Wu Hufan (1894-1968) was a famous painter, collector and connoisseur of calligraphy and painting in modern times. He is highly praised for his outstanding artistic achievements and rich collection, and is known as the grandmaster of the Shanghai School of painting in the thirties and forties of the last century.
His paintings have been widely acclaimed in the art world, and he is the author of "Lianzhu Collection", "Meijing Paintings", "Meijing Study", "Wu's Calligraphy and Painting Collection", "Wu Hufan Landscape Collection" and various "Wu Hufan Painting Collection".
Wu Hufan was born in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, and his family has many well-known scholars, calligraphers, painters and national heroes.
He was influenced by his family since he was a child and developed a strong interest in calligraphy and painting. His grandfather, Wu Dacheng, was a well-known scholar, philosopher, calligrapher and painter, who had profound attainments in calligraphy, landscapes and flowers.
He once negotiated with Tsarist Russia on behalf of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, adhered to national integrity, and finally made Tsarist Russia make concessions, and his strategic vision and patriotic spirit are admirable. Under the influence of his grandfather, Wu Hufan had a deep love for art since he was a child.
In the twentieth year of Guangxu (1894), when the First Sino-Japanese War broke out, Wu Dacheng, then the governor of Hunan, took the initiative to ask Ying to join the army to resist the Japanese, and was allowed by the Qing court to be appointed as an assistant to the military affairs of the Eastern Expedition.
After the defeat of the army, he was dismissed and returned home. Although Wu Hufan was not directly involved in the war, his grandfather's courage and patriotism had a profound impact on him. Under such a family background, Wu Hufan devoted himself to the study of calligraphy and painting, and his works have been widely acclaimed.
His "Imitation of Tang and Han Gan Knowing Horses" is a very representative work, showing his superb artistic talent and profound painting skills. The creation of this painting was inspired by the Tang Dynasty painter Han Gan's "Knowing Horses", Wu Hufan successfully reproduced the charm and vividness of Tang Horses through in-depth research and creation of the original painting.
In short, Wu Hufan is a calligrapher and painter with profound artistic attainments, his artistic path has been influenced and inspired by his family, his works show his superb artistic talent and profound painting skills, his "Imitation of Tang and Han Gan Knowing Horses" is a very representative work, worthy of our in-depth study and appreciation.
Wu Hufan - "Imitation of Zhao Boju Jiangting Autumn Color Map" Wu Hufan was influenced by family education since childhood, taught by Wu Dacheng himself, and studied painting at the age of six with Wu Dacheng's shogunate and the famous painter Lu Lianfu.
Later, he entered the Changyuan and No. 4 Higher Primary Schools in Suzhou, and in his spare time, he painted, practiced calligraphy, and governed seals under the guidance of Wufu scribes, and his skills improved rapidly.
When he was eight years old, Wu Dacheng suffered a stroke and was bedridden, looking at Wu Hufan's writing, he sighed: "This child will definitely achieve something in the future." So, he divided the family's belongings into two parts, one for his daughter, and left all the calligraphy and paintings he had collected in his life to Wu Hufan.
Wu Dacheng personally taught Wu Hufan the names and origins of the cultural relics in his home every day before his bed. The following year, Wu Dacheng died at the age of 68.
In 1905, Wu Hufan followed the arrangement of his father Wu Dacheng and went to Shanghai to study at the China Public School. After that, he moved to the Caoqiao School in Suzhou, where he was guided by the famous painters Hu Shiyu and Luo Shumin, and developed a strong interest in painting.
Since then, Wu Hufan has determined the development direction of painting-based. In 1913, at the age of 20, Wu Hufan decided to abandon all other careers and devote himself to the creation of landscape painting.
He extensively copied the authentic works collected by his family, starting with the "Four Kings" in the early Qing Dynasty, and then conducted in-depth research on the paintings of Dong Qichang in the late Ming Dynasty. Under the influence of Dong Yuan, Ju Ran, Guo Xi and other people in the Song Dynasty, Wu Hufan's landscape painting style became more and more mature, and he began to hang his best works.
Wu Hufan married Shuchun, the daughter of the Pan family in Suzhou, and both families were known for their wealth. Since the Pan family was the champion of Pan Shien in the 58th year of Qianlong, successive generations of family members have made achievements in officialdom, and the Pan family has always been famous for its rich collections in the southeast.
Pan Jingshu's great-grandfather, grandfather, uncle and others were all poets and painters, which shows the profundity of cultural traditions and the depth of artistic accomplishment. This wealthy marriage made the Wu Hufan family's collection even richer and more impressive.
Pan Jingshu, as Mrs. Wu Hufan, is a wealthy daughter with a unique personality. Although she doesn't have a stunning appearance, she has a cold temperament that makes people feel a little unapproachable.
She received a traditional lady's education from an early age, and loved to read and write, recite poetry and paint. In her dowry, there are a large number of cultural relics and antiques, including Song Tuo Ouyang Xun's "Huadu Temple Tower Inscription", "Jiucheng Palace Liquan Inscription", "Huangfu's Birthday Tablet" three posts, and Wu Dacheng's old collection of Song Tuo Ouyang Xun's "Yu Gong Gong Monument".
This made Wu Hufan a person who collected Ouyang Xun's four names in one room, and he named the hall in his home "Siou Hall". In addition, Pan Jingshu also has a piece of Yuhua inkstone given by the ancestors, white as snow, moist as fat, and the couple like it very much, so they named their study "Yuhua Immortal Pavilion".
Because they have the same hobbies and identities as the right people, Pan Jingshu and Wu Hufan have a deep relationship, and they are often together and are known as unparalleled in the world.
On Pan Jingshu's birthday, her father presented her with a precious copy of "Plum Blossom Happiness Divine Book" and engraved a plaque of "Meijing Book House" in her own name to express his love for her.
Plum Blossom Happiness Divine Spectrum is a rare book in the Southern Song Dynasty, with a total of 100 plum blossom patterns, which delicately and vividly show the growth process of plum blossoms. Song Boren is the author of "Plum Blossom Joy Divine Spectrum", he is obsessed with plum blossoms, and deliberately planted many plum blossoms in his home and built a pavilion to view them.
Each plum blossom in the Plum Blossom Joy God Spectrum is carefully carved and is a masterpiece of ancient engraving. Wu Hufan and his wife couldn't put down this book, and also liked plum blossoms, and arranged the Meijing Book House at home, and also asked a famous artist to draw a picture of the Meijing Book House to commemorate this special moment.
Wu Hufan's painting "Imitation of Zhao Mengfu Water Village" III occupies an important place in his career. In 1924, due to the war between the Jiangsu warlord Qi Xieyuan and the Zhejiang warlord Lu Yongxiang, Suzhou fell into war, and Wu Hufan had to leave Suzhou and move to Shanghai.
In Shanghai, Wu Hufan lived on Songshan Road and opened a calligraphy and painting studio with Chen Ziqing to make a living. Shanghai's Ten Mile Ocean Field provides a broad stage for Wu Hufan to show his talents.
He actively observed the famous paintings of the past dynasties, traveled all over the famous mountains and rivers, and combined the teachers of the ancients with the creation of the masters, forming his own unique style of painting. His art of calligraphy and painting has gradually improved, and has been appreciated by celebrities in Shanghai.
Wu Hufan's landscape paintings are in a class of their own and are the most distinctive. When he paints, he first sprinkles water on the paper with a large pen, and then after the water has dried a little, he dipped his ordinary pen in light ink for rendering.
After his paintings are framed, the artist will feel as if they are in the misty mountains, and the scenery is picturesque and intoxicating. In general, Wu Hufan, with his unique painting style and profound artistic skills, has won wide acclaim in Shanghai and found his artistic positioning in Shanghai.
Wu Hufan is not only known as a master of modern Chinese painting, but also has a unique contribution in the field of bamboo painting, and is known as the first person to paint bamboo in modern times. He painted bamboo by absorbing the Song people's double hook technique, and combined with Zhao Yong's and Yun Shouping's boneless method, to create a unique style with a light and elegant charm.
He is good at mastering the water, so that the bamboo leaves show the vivid posture of "phoenix tail tail roll", although it is not colored, but it can show a rich and elegant, verdant and gorgeous atmosphere.
In addition to painting bamboo, Wu Hufan's skills in painting birds and cows are also excellent, and his rare works are especially highly prized. His calligraphy to Song Huizong's thin gold book as a starting point, and then got Mi Fu's "multi-view building poems" authentic handwriting, specializing in Mi Fu, Mi Fu and Song Huizong's "thin gold body" combined, and into their own personality, forming a unique calligraphy style.
He is especially good at breaking big characters, and one word can be as big as a table of eight immortals, which is breathtaking.
In 1927, Wu Hufan, Zhu Qizhan, Pan Yuliang and others initiated the establishment of the Shanghai Art Garden Research Institute, at that time famous artists in Shanghai such as Zhang Shanzi, Zhang Daqian, Wang Yiting, Wang Yachen, Li Qiujun, Xu Beihong, Jiang Zhaohe, Pan Tianshou, etc. were all members of the Institute.
In 1929, the Ministry of Education held a national art exhibition and specially appointed Wu Hufan as a member of the Standing Committee. As a result, Wu Hufan became a painter who attracted much attention. In 1931, Wu Hufan, Wang Yiting, Qian Shoutie, Li Qiujun, Zheng Wuchang and others went to Japan to participate in the Fourth Sino-Japanese Painting Exhibition.
On November 12, 1933, the China Art Society was established in Nanjing, with Zhang Daofan as the director general, Wu Hufan and 53 famous painters from all over the country as the main members.
After nearly ten years of training, Wu Hufan has become a first-class painter in modern times.
Wu Hufan - "Imitation of Tang Yin's Lady": He is an authority in the appraisal industry and enjoys it"One eye"reputation. In the thirties and forties of the last century, he was known as one of the four major connoisseurs in Shanghai along with Yao Yuqin, Huang Baoyue and Zhang Dazhuang.
He was invited by the Forbidden City to go to Beijing to appraise cultural relics and serve as a member of the Forbidden City Jury Committee. At the same time, he was also one of the preparatory committee and review committee members of the second national art exhibition held by the Ministry of Education, working together with Liu Haisu, Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, Zhang Daqian, etc.
Many collectors have asked him to identify ancient paintings, and his appraisal level has also been recognized by famous contemporary painting and calligraphy appraisers such as Zhang Heng, Xu Bangda, Yang Renkai and others. Wu Hufan is full of confidence in his appraisal level, and with his insight and insight into the current situation, he is unique in the appraisal industry.
Fuchun Mountain Residence is a masterpiece of the Chinese Yuan Dynasty painter Huang Gongwang, which was later divided into two parts: "Leftover Mountain" and "Useless Master Volume". In 1938, Cao Youqing, the owner of the Jigu Pavilion in Shanghai, brought a worn-out painting fragment to Wu Hufan for identification, and Wu Hufan saw at a glance that it was the hand of a famous artist, so he exchanged the Shang Yi Zhou Dun bronzes treasured at home for this fragment.
After comparison, "Leftover Mountain" is the first section of "Fuchun Mountain Residence Map", which is now collected in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum and is the treasure of the museum. The latter part of the "Fuchun Mountain Residence Map" is now in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei, called "Useless Master Scroll".
In June 2011, the two parts of "Fuchun Mountain Residence" were successfully exhibited at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, causing a global sensation.
In Wu Hufan's old collection, Huang Gongwang's "Fuchun Mountain Residence Map" (Leftover Mountain Map) of the Yuan Dynasty is an important discovery for him. Although this landscape painting does not have the collection seal of its predecessors, nor does it have a record, but after his research, it was found that this is the real pen of the idiot in his later years.
He immediately purchased it for a large sum of money and carefully framed it, which not only preserved this precious painting and calligraphy, but also demonstrated his excellent connoisseurship to the world. Wu Hufan not only identified and collected the long scroll of "Cloud Mountain Map" by the Yuan Dynasty painter Fang Fangju and the three sections of the landscape by the Ming Dynasty painter Zhao Mengfu, but also purchased a large number of cultural relics originally stored in the Forbidden City and scattered from the puppet Manchukuo Changchun during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
His shrewdness enriched the collection of the Meijing Bookstore and prevented the loss of national treasures. Wu Hufan's contribution lies not only in his ability to appreciate art, but also in his determination and action to protect and inherit traditional Chinese culture.
His collection is now an important part of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, and his efforts allow us to better understand and appreciate these precious collections of paintings and calligraphy.
Pan Jingshu's death plunged Wu Hufan into deep grief. In order to give him some sustenance, he decided to publish a collection of words. This collection includes 28 poems from his own "Song Collection", as well as 13 poems and 3 poems from Pan Jingshu's "Green Grass Collection" to commemorate his deceased wife.
In the spring of 1943, Wu Hufan, Mei Lanfang, Zhou Xinfang, Wang Yachen, Fan Yanqiao, Zheng Wuchang and other 20 peers gathered at the Wanshoushan Restaurant in Shanghai and formed the Jiawu Tonggeng Association to drink Chitose wine.
They used poems, operas, calligraphy and paintings to express their expectations for the future of the motherland and their desire for liberation.
In the winter of 1945, after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Wu Hufan was imprisoned in the Jinjiang Hotel by Tang Enbo, and was later rescued by friends to regain his freedom. The reason why Wu Hufan was imprisoned was because he had a relationship with Wang Jingwei, and even when Pan Jingshu died, Wang Jingwei sent her a couplet.
When Shanghai was liberated in 1949, Huang Yanpei came to Shanghai and advised Wu Hufan not to go abroad. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wu Hufan received high courtesy.
He has served as a member of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a member of the Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Preservation Committee, a member of the Shanghai Cultural Relics Appraisal and Acquisition Committee, and the vice chairman of the Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Artists Association.
Wu Hufan - "Pine Tree Creek Spring" 5: A giant in the painting world, proud of the crowd Wu Hufan with his extraordinary pen skills, monopolized the top spot in the Shanghai school of painting, and became a generation of grandmasters in the Shanghai school of painting.
His"Meijing Book House"It is the most far-reaching calligraphy and painting art exchange center in Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, almost all the famous calligraphy and painting, poetry, antiques, and chess masters have gathered here, and the well-known Pang Laichen, Zhang Daqian, Zhang Heng, Wang Jiqian, Xu Bangda, etc"Meijing Book House"of regulars.
Wu Hufan broke through the limitations of genres and extensively absorbed the advantages of traditional landscape painting of the Northern and Southern Sects, forming his own unique brush and ink style. He may be dyed with boneless, showing the beauty of indifference and brightness; Or use the unraveling rope, draping linen, and small axe to chop the scarf, showing a far-reaching and deep atmosphere.
Wu Hufan - "Cloud Surface Peaks" His green landscapes are rich and thick, with elegant and free lines, which seem to be soft and beautiful, but in fact contain robustness. Wu Hufan has opened up a path that has not been taken by his predecessors and has become a unique existence in the history of Chinese painting.
In the modern Chinese painting world, Wu Hufan's status is universally recognized, and masters like Zhang Daqian have expressed great admiration. If Zhang Daqian is the pinnacle of Chinese painting, then Wu Hufan is undoubtedly the closest person to this peak.
Wu Hufan: A top imitation master, his copy of Dong Qichang's paintings was once known as "divine help", close to the original. He had a far-reaching influence on Dong Qichang in the Ming Dynasty and Zhang Daqian in modern times.
Thanks to his efforts, a large number of Dong Qichang's paintings and calligraphy filled half of the room. Among these copied works, Zhang Daqian's praise for Wu Hufan is even more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
He once praised: "The paintings that Brother Hu Fan came to in his early years seem to have divine help, and they can be realistic Dong paintings, and he is really the first person among painters." "Fuchun Mountain Residence" is the masterpiece of Huang Gongwang, the master of the Yuan Dynasty painting circle, in his later years, and is known as the pinnacle of ancient Chinese ink landscape painting.
Its artistic achievements in traditional landscape painting are unprecedented, unmatched by all generations. Wu Hufan is not only a master of landscape painting, but also a top master of imitation.
Wu Hufan's Spring Clouds and Smoke Willows is a post-fire version based on Shen Zhou's 1487 Fuchun Mountain Dwelling Map, which is based on a combination of his collection of Remnant Mountains and the printing of the Useless Master's Scroll in the Qing Palace.
Although Shen Zhou's pre-fire version has been burned, Wu Hufan's post-fire version is reckless, and the charm and pen are closer to the original work of Huang Gongwang's "Fuchun Mountain Residence" in the Yuan Dynasty.
Interestingly, Wu Hufan's 1954 version and Shen Zhou's 1487 version were both made by two masters of Chinese painting when they were 60 years old.
This shows that Wu Hufan's skills in traditional landscape painting are comparable to those of Shen Zhou, showing his outstanding talent in the field of painting.
Wu Hufan - "Xiaoxiang Rain Passing Picture" 6, the ruined lifelong collection Wu Hufan is one of the famous collectors in modern times, alongside Pang Yuanji, Zhang Boju, Zhang Congyu, Zhang Daqian, and Wang Jiqian.
During his lifetime, he collected 1,400 pieces of gold and stone paintings and calligraphy. The collection is mainly made up of his grandfather's old collection and his own collection of treasures. Among them, Wu Dacheng's Zhou Dynasty Xing Zhong and Keding are Hu Fan's favorite collections, so he named his room"Xingke Mountain House"。
In addition, he also collected more than 40 ancient seals, more than 50 official seals, and 28 general seals, which Wu Dacheng loved during his lifetime. Among the treasures he collected, Sui's "Epitaph of Dong Meiren" inscription was one of his most cherished collections, and he specially opened a room for this to treasure and named it"Bao Dong Room"。
He even carried the tablet with him, whether he was awake or asleep. He once said, "Dream with a beautiful woman" and regarded this tablet as his "wife".
However, it is a pity that such a precious collection was eventually destroyed.
Wu Hufan, a famous collector of calligraphy and painting in modern China, is famous for his collection of paintings, calligraphy and gold and stone in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In his collecting career, there are three main ones: one is his ancestral family business, which includes the Qing Dynasty champion writing fans, which he bought or exchanged for precious collections in more than 20 years; second, the dowry of his wife, Pan Jingshu, provided important financial support for his collection; The third is the collection of his maternal grandfather Shen Shuluo, most of which are classified into the "Meijing Book House" and become one of Wu Hufan's collections.
Wu Hufan's collection characteristics are very distinct, with his profound cultural heritage and unique aesthetic vision, he selected a number of excellent Ming and Qing Dynasty calligraphy and painting and gold and stone, these collections are known as "the collection of three gold and stone calligraphy and painting and well-known in the sea".
Among them, his collection pays special attention to the accumulation of quality and quantity, and also has extremely high aesthetic value and historical value. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he actively sought and collected calligraphy, paintings, and gold and stones, becoming the person who collected the most at that time.
Wu Hufan's collecting experience not only reflects his unique taste and excellent vision, but also shows his love for and protection of traditional culture. His collection is not only his personal wealth, but also an important part of China's cultural heritage.
Yuan Wangmeng's "Songshan Reading Map" is a national first-class collection, and it was once one of Wu Hufan's treasures. Wu Hufan's collection also includes a number of precious famous paintings such as the Northern Song Dynasty Mi Fu Xingshu "Duojinglou Poems" and the Song Ning Zonghou's "Cherry Yellow Crane Picture".
However, in the early days of liberation, due to the land reform policy at that time, Wu Hufan was forced to sell a large number of antiques, calligraphy and paintings in order to pay a "progressive tax". These collections, including Huang Gongwang's "Fragments of Fuchun Mountain Residence" and other precious works, most of which have been returned to the public.
Despite this, the "Matsuyama Reading Map" has been preserved and is now a national treasure.
Wu Hufan is a famous painter, he was appointed as a member of the preparatory committee of the China Painting Academy in 1956, but because of the beginning of the Anti-Rightist Movement, the establishment of the painting academy was shelved.
Mr. Wu was scrutinized because of his background and ties to Mr. Zhang overseas, and his son, Mr. Wu, was mistaken for a rightist, while he himself was only a member.
In 1961, Wu Hufan's body gradually weakened due to a stroke, and his paintings also decreased. After the Cultural Revolution began, Wu Hufan was charged with various crimes, suffered cruel **, and the cultural relics and furniture in his home were looted.
In the end, Wu Hufan, who was physically and mentally exhausted, died in 1968 at the age of 75.
Wu Hufan - "Evergreen Pine and Cypress" Wu Hufan, an important figure in the 20th century Chinese painting circle, has contributed far more to the history of Chinese painting than a landscape painter.
As an outstanding figure who integrates painting, appreciation, and collection, his achievements are not only multifaceted, but also represent a phenomenon in the history of Chinese painting.
If Wu Hufan can survive the "catastrophe of the Cultural Revolution" safely, it is not impossible for his painting achievements to surpass Zhang Daqian. Of course, everything is possible to become history, but it is only possible!