The Jasmine fragrance

06/11/12 14:29
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Lingnan' or 'South of the Ranges' refers to that part of China to the south of the 'Five Ranges' which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. These ranges separate the river basin of Changjiang, or the Yangzi River, in the central part of China fr'om that of Zhujiang or the Pearl River, in the south.   Thus when we speak of 'Lingnan painting' today, we are referring to the work of painters in the Guangdong province in general. Strictly speaking, the two terms 'Lingnan painting' and 'Lingnan School painting' are not interchangeable. The 'Lingnan School' is only one of the many schools of painting in Lingnan, or Guangdong, and it should not be used to refer to painting of the Guaiigdong province as a whole.

    Since late nineteenth century, the Lingnan School of painting has exerted tremendous influence on the painting development of the Lingnan area, so much so that it brought forth a new movement in Chinese painting in the first half of the twentieth century.

    It is interesting to note how these masters were related to one another. Gao Qifeng learnt the art of painting from his elder brother Gao jianfu. Two of the 'Three Masters of Lingnan', Gao jianfu and Chen Shuren, were the students ofju Lian. Chen Shuren was recorded to be the last student of ju Lian, and their relationship was later further strengthened by the marriage of Chen with the niece of his teacher. On the other hand, ju Lian was the younger cousin ofju Chao. While ju Chao followed the painting style of Song Guangbao, ju Lian studied the paintings of both Song. Ju Chao, alias Meisheng, pseudonym jinxianzhu, was a native of the Panyu district in Guangdong province. He was a versatile scholar noted for his painting, poetry and calligraphy. He was proficient in the painting Of birds, flowers, inscects, fish, landscapes and human figures. In the field of bird-and-flower painting, he was a master of the 'boneless technique'. His paintings on floral subjects have a touch of refine- ment which reveals his full mastery of his brush-work and colouring techniques, and his understanding of the system of growth of flowers and plants.

        ju Lian first learnt the art of painting from his cousin Ju Chao. Later he learnt from the works of Song Guangbao and Meng jinyi and those of earlier masters. He loved to paint flowers, plants and particularly insects which he kept in his garden. His. love- for painting insects made him the greatest insect painter in Guangdong. Although he took Song and Meng and other masters as his models in painting, he was not bound by the styles of anv of them. He succeeded in establishing a style of his own. His special colouring technique in which water and powder colour were skilfully applied to enrici tonal gradation and textural feeling of leaves and flower petals, and his emphasis on the importance of detailed study of objects in life laid down the basis on which the Lingnan Scho6i painting later developed. Among the early masters of the Lingnan School, ju Lian was by far the most influential of all.

        The significance of the contribution of Lingnan School painters in the development of Chinese painting in the 20th century cannot be over- emphasized. To promote a better understanding of the work of this important school of painting, the Hong Kong Museum of Art of the Urban Council has engaged herself in a long term exhibition project beginning with the presentation of the exhibition of 'Kwangtung Painting' in 197 3 when a general survey of the different schools of Guangdong paintings from the Ming dynasty to mid-20th century was made. A similar exhibition called by the name 'Lingnan Painting' based on the recent acquisitions of the Hong Kong Museum of Art to supplement the 1973 survey was staged in 1976. It was followed by a series of three one-man shows introducing the 'Three Masters of Lingnan School', Gao jianfu, Chen Shuren and Gao Qifeng, in 1978, 1980 and 1982 respectively.

Silk Scroll of Peony by Ju Lian (1828-1904)

Silk Scroll of Peony by Ju Lian (1828-1904)

Length: 110.9cm; Width: 42.1cm

Depicted in this silk scroll are four different colored peonies (hermosa pink, cerise, purple and light yellow) gracefully blooming on a “Taihu” rock with grotesque appearance. The growing status of peonies’ leaves is vividly represented in three hues: green leaves around the hermosa pink, cerise and purple peonies, blank-green around the light yellow one, while pale red and chartreuse leaves on the right top of flowers and bellow the rock, giving rise to a sense of freshness and tenderness. Three butterflies and dozens of bees are attracted by the enchanting scenery, flying towards the flowers.

On the right top of the painting are several Chinese characters referring to the names of the painter and collector of this painting while at the bottom is the stamp of the collector.

Partial view of the Silk Scroll of Peony

Related Objects:

Jasmine Flower by Ju Lian

Painting of Flowers and Insects by Ju Lian

Azalea by Ju Chao, elder brother of Ju Lian

Paintings of Five Blessings by Ju Chao, elder brother of Ju Lian

Painting for Chinese Lunar New Year by Ju Lian

Lovebirds (expressing the wish for a long and happy marriage) by Ju Lian

Related Knowledge:

Ju Lian (1828-1904), with the style name Guquan and assumed name Geshanlaoren, was a younger brother of Ju Chao (also a famous painter). He was born in Panyu (now Guangdong Province). Having grown up in a poor family, he worked very hard and went through conceivable hardships for learning painting skills. He was good at drawing flowers, birds, grass and insects, especially sketching. He was one of the forerunners of the “Lingnan School”, a school of innovationist painters on Chinese traditional paintings.

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