typical scholar.Influenced by the fraud in the metropolitan examination in the capital, he started to sell paintings for a living after giving up his official career and became a professional painter afterwards.Hence, his style is compatible with the features of literati and professional paintings. Having showed comprehensive skills in painting, he was accomplished in landscapes, figures, flowers and birds in style, and traditional Chinese realistic painting,freehand painting, line drawing, ink painting with consummate skills by diversified colors in techniques. Concerning the landscape painting, under the influence of SHEN Zhou and WEN Zhiming and other literati painters of Wu School during the early period before the age of 30, TANG Yin followed the traditions of artists of Yuan Dynasty. After becoming a professional painter during the middle period from age of 30-40, he once learned from ZHOU Chen, an elder painter focusing on the Imperial-Court Painting School of Southern Song dynasty with vigorous style amid characteristics of delicacy and exquisiteness of the early period. During the late period from age of 40-54, he gradually formed the genuine style of refined natural landscape,integrating characteristics of both northern and southern parts of the country, as commented by SHENG Dashi in hisAdmiring Mountain Scenery by Springs: TANG Yin had true spiritual style learning from the south, but not north. His classic style: simple scenery, highlighting the close shot and brief distant view;combining vigor and suppleness in strokes power; the changing Cunfa featuring miscellaneous and orderly lines in a number of diversified strokes; the dripping ink showing different levels, full coverage in frame with sense of smoothness and intangibility.The Scroll of Double Rockscreated at the age of 50 reflects his typical image of refined style during the late period.The Volume of Shimingshows comprehensive techniques, lake, stone and pines in close range by imitation of LIGUO School of the Northern Song dynasty, the distant mountains adopt strokes of XIA Gui of Southern Song dynasty, and the house and slopes centering the frame follow the style of painters of Yuan dynasty and WEN Zhiming, resulting the frame categorized from the transitional phase of middle and later period.

Born poor, QIU Ying pursued painting during after lacquering work his youth by considering ZHOU Chen as teacher, hence,he is the fellow apprentice of TANG Yin. Initially in the style of Yuan School of Southern Song dynasty specialized by years of ZHOU Chen, he then got acquainted with WEN Zhiming, poets of Wu and literati painters WANG Shou, WANG Chong, WEN Peng, WEN Jia, WEN Boren, PENG Nian, LU Zhi, LU Shidao, ZHOU Tianqiu and others, and was deeply influenced by the Wu School,changing style from vigorousness to exquisiteness in a gradual manner. During his middle age, he once lived in the mansion of XIANG Yuanbian, a great collector, for over a decade followed by painting at ZHOU Liuguan’s residence, a collector in Kunshan,enjoying their large collection of a number of famous artworks of Song and Yuan painters, improving his painting technique especially in green mountains and waters, and Chinese realistic painting personage.Copy of Xiaozhao's Painting in Praise of Emperor Gaozong's Glory in Song Dynastyis his artwork, faithful to the original ancient style, as the complete six scenes are capable of complementing the missing original works of XIAO Zhao, a famous painter of Song dynasty. QIU Ying and TANG Yin are called the painters of integration of both professional painting and literati painting. Having not formed a school, yet they have enjoyed the same reputation as that of SHEN Zhou and WEN Zhengiming with many followers, as their artworks were most popular amongst all people.

The Wu School, created by SHEN Zhou and WEN Zhengiming,has followers of many generations. SHEN Zhou possessed a large number, including his offspring SHEN Bin, SHEN Zhao, SHEN Zhen, SHEN Si, SHEN Luzhou, SHEN Hao, SHEN Mei amongst others,apprentices and followers WEN Zhengiming, ZHANG Fu, XIANG Cheng’en, SHENG Shitai, WU Qi,ZHOU Yong, LEI Li, CHEN Duo, CHEN Huan, LU Wen, YU Xilian, SUN Ai, ZONG Zhou, XIE Shichen, CHEN Tianding, DU Yilong, ZHU Nanyong, LI Zhu, XU Hongze etc. Of all, WEN Zhengiming was the best with favorable reputation of "Outstanding Painter of Orchids", while XIE Shichen, also famous for his own creativity, was skilled in landscape painting on giant frame, showcasing magnificent and well-known mountains and rivers with free strokes and shallow colors borrowed from SHEN Zhou’s vigorous force and boundless potential, featuring great exposure as that of Zhejiang School.The Scroll of Thinking by Spring and Pavilionreflects his typical style accordingly.

After the pupils of SHEN Zhou and WEN Zhengiming, the Wu School witnessed a gradual declination as the following artworks remained unchanged without much creativity, as it was commented inScroll of Mountain and Water of DU Qiongby FANG Jiou of Qing dynasty: both great masters and poor hands were from the Wu School in the Ming dynasty. However, during the late Ming, a group of painters closing to the Songjiang School, by the influence of DONG Qichang in painting circle in Suzhou, have claimed certain achievement, including SHAO Mi, BIAN Wenyu amongst others. It also cradled some portrayed painters who depicted the secular life of the city, such as LI Shida, YUAN Shangtong and ZHANG Hong, whose style has again injected fresh air and vitality into the Suzhou painting circle.

We can appreciate its profound cultural background and abundant cultural connotation only through the field of painting to observe the historical development of Suzhou in the past five hundred years,showing successive generations of great masters, a reflection of the long and splendid culture of the former Wu state. Adapting the ancient forms for the present-day use, the spread, summary,research and inheritance of Wu culture shall undoubtedly make a useful contribution to the cultural construction of Suzhou in the new period.

北海 （油画）颜文樑 North Sea (Oil Painting) YAN Wenliang