0276 The vertical scroll of Ba people drawing water, ink and color on paper

Author Xu Beihong

Category Chinese calligraphy and painting gt; painting

Creation year 1938 Annual work

Size 300×62cm

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Seals: Xu, Beihong, Donghai Wangsun, born in sorrow

Knowledge: I can bear to watch the Ba people who are used to carrying heavy burdens, and the road to Jideng is a hundred feet long. Every grain in the plate is hard work, and the hard work also adds blood and sweat. In the late autumn of the 27th year, I went to Sichuan with the Central University and wrote about what I saw in Shapingyu. Beihong.

Inscription: (Inscribed by Yan Jiyuan) Authentic painting of Xu Beihongba people drawing water. Pingyuan Department. Seal: Ji Yuan's private seal

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Explanation: Inscribed by Yan Jiyuan.

Appreciation of "Ba People Drawing Water"

Mr. Xu Beihong's life was a life in which he made great contributions to the cause of Chinese art. He took the revival of Chinese painting as his own responsibility and worked tirelessly throughout his life. Through hard work and hard study, he became a great artist who blended Chinese and Western styles, combined ancient and modern times, and achieved unique achievements. His outstanding contribution to art education had a huge and far-reaching impact on the development of modern Chinese painting.

In particular, Mr. Xu Beihong moved to Chongqing with the Central University in August 1937 and continued to teach at the Central University. In July 1946, he took the "Mind Lian" from Chongqing to Nanjing and then to Peking via Shanghai. , took office as the principal of Peking Art College. He spent 10 spring and autumn in Chongqing No.1. It can be said that these 10 years were the most important 10 years in his artistic career, completing the dual sublimation of his personality and art, and making great contributions to the innovation of Chinese figure, animal, and landscape painting. Especially in figure painting, Mr. Xu Beihong used his inspiring voice to advocate that painters should focus on figures, depict real life, and change the backward state of the same old, thousands of mountains and mountains, without figures in the paintings. He practiced hard, picked up a huge pen, and drew many innovative masterpieces. Such as "The Picture of Ba People Drawing Water", "The Poor Woman of Ba", "The Foolish Old Man Moves the Mountain", "Portrait of Zhang Caiqin", "Laundry" and so on.

"Ba People Drawing Water" is an art treasure that truly records the hard work of the people of Chongqing. It is known as one of Mr. Xu Beihong's four representative works with the most popular character and the spirit of the times. The successful creation of "Ba People Drawing Water" caused great repercussions in the society at that time. When the work was exhibited in 1938, it was hailed as "a rare work in five hundred years." According to Mr. Liao Jingwen’s recollection, “After seeing the exhibition, the Indian Minister in China was also inspired by the work and proposed to buy it. Since Beihong was also living in a very tight situation at the time, he agreed to repaint the painting “Ba” for him. Picture of people drawing water".

Mr. Xu Beihong fled to Chongqing in 1937 due to the national crisis. It was during the difficult years in Chongqing, the climate of the national crisis and the real life of the people that made life difficult for them, that this progressive painter, who was originally full of humanitarian ideas, He has a deeper understanding of the sufferings of the people, and even integrated himself into the working people. Water is the first element for human survival, but water is hard to come by in mountain cities. When Mr. Xu came to Chongqing, the first sight that caught his eye was the rows of men carrying water. Their strenuous steps and the poles bent by the buckets made the artist deeply feel the hardships of life and the hardships of life. The spirit of struggle passed down from generation to generation by Chongqing people in this land. For this reason, the painter's creative inspiration was triggered, and Mr. Xu constructed a real and vivid blueprint of the Ba people's water collection in Mr. Xu's mind.

The composition of "Ba People Drawing Water" is unique in composition, which makes the painter's modeling techniques shine with brilliance. The whole picture is very strange, 300 centimeters high and 62 centimeters wide, making it quite slender. But when it is hung, it is consistent with the 100-foot cliff of the Jialing River, making the scene even more steep and thrilling. The Ba people carrying water up and down the 100-foot stone steps shine with the touching Chinese spirit, set off by the perfect and harmonious environment. It gives people a feeling of being ready to come out.

Give Way, it depicts a man wearing a sweat towel, bare arms and legs, with his body bent and a heavy load on his shoulders, struggling to climb a steep and long stone staircase. Next to the connecting stone, a young man wearing a long robe, with the front skirt rolled around his waist and carrying an empty load on his shoulders, stood humbly to make way for him. He leaned slightly sideways and stared at the porters who were struggling to climb with sympathy and pity. At the top of the picture, three porters are drawn who climbed to the top of the river bank. After climbing the difficult and dangerous ladder, they began to take long strides and move quickly with ease.

Between the sections of the picture, the rocks on the river bank and the layers of stone steps are used to integrate them. The stone steps and rock shores are first added with color and ink to create a large and decent relationship, and then outlined with ink lines to highlight the layers. The layers of neatly arranged rock steps are arranged in a zigzag shape and are well-proportioned. In order to highlight the height and steepness of the river bank, the painter widened the distance between the second and third pictures. The painting method of the background is more prominent. The white space in the middle of the picture shows the twists and turns of the stone steps. A clump of green bamboo and a few blooming plum blossoms are painted on the upper half. The bamboos are painted with green, while the plum blossoms are first painted with thick ink. The branches are drawn on rice paper, and the petals are dotted with white powder. They are clean, elegant and spotless, which not only reflects the steepness of the river bank, but also makes the painting rich in color.

The characters are the main body of "Ba People Drawing Water". The whole picture highlights the charm of the objects and images, and the theme is profound and far-reaching. In terms of technique, Western painting methods are used to enrich the expressive ability of Chinese paintings. A slight dyeing of the muscles can appropriately strengthen the volume of the muscles on the porters, highlight the strength and strength of the human body, show the heavy work, and make the painting techniques more effective. There are many changes, and the concepts, creativity, techniques and other aspects are full of new ideas.

Since ancient times, China has had the idea of ??expressing aspirations in poetry and conveying spirit in paintings. After finishing the painting, the artist thought for a while and added a seven-character rhyme poem in his own hand: "The people in Xinba are used to carrying burdens, and they have to climb a hundred feet long road; the grains in the plate are all hard work, and the hard work also adds blood and sweat." Mr. Xu Beihong The satisfaction with this painting is also reflected in the fact that he integrated himself into the painting. When he painted the head of the young man wearing a robe standing on the paving stone, he actually painted a self-portrait. After inscribing the poem, he signed it: "In the late autumn of the 27th year, I went to Sichuan with the Central University and wrote about what I saw in Shapingba." The painter closely combines the individual, the nation, the era, and art, and even integrates himself into the people. It has a particularly strong appeal. This kind of meaningful and profound meaning outside the painting is pleasant and thought-provoking.

The first "Picture of Ba People Drawing Water", Mr. Xu Beihong later added the title "Preserved by Jingwen's beloved wife", and it is now in the Xu Beihong Memorial Hall. This painting of "Ba People Drawing Water" really stayed in Chongqing since then. The process will not be repeated here. In 1998, on the occasion of commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of art master Xu Beihong, the work was published on June 21, 1998. "Chongqing Morning News" and "Xu Beihong in Panxi".

Xu Beihong realized his grand ambition of integrating China and the West with "Ba People Drawing Water". He successfully guided traditional Chinese painting that has lasted for thousands of years to realism with a modern spirit. "Ba People Drawing Water" has also become a milestone in modern Chinese painting.

"The Picture of Ba People Drawing Water" is an important work in the history of Chinese art, and it is an indispensable work in any Chinese art textbook. If we were to select works that can be ranked among the "world famous paintings" from the paintings that can be handed down from modern times, there is no doubt that "Ba People Drawing Water" stands out among them. As China's economy continues to grow, Eastern culture becomes more and more prominent, and masterpieces such as "Ba People Drawing Water" will surely be on par with Western masterpieces in the world's art market.

The best example of realist Chinese painting

——A brief study of "Ba people drawing water" and Xu Beihong's masterpieces

English title

There is no need to go into details about the legendary stories related to "Ba People Drawing Water". As time goes by, the only thing these legends and backgrounds can bring to this work is its novel charm and increase its legend. The mystery of sex, rather than its original artistic charm and practical value.

As for Xu Beihong's works that use lions, horses, eagles and other animals as objects of expression, although they contain realistic feelings, they basically follow the "Fu Bixing" tradition in Chinese culture and pay more attention to their metaphors. Meaning, symbolism rather than its practical significance. In this regard, if Xu Beihong's creations represented by "Tian Heng Five Hundred Men", "The Foolish Old Man Moves the Mountain" and works on horses and lions are numerous chapters in the "Book of Songs", then, obviously, "The Picture of Ba People Drawing Water" " is the only "Spring and Autumn".

Before and after the creation of "Ba People Drawing Water", the Chinese art circle at that time produced many works of great practical significance, such as Jiang Zhaohe's "Refugees" (1941, traditional Chinese painting), Situ Qiao's "Put Down Your Whip" (1940, oil painting), Feng Fasi's "Catching Lice" (oil painting, 1945), etc., and even Jiang Feng's "Dock Workers" (1931), which appeared in the new woodcut movement advocated by Lu Xun, Chen Yanqiao's "Pull" (1933), Luo Qingzhen's "Sail Against the Current" (1933), etc., the most important of which is of course Xu Beihong's "Put Down Your Whip". But if measured by the standard of perfect combination of artistry and reality, except for "Put Down Your Whip" which can be compared with "Ba People Drawing Water", the creations of other people have not reached a considerable height; some even Some absolutely realist creations are indeed very realistic, but very lacking in artistry. They become puppets of reality or even basically disappear. Therefore, their role is at best to incite, rather than to infect or move. This situation was even more serious inside the base area at that time. Strictly speaking, this is no longer the scope of art.

What’s interesting is that this “Ba People Drawing Water”, which can be regarded as the best example of modern realist traditional Chinese painting in China, with its 300×62cm shape, seems to be not only the only one among Xu Beihong’s works. What you see at first glance is also the only one seen in Chinese paintings at that time.

The spirit of "Ba people draw water" passed down from generation to generation

When the Anti-Japanese War broke out in 1937, the national capital moved westward, and Chongqing Jinjiangbeiling became the wartime capital. With the transfer of the national political, economic and cultural center, many military and political dignitaries and celebrities in literature, science, art, education and many other fields, such as Guo Moruo, Bing Xin, Ba Jin, Lao She, Zang Kejia, Ma Yinchu, Xu Beihong, Fu Baoshi, Feng Zikai and others gathered in Shapingba District, and Shapingba became a famous cultural area, which was very prosperous and famous at home and abroad.

In 1938, the late Emperor Beihong came to Sichuan with the Central University and lived in Panxi on the bank of the Jialing River. He crossed the river every day to teach students at the Central University in Shapingba on the other side. Witnessing the suffering of the people in Sichuan, he quickly created the Chinese painting "Ba People Drawing Water", expressing deep sympathy for the hard life of the working people. He inscribed a poem of his own on the painting: "I have to bear to see the people in Ba who are used to carrying burdens, and they have to climb a hundred feet long road. Every grain in the plate is hard work, and the hard work is also the result of blood and sweat." The poem is full of the artist's miserable life of the people at that time. His sympathy, grief and indignation for the suffering also reflect his sense of historical mission to use the brush in his hand to portray the people.

During the eight years of the Anti-Japanese War, the late Emperor Beihong Gong was at the peak of his artistic creation. He painted based on the principle of "appealing for mankind" through art, and left many masterpieces handed down from generation to generation, such as "Ba People Drawing Water" ", "The Foolish Old Man Moves the Mountains", "The Himalayas" and a series of his most representative works. Among them, the oil painting "Put Down Your Whip" was auctioned for more than 70 million yuan in 2007.

"Ba People Drawing Water" depicts a very common life scene of Chongqing people at that time - drawing water. At that time, people had to draw water from the river for daily living, so both men and women had to draw water from the river for their livelihood. , I have to go to the river to fetch water every day. They carried heavy wooden buckets, filled them with water, and walked home along the rugged and steep mountain roads, sometimes even multiple times. It was such an ordinary picture of life that touched the artist's sensitive mind. The bamboo forest in the painting is lush and green, and the plum blossoms are also in full bloom. This scene not only embellishes the picture very well, but also is the author's praise of the mighty and unyielding national integrity of the Chinese nation in the harsh historical environment.

This work is now fully displayed in front of us, and it also leads to a tortuous collection experience.

In 1949, New Fourth Army cadre Zhu Liang followed the troops to Chongqing. After arriving in Chongqing, he happened to meet the housekeeper of the boss of Juxingcheng Bank who was disposing of a batch of old calligraphy and paintings. Among the large volumes of ancient and modern calligraphy and paintings, Zhu Liang only fell in love with this one, "Ba People Drawing Water." At that time, the housekeeper bid 1.6 million yuan, and finally after some haggling, the price was negotiated to 1.2 million yuan. Zhu Liang left a deposit of 100,000 yuan and agreed to pick up the painting in three days. At that time, Zhu Liang didn't have much cash, so he hurriedly found the logistics director. At that time, the army was about to allocate a Soviet woolen coat to cadres at division level and above. Zhu Liang deserved one according to his rank, but the number of coats happened to be insufficient, so Zhu Liang offered not to take the coat in exchange for 1.2 million yuan in cash. The Minister of Logistics agreed to his suggestion, and with the 1.2 million yuan, Zhu Liang got his wish in exchange for the "Ba people drawing water" painting.

After the Cultural Revolution, many old people in Chongqing’s collection, calligraphy and painting circles, including the late emperor’s friends Yan Jiyuan, Su Baozhen and other painters, often went to Zhu Liang’s home to admire his collection of the painting "Ba People Drawing Water" 》.

On July 2, 1999, my mother Liao Jingwen was invited to see this work. She was very excited after seeing it and clearly described the creation process of this painting: The late King Beihong While he was in Chongqing, he created "Ba People Drawing Water" and held an art exhibition. The Indian Minister to China at that time took a fancy to the painting and hoped to buy it for a large sum of money. The late king was financially strapped at the time and had to provide relief to students and hold art exhibitions, so he painted another one. One piece is now displayed in the Xu Beihong Memorial Hall, and the one sold to the Indian Minister was the one collected by Zhu Liang.

In 2004, at the Hanhai auction in Beijing, the bidding price for "Bashan Drawing Water" started at 8 million yuan. Many buyers competed for it. After dozens of rounds of hands, it was finally sold for 16.5 million yuan. , creating a world record for Xu Beihong’s personal calligraphy and painting auction at that time.

According to the staff of Hanhai Company, the company put a lot of effort into the collection of this work. This year is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Beijing Cultural Relics Company. It is precisely because of the collectors’ relationship with Hanhai The company has had deep emotions for many years, and this work that was supposed to be the work of Zisun Yongbao can once again be displayed in front of the world.

This painting, which the painter and collector devoted their efforts to, is presented to the world again after seventy-two years. What it carries is not just the artistic achievement of a painter, but the symbol of an era. In microcosm, as well as the transmission of the fire of the national spirit of several generations of Chinese people, the Chinese nation uses this seemingly primitive "Ba people to draw water" spirit to pass on the culture of the Chinese nation from generation to generation.

November 16, 2010

Xu Qingping: Son of Mr. Xu Beihong

Dean of Xu Beihong Art College, Renmin University of China

Doctoral Supervisor

Deputy Director of Xu Beihong Memorial Hall

I remember that in the 1990s, I went to Hong Kong to participate in some activities. At that time, there was a work by my father (Xu Beihong), which was a self-portrait. The little man is under the ancient cypress tree. The man is small but very real. The head of the little man is smaller than a fingernail. At that time, the painting was auctioned for 990,000 Hong Kong dollars. Including the handling fee, it has exceeded 1 million yuan. This is At that time, it was the first painting in China to be sold for more than one million yuan. "Minbao Weekly" published an article specifically on this matter. I thought it was very remarkable that a Chinese painting exceeded one million yuan. "Rongbaozhai" even asked me to write an article. article. In 2004, my father's painting "Ba People Drawing Water" was auctioned for 16.5 million yuan. At that time, it felt like an astronomical figure. Today, more than ten million is no longer a big deal. It seems that many paintings can be auctioned for this price.

This situation tells us a question: Is there still room for development of the value of Chinese art and the value it should have? I have lived in the West for a relatively long time, and I feel that Chinese artworks, calligraphy and paintings are unique in the world. Although there are many differences between China and the West, they all have many similar aesthetic concepts for art.

At the same time, Chinese painting is completely different from Western historical thought and spirit. Even after a thousand years, its vitality is still very strong. No other art or painting type can do this. Chinese painting is even stronger than Western oil painting. Now The easel oil painting seems to have lost its independent status abroad, but Chinese painting is still booming. This shows the huge development space of Chinese painting. This shows the wisdom of the Chinese people on the one hand, and on the other hand it shows that Chinese painting is far from it. There is still a certain distance between the expected value. Compared with the value of Western paintings and oil paintings, Chinese paintings are not as valuable as they should be. This is an opinion I have formed through many years of research and exploration of Eastern and Western art.

——Excerpted from "Interview on Contemporary Market Views" by Mr. Xu Qingping on March 23, 2005