Introduction to the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou

Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou

In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Yangzhou, a southern commercial city, was home to wealthy businessmen and humanities. Its economy and culture developed rapidly, and it became a metropolis in the southeastern coastal area. Painters from all over the country also came in droves to sell their paintings and show off their skills, among which the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" were the most famous ones. The Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou does not specifically refer to eight individuals, but in fact refers to a group of painters who represent the Yangzhou painting circle with distinctive artistic personalities and weird styles. They are already professional literati painters or professional painters who have become literati. Their most common characteristics are: learning from nature, expressing individuality, using their own methods, specializing in freehand brushwork, emphasizing spiritual similarity, good character and extensive cultivation

Wang Shishen (1686-1759). His courtesy name is Jinren, his nickname is Chaolin, and his nicknames include Xidong Waishi, Zuo Blindsheng, Tiandu Jike, Late Spring Old Man, etc. A native of Shexian County, Anhui Province, he lived in Yangzhou. He is a flower craftsman, especially good at painting plum blossoms. "Inscription on Painted Plum Blossoms": Wang Shishen's plum blossom paintings make good use of numerous branches, draw carefully, and do not show any ingenuity. He can draw the elegance of plum blossoms with a thin and hard brush. He lost his sight in his left eye at the age of fifty-four, but he can still draw plum blossoms. His inscriptions say "Zuo is a blind student" and "still has one eye left to see plum blossoms." Later, he became blind and became impoverished, but he could still write wild cursive characters. He is good at poetry and is the author of "Chaolin Poetry Collection".

Li Quan, also known as Zhi (1686-1762), also known as Zongyang, also known as Futang, Chao Daoren, was a native of Xinghua, Jiangsu. In the fiftieth year of Kangxi's reign (1711), he passed the imperial examination and in the third year of Qianlong's reign (1738), he was appointed magistrate of Teng County, Shandong Province. After "two reforms and one demoted official title", he returned to Yangzhou to make a living by selling paintings, and had the closest relationship with Zheng Xie. In his early years, Li Quan learned landscape painting from his fellow villager Wei Lingcang and inherited Huang Gongwang's work. Later, he became a disciple of the finger-painting master Gao Qipei, and further studied freehand brushwork, and also participated in calligraphy. The strokes were vigorous and powerful, especially using water, and formed his own unique style of "ink and wash blending into interesting things". . He is good at poetry and calligraphy. Most of the poems are inscribed on the paintings, and he is good at long inscriptions and postscripts. The handwriting is uneven and scattered, making the pictures very rich. His works had a great influence on the flower and bird paintings of the late Qing Dynasty.

Jin Nong (1687-1764), also known as Shoumen, Sinong and Jijin, also known as Mr. Dongxin, Jiliu Shanmin, Qujiang Waishi, Xiye Jushi, also known as Jinjijin and Suvaruoji. Suvaruo, monk Xin and others were born in Renhe (now Hangzhou), Zhejiang, and lived in Yangzhou for a long time. He is good at painting bamboos, plums, pommel horses, Buddha statues, figures, landscapes, and is especially good at ink painting plum blossoms. He absorbed nutrients from the portraits and stone carvings of the Han Dynasty, so his works are rich in gold and stone, with an elegant and simple style. He is also good at calligraphy and engraving. The official script written is simple and simple, and the regular script has its own style, which is known as "lacquer script", that is, it is written in a flat-brush style with both official and regular script styles. Seal cutting was done in the Qin and Han Dynasties. Existing works include "Double Color Plum Garden", "Jade Pot Spring Color Picture" and "Imitation of Wang Mian Plum Blossom Picture", etc.

Huang Shen (1687-about 1768), whose courtesy name was Gongmao, Gongshou, Juzhuang, and nicknamed Yinglaozi, was born in Ninghua, Sanming, Fujian, and was one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou. He is good at painting figures and uses wild cursive brushwork to create his own style. The characters depicted are mostly based on historical myths, Buddhist statues, and literati. They also depict beggars, trackers, fishermen, etc. The lines of clothing patterns are ever-changing, and with just a few strokes, they have both form and spirit.

Gao Xiang (1688-1753), whose courtesy name was Sugang, also had the nicknames Xitang, Jiutang and Pingtang. A native of Ganquan, Jiangsu (now Yangzhou). He was friendly with Shi Tao during his lifetime and had been friends for many years. He was good at calligraphy, seal cutting, landscape painting, and plum painting. Together with Jin Nong, Wang Shishen, and Luo Pin, he was known as the "Master of Plum Painting". When he painted plum blossoms, he liked to "paint sparse branches, half-open flowers, and apply a little red with Yulou's lipstick."

Zheng Xie (1693-1765) was named Kerou and Banqiao. A native of Xinghua, Jiangsu. He once served as magistrate of Fan County and Weixian County in Shandong Province. Before and after he became an official, he lived in Yangzhou and made a living by painting and calligraphy. He is good at painting orchids, bamboos, stones, pine, chrysanthemums, etc. He is particularly good at orchids and bamboos. He uses the brushstrokes of cursive script in his paintings. The orchids and bamboos he paints are numerous but not chaotic, few but not sparse, the brushwork is strong and sharp, and the appearance is sparse. In calligraphy and painting, he mixed Chinese eight-point calligraphy with regular cursive and created his own "six-and-a-half-point calligraphy". He is good at penetrating the key points of painting into the book, and using the key points of the book to penetrate into the painting, achieving artistic effects that complement each other.

Li Fangying (1695-1755), also known as Qiuzhong, Qiuchi, Yibaishanren, Yiyuan, and the owner of Borrowing Garden, was born in Nantong, Jiangsu Province. He successively served as the county magistrate of Dong'an, Qianshan and Hefei in Shandong Province, and his official career went up and down several times. After leaving the official position, he lived in Nanjing, rented a garden, and traveled to Yangzhou to sell paintings. He is good at painting pines, bamboos, orchids, chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, insects and fish. He also paints figures, landscapes, and is especially good at painting plums. He uses the brush quickly and wildly, and the ink color is vivid and vivid. He has the taste of thick heads and random clothes.

He often likes to paint plum blossoms with a thin branch and a few plum blossoms, while the spring mood is harmonious and overflows on the paper, without appearing barren. The famous poem about plum blossoms includes the line "No matter how hard it is, it will never be strange", which all express the character of his plum blossoms. Gongshu, capable of poetry, poetry is often seen in paintings.

Luo Pin (1733-1799), also known as Dunfu, nicknamed Liangfeng, and Huazhishouseng, was originally from She County, Anhui Province, and lived in Yangzhou. He is a disciple of Jin Nong. It is good for traveling and has been to Yue, Chu, Qi, Yan, Zhao and other places. He paints worker figures, Buddha statues, landscapes, flowers, fruits, plums and bamboos with unique brushwork and original style. He is especially famous for painting ghosts. He is also good at poetry and has "Xiangye Caotang Collection". His wife and children are both good at painting plum blossoms, and they are known as the "Luojia Plum School".

Hua Yan (1682-1756), whose courtesy name was Qiuyue, Desong, was born in Xinluoshan, Dongyuansheng, Buyisheng, Liguo Jushi, and was a native of Shanghang, Fujian. Lives in Yangzhou and makes a living selling paintings. In his later years, he moved to Hangzhou. As famous as Jin Nong, Zheng Xie and others. He is good at painting figures and landscapes, especially flowers and birds. Paying attention to sketching, the composition is novel, the images are vivid and colorful, the colors are elegant and bright, the realm is quiet and handsome, and it is unique. He can also write poetry.

Gao Fenghan (1683-1748) was born in Jiaozhou, Shandong. He once lived in Yangzhou for a long time and made a living by selling paintings after he resigned from office. After the age of 55, his right hand became disabled, so he used his left hand to paint. After changing his name, he became Zuosheng. He worked on poetry, calligraphy, painting, seals, landscapes, flowers and birds. He was more meticulous in his early years, and more freehand in his later years. Emphasis on tradition, emphasizing learning from nature, being able to come up with new ideas, using landscape brushes to be unbridled, vigorous and sophisticated. He is also good at finger painting and ink painting. His brush strokes are moist and moist, and his colors are bright and clean. He has a unique and vigorous style.

Bian Shoumin (1684-1752) was originally named Wei Qi, courtesy name Yigong, Jianseng, and Weijian Jushi. He was a native of Shanyang (now Huai'an), Jiangsu, and a scholar. He has a close relationship with Hua Yan, Zheng Xie and others. He is good at poetry, calligraphy and painting. The feathers of flowers and birds have a special interest. The reeds in Jianghuai are especially famous for their splash-ink paintings. The reeds painted are green and strange, and they are all mesmerizing. The reeds are written with the bamboo method, which is sparse, bright and powerful, and the ink color is powerful.

Chen Zhuan (1686-about 1758) was born in Lengshan, also known as Yujishan. A native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, he lives in Qiantang. He was a disciple of the writer Mao Qiling (1623-1716) and had a high level of knowledge and accomplishment. He was poor all his life, had an aloof character, and did not make friends with high-ranking officials. He is good at cursive calligraphy, working on flowers and landscapes, and is especially good at writing about plum blossoms. He is the author of "Collection of Poems of Yujishanfang" and "Collection of Paintings of Yujishanfang".

Min Zhen (1730-unknown), courtesy name Zhengzhai, was from Jiangxi. He is good at combining figures, flowers and birds, and landscapes, and his writing is majestic, simple, free and elegant. Especially his figure paintings, the line drawings are concise and natural, with both form and spirit. His works had a certain influence on Korean painters. He also worked on engraving, which is a legacy of the Qin and Han Dynasties.

Li Mian, the year of birth and death is unknown. The name is Xiaocun. A native of Huaining, Anhui. Lives in Heyuan, Yangzhou. He had a good personal relationship with Li Wei and was known as "Er Li" at that time. He works in poetry and painting. Good at landscapes, flowers and calligraphy. The painter advocates standing up for oneself and not eating the leftovers of others. His paintings are rarely seen today. He is the author of three volumes of "Modern Style Poems of Xiaocun".

Yang Fa, whose birth and death dates are unknown, was given the courtesy name Jijun, nicknamed Baiyun Emperor Zi, and was a native of Nanjing. Lived in Yangzhou for a long time. He is skilled in calligraphy, good at painting and fine at engraving. The seal script, official script, running script, and cursive script written in it are ancient, vigorous, and unique. Its flowers are similar to Huayan. The titles of his books are greater than the titles of his paintings, and very few of his paintings have been circulated.