繪畫藝術(shù)大師徐渭Xu Wei,a Master Painter

施之昊

除了魯迅的三味書屋、咸亨酒店的花雕酒、王羲之的蘭亭，被稱為一代繪畫宗師的徐渭（1521—1593）及其作品也是紹興一張重要的文化“名片”。作為一位具有劃時(shí)代意義的繪畫大師，徐渭的人生境遇離奇曲折，極富戲劇性，他的繪畫藝術(shù)也開創(chuàng)新風(fēng)。

Xu Wei （1521–1593）， renowned as a masterpainter of his era， holds a significant position as animportant cultural symbol of Shaoxing， alongsideLu Xuns Sanwei （Three-flavor） Study， the agedwine at Xianheng Restaurant， and Lanting featuredin Wang Xizhis literary work. Xu Weis life wascharacterized by tumultuous experiences. Despiteall the drama and difficulties he had to encounter，Xu Wei managed to develop an innovativeapproach to painting， which ushered in a newartistic style.

跌宕起伏的人生境遇

Turbulent Life Experiences

徐渭出生于浙江紹興，很早就在文章、詩(shī)詞和書法方面嶄露頭角。但八次科考未中，一生仕途不順，加上家庭的一些變故，使他桀驁不馴、孤傲冷峻，成天萎靡不振。在41歲這年，徐渭開始結(jié)交浙江當(dāng)?shù)氐囊恍┊嫾?，并以繪畫自?shī)?。隨著繪畫實(shí)踐和作品的增多，他的藝術(shù)風(fēng)格日漸獨(dú)特，創(chuàng)作的作品真情流露、縱橫來回，極具創(chuàng)造力。

Born in Shaoxing， Zhejiang Province， Xu Weiexcelled in writing， poetry， and calligraphy at anearly age. However， his struggles with the imperialexamination， which he failed eight times， coupledwith familial upheavals， marred his artistic journey.These challenges led him to become rebellious， aloof，and melancholic. At the age of 41， Xu Wei beganmingling with local painters in Zhejiang， indulgingin painting for personal amusement. Throughpractice and the creation of numerous works， hisartistic style evolved into a unique expression ofgenuine emotions， characterized by fluid creativity.

步入晚年后，徐渭遭遇了一系列不幸，精神瘋癲甚至崩潰，但這反而給他的繪畫藝術(shù)注入了一些非同尋常的元素。他在繪畫中求新求變，他潦倒的生活也因此有了慰藉，內(nèi)心的不平也得到了宣泄。如果沒有這些坎坷和挫折，恐怕也不會(huì)有這位繪畫史上的大師。

In his later years， Xu Wei faced a series ofmisfortunes that resulted in mental disorders andbreakdowns. Paradoxically， these adversities infusedhis art creation with extraordinary elements. Seekinginnovation and transformation in his paintings，Xu Wei found solace despite his impoverishedexistence， channeling his inner discontent into hisartwork. It is conceivable that without these setbacksand frustrations， this eminent figure in the annals ofpainting might not have emerged as prominently.

獨(dú)具風(fēng)格的繪畫藝術(shù)

The Unique Style of Painting

中國(guó)畫的審美最初來源于宮廷。五代時(shí)期有一位畫家叫黃荃，其所作之畫典雅富貴，為宮廷所愛。這種風(fēng)格受到之后兩宋畫家的追慕，成為當(dāng)時(shí)畫壇的主要畫風(fēng)。明代中期以后，文人畫方興未艾，不同的畫家各有自己的風(fēng)格，他們不受限于他人，只畫自己的“胸中逸氣”。自此，畫壇有了空前的自由——這是徐渭畫風(fēng)形成的大背景。

The aesthetic of Chinese painting traces its originsback to the imperial court. During the Five Dynastiesperiod， there was an influential painter named HuangQuan， known for his elegant and opulent artworks thatcaptivated the courts admiration. This style garneredsignificant praise from painters of the Song Dynasty，subsequently becoming the predominant artistic styleof the era. After the mid-Ming Dynasty， literati paintingsaw a surge in popularity， with individual paintersdeveloping their distinctive styles unconstrained byconventions， allowing them to depict their innermostemotions freely. This newfound artistic freedom laidthe groundwork for the emergence of Xu Weis uniquepainting style.

徐渭是青藤畫派的開山鼻祖，創(chuàng)“大寫意花鳥”畫風(fēng)。毛筆、宣紙和墨組合在一起，墨分五色，酣暢淋漓，產(chǎn)生了奇妙的效果。很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間里，這種特征成為中國(guó)畫的標(biāo)志，兩宋及其之前那種典雅富貴的畫風(fēng)反而被諷刺為“工匠之作”。

Xu Wei， the pioneer of the Qingteng paintingschool， introduced the “bold and freehand flowerand-bird” painting style. By taking advantage of thechemistry among brushwork， rice paper， and ink —the latter divided into the five levels known as charred，concentrated， heavy， light， and clear — he achieved stunning visual effects.This distinctive approach soon became emblematic of Chinese painting，overshadowing the once-revered Tang and Song dynasties elegant andluxurious style， which was then ironically dubbed “artistry work.”

正如李白、杜甫的文字與他們的身世、命運(yùn)緊密相連，畫家筆下的畫作與他們的人生境遇也息息相關(guān)。了解了徐渭的生平，再來看他的畫，就能有更深刻的理解。

Just as the poetry of Li Bai and Du Fu is intimately intertwinedwith their life experiences and destinies， so too are the paintings ofartists reflective of their encounters. Exploring Xu Weis life storybefore delving into his art provides a deeper insight into his creations.

徐渭的畫，色少、水墨多，干凈利落。雪白的宣紙和濃淡的墨團(tuán)在矛盾中完成統(tǒng)一，有時(shí)舒緩穩(wěn)健，有時(shí)跌宕起伏，就像一曲交響樂。作畫如奏樂，只不過其用的不是音符而是筆墨，這正是中國(guó)畫之核心。

Xu Weis paintings are characterized by a minimal use of color yetabundant application of ink， resulting in compositions that are cleanand precise. The stark contrast between the pure white rice paper andthe diverse shades of ink creates a harmonious balance amidst apparentcontradictions， at times exuding a calming stability and at other timesevoking turbulence， akin to a symphony. With painting likened toplaying music， only with a brush and ink instead of musical notes， thisessence underscores the profound nature of Chinese artistic expression.

才華橫溢的書法詩(shī)文

Stunning Calligraphy and Poetry

在徐渭的花鳥畫，尤其是花卉畫中，線條是主要的元素，這源于他深厚的書法功力（見徐渭的《三江夜歸詩(shī)》）。在明代，一位畫家想要取得成功，其書法的水準(zhǔn)甚至比繪畫的技藝更加重要。徐渭的書法尤以草書見長(zhǎng)，在中國(guó)書法史上也占有一席之地。他也將自己的書法技巧和筆法融于畫中。

Xu Weis flower-and-bird paintings， particularly his floral works，highlight the significance of lines as a primary element， a testamentto his profound calligraphy skills. This is exemplified in the artworkReturning Late from an Outing. During the Ming Dynasty， a painterssuccess was often contingent upon their proficiency in calligraphy，which held greater importance than their painting prowess. Xu Weiexcelled in cursive script， carving a niche for himself in Chinesecalligraphy history. He also seamlessly blended his calligraphictechniques and style into his paintings.

有人說徐渭的書畫都是墨團(tuán)，看不懂。但他開創(chuàng)的“大寫意花鳥”就是以“看不懂”獨(dú)樹一幟、區(qū)別于世俗繪畫的。若要達(dá)到這樣的境界，書法就是重要的一關(guān)，他在書法上的造詣也促成了他在繪畫上的成就。

Contrary to some opinions that perceive Xu Weiscalligraphy and paintings as mere ink blots， incomprehensiblein nature， the distinctive “bold and freehand flower-and-bird”style he pioneered deviates from traditional artistic norms. Themastery of calligraphy played a pivotal role in achieving this levelof uniqueness， thereby aiding his accomplishments in painting.

徐渭最著名的一幅畫《葡萄圖》，上題“半生落魄已成翁，獨(dú)立書齋嘯晚風(fēng)。筆底明珠無處賣，閑拋閑擲野藤中”。讀了這首詩(shī)，再來看畫中這一滴滴墨團(tuán)，便可知這畫的是葡萄，同時(shí)也了解了畫家的心境。通過讀詩(shī)，可以理解一幅畫的內(nèi)容，也能更深層次地理解畫家的創(chuàng)作意圖，這就是那個(gè)時(shí)代流傳下來的審美傳統(tǒng)，也是畫家必備的素養(yǎng)。從這個(gè)意義上講，徐渭的技藝達(dá)到了繪畫的頂峰，書與畫融為一體。

Among Xu Weis renowned works， Grapesstands out prominently， adorned with the verse：“Half my life spent in poverty， now grown old， Ising in my study hall with the evening wind. Brightpearls at the tip of my brush have no buyers， idlytossed among wild vines.” Delving into the poemand scrutinizing the ink blots in the painting，one can discern the depiction of grapes and gleaninsight into the artists frame of mind. By engagingwith poetry， viewers can unravel the essence of apainting and delve deeper into the artists creativeintent — a hallmark of the aesthetic traditionpassed down through generations， deemedindispensable for painters. In this regard， Xu Weisproficiency culminated in an unparalleled fusionof calligraphy and painting.

后世的大畫家，如八大山人、石濤、吳昌碩、齊白石、張大千等，都受到徐渭的影響，成為各自所處時(shí)代的大師，發(fā)出了耀眼的光芒，用自己的作品豐富了中國(guó)美術(shù)史。追根溯源，徐渭功不可沒。

Having left an indelible mark on Chinese art history， Xu Wei influenceda cadre of future eminent painters such as Bada Shanren， Shi Tao， WuChangshuo， Qi Baishi， Zhang Daqian， among others， enriching the artisticheritage with their luminous oeuvres. Reflecting on Xu Weis legacy， hiscontributions prove monumental and enduring.