During the Southern Song Dynasty, a reverie-inducing "ghost painting" appeared - a skeleton fantasy play, and it is said that even with the passage of time, no one can still understand the true meaning of it.
Created by Li Song, a painter from the Southern Song Dynasty, the work was originally a fan-faced album that is now preserved in the Palace Museum in Beijing. The first element of the painting is a large skeletal figure, wearing a hat and a transparent robe made of light gauze, sitting cross-legged on the ground without restraint. Although it should have been a chilling sight for a skeleton to sit in the middle of the city, the skeleton seemed unconcerned, supporting its left leg with its left hand, its right leg bent, and its right hand pulling a small skeleton with ease, as if manipulating a marionette. The painter vividly and accurately depicts the small skeleton, which has a slightly open mouth and gestures as if to talk to the person in front of it, full of life.
On the left and right sides of the picture are two pairs of mother and child. A pair sits behind the big skeleton, very close to it, forming a harmonious picture of a family of three. The woman unbuttoned her shirt slightly, feeding the baby in her arms, her eyes were gentle and serene, and even the corners of her mouth were smiling. The mother-child duo on the far right of the picture is unnatural, with the child kneeling on the ground and reaching out to the small skeleton pulled by the big skeleton, showing curiosity about this novel toy. The mother stood anxiously behind the child, trying to prevent him from touching the little skeleton.
If we detach from the interpretation of the content, only from the perspective of composition and painting skills, "Skeleton Fantasy" shows the artist's exquisite line processing, especially the depiction of the transparent clothing on the large skeleton, which is thin and soft, and has a very realistic sense. Professional researchers pointed out that when outlining the skeleton of the figure ** and the skeleton, the painter clearly distinguished between the two, the former is round and elastic, and the latter is resolute and powerful, avoiding the sense of rashness and floating. In terms of coloring, the whole painting adopts the technique of layer-by-layer rendering, and the contrast between black and white shows the antiquity and rigor of the Song Dynasty courtyard painting.
One of the interpretations of "ghost painting" is about the cycle of life and death and the contrast between the two sides. Treating the large skeleton as a normal male figure, the painting does not look weird. The reason why it is called "ghost painting" is mainly because the skeleton on the left side of the picture is playing with the puppet, while the woman behind it is calm and gentle, creating a strong contrasting effect. This may be because in everyday life, if a normally behaving and self-conscious skeleton suddenly appears, and also performs a puppet show, most people may be like the mother on the right side of the picture, eager to prevent the child from touching it, and full of worry and fear.
Therefore, on the one hand, the strangeness of the painting is reflected in its aesthetic taste, which does not conform to the mainstream ideas of the time, and on the other hand, the coexistence of humans and ghosts shown in the painting is very natural, without an obvious sense of disobedience, which brings great impact to people.
Although there is no unified answer to the interpretation of the content of "Skull Fantasy Drama", there are several mainstream views. First of all, it is believed that this painting expresses the meaning of the cycle of life and death, with the skeleton symbolizing death, and the child attracted by the skeleton representing the new life, forming a contrast between life and death. In addition, another contrast in the painting is the attitude of the two mothers, the mother on the left is calm and calm, and the mother on the right is worried, reflecting the contrast of stillness and movement. Some people think that the mother on the left side can be calm because she, the child in her arms and the big skeleton form a family, and the most familiar relatives have no worries about surviving in this strange way after death, which is in line with the Taoist concept of harmony and happiness.
In addition, there is also an opinion that the painting may be a satire of the background of the dynasty and the dark reality of society at that time. According to historical records, the establishment of political power in the Southern Song Dynasty was due to the shame of Jingkang, the Northern Song Dynasty was destroyed under the iron hooves of foreign tribes, the national capital crossed to the south, and the people fell into deep fire.
In the midst of the heat, the social order is chaotic. The large skeleton manipulates the small skeleton to symbolize the inaction of the ruler, while the woman and child behind it represent the nobles of the palace living a comfortable and hedonistic life, and the official attempts to deceive the people with false illusions. The mother on the right, who tried to prevent the child from contacting, was one of the few sober people in the troubled times of the time.
Another view is that "Skull Fantasy" wants to express a satire on the dark social reality. The painter manipulates the small skeleton through the big skull, ** others, in this way to protect the family behind himself, indirectly alluding to the traps and ** in society. This technique is also reflected in later literary works, such as a scene in "Dream of Red Mansions", which reflects the truth behind the beauty through the mirror and warns people to be wary of false **.
Overall, "The Skeleton Fantasy" evokes endless imagination because of its rich symbolism and thought-provoking blank spaces. This may be the embodiment of the artist's superb skills, through abstract expression, leaving a deep space for future generations to think, so that this "ghost painting" can be passed down through the ages.