The report of
project 2
One day in Oxford
Wang Kaiwen: 1501467
Pre-session
English, UCA
Tutor: Anna
Word count: 912
UCAPSEAD arrived in Oxford last week. We went to 3
museums in Oxford: Ashmolean museum, Pitt River museum and Moma museum. However,
Ashmolean museum is one of the first and the most impressed me in my mind. The
main reason caused by a Chinese traditional painting painted by Zhu Da
reflected me a lot.
Fig. 1. Bird on a branch（October 1703）
The artist is named Zhu Da, also called BADASHANREN by lots of
people. The title of the painting is ' Bird on a branch'. And it was painted
with Chinese ink and paper on an October day in 1703 (see fig.1.).
There is a bird in the center of the painting with a nestling.
They are looking right in their eyes on the stone. There is a tree around them.
All of the color is from Chinese ink and water. Zhu Da used the proportion of
ink and water to paint, and it shows the strong love of family members.
It is a freehand brushwork in traditional Chinese painting about bird and
plant. There are two different types of Chinese traditional paintings. One is
Freehand brushwork, the other one is Claborate－style painting. This painting
belongs the first one. Chinese paper also has two different types. The paper
that we used in freehand brushwork is not brushed on a kind of special syrup.
When water with ink meeting on the paper, trances will be blooming.
Therefore, it can't be controlled
easily. However, it is exactly the touch of birds. Zhu Da could paint different
texture of things by a same writing brush accidently. That is the most
important techniques of a magical Chinese painting. Personally, I love the
fishes painted by Zhu Da (see fig.2/3.)
Fig.2. Fish on Chinese Painting (April 1700)
Fig.3. Fish on Chinese Painting ( June 1703)
Each fish he painted has its own personal characteristics. No one can use
the same way to painting as so far. That is the value of his paintings. He was
a descendant of the Ming Dynasty. The old glory of the family was down. He was
helpless however his love of nature always there.
Before the age of 57 years old, most of Zhu Da ‘s artworks combined calligraphy
and poems on paintings. General characteristics and tendency is through his
paintings express his fogy thought, character, and integrity. He often filled
of culture of Buddhism and historical allusions in poems. His works were
difficult to understood for people at that time.
When social was turbulent, some artistic categories such as literature and Chinese
painting can be relatively prosperous development is because they rely less on
material conditions, and just as dark display against heart. As at this time,
speculative philosophy can also more developed, as given by the time to explore
the prospects for a huge task, and different in immersed in the millennium in
material years without to the pursuit of the spirit of speculative, relief (Li
Zehou, 2000:292). The value of the total, as long as I believe that tings are
causal, the history of research and exploration can be found that the existence
and development of Chinese art still has its inherent logic.
Chinese painting and calligraphy are from the same root. Artworks are made
of the widespread of shade changing and wet and dry of brush strokes. Zhu Da’s calligraphy
was from Dong Qichang.
Fig.4. Calligraphy of Zhu Da
(March 1703)
Most of his calligraphies
are from verse. When Zhu Da was young, his calligraphy of many confounding and immature,
juxtaposition and albums in various styles. He was still in a creation of exploration.
From around 1666, the influence of Dong Qichang shows more and more clearly in
his artworks (Zhu Liangzhi, 2010:97).
His calligraphies
influenced by Dong Qichang deeply. There is no doubt that learning Dong’s calligraphy
had a great help in his work. Dong’s calligraphy was brutally popular, Zhu Da’s
calligraphy provided a strong condition to Dong’s fans. The modified by Zhu Da
was an important choice to him during his period.
From 1671 to 1678, Zhu Da
truly grasped the essence of Dong. Therefore, he changed his style from Huang Tingjian
and Mi Fu. With the continuous learning and exploration, Zhu Da formed his own
style (Zhi Wenbiao, 2013:29). He adjusted the space rhythm of a piece of work
as contained a whole painting. Staying out of the internal structures of words
in a large space. At the same time, he added frustration by accident. His
calligraphy became an independent style in the past dynasties.
When I saw the painting at
the Ashmolean museum, I was really excited. We rarely have opportunities to see
his works. In my opinion, through Chinese traditional paintings and calligraphy
works, Zhu Da’s works are still forward－looking now. In the history of Chinese art, it was a long time that calligraphy
influenced traditional paintings a lot, however, the composition of space is relatively
independent of their respective holder.
It is a honored to be able
to get the opportunity to visit the museums in Oxford with my peers and tutors
in the university for creative arts. It is a influenced experience in my
studying.
List of Illustration
Figure
2. Fish on Chinese Painting (April 1700)
Figure 3. Fish on Chinese Painting (June 1703)
Figure 4. Calligraphy of
Zhu Da (March 1703)
Bibliography:
Li Zehou (2000) THE PATH
OF BEAYTY. Guang Xi Educational Press.
Zhi Wenbiao (2013) A WORD
AND A PAINTING. [ONLINE]
At: http://read.douban.com/reader/ebook/1135512/?dcs=book-search
Zhu Liangzhi (2010) THE
STUDY OF BADASHANREN, Anhui Educational Press
