"Transmission and Imitation: Exhibition of Works from the Chinese Painting Copying Teaching of the Central Academy of Fine Arts" is currently on display at CAFA Art Museum. This exhibition showcases more than 300 pieces of copied works, sketches for teaching students, and creations transformed from copying in the Chinese painting copying teaching of the Central Academy of Fine Arts over the past hundred years. In the copying courses of figure painting, landscape painting, and flower-and-bird painting in the Chinese Painting Academy of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, which ancient masterpieces are respectively taken as models? And what experiences of modern renowned artists have served as inspiration to bridge traditional and modern aesthetic concepts? Let's unveil them one by one through the works.
Night Revels of Han Xizai by Gu Hongzhong is a pinnacle work of ancient Chinese paintings, depicting the scene of a night banquet with singing and dancing held at the residence of Han Xizai, a powerful court official. The teachers and students of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, over several decades, completed a series of the "Version of the Central Academy of Fine Arts" of Night Revels of Han Xizai through the method of "relay copying". Li Keran once said, "Tradition is not a constraint, but a cornerstone of innovation. Only by deeply understanding and respecting tradition can one maintain the right direction during the process of innovation and preserve the cultural root." Generations of artists from the Central Academy of Fine Arts have proven with their brushes how the traditional aesthetic genes can rejuvenate in a modern context.
The Night Revels of Han Xizai copied by Hu Bo, which is on display at the "Transmission and Imitation" exhibition, reflects his profound traditional foundation and his awe for classic culture. As a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Hu Bo copied this work twice during his postgraduate study from 1978 to 1980. The work exhibited this time is the second complete copy under the guidance of Mr. Liu Lingcang. It is not just an ordinary copied work; it also contains the stories of the successive generations of mentorship within the Chinese Painting Academy of the Central Academy of Fine Arts.
Copy of Night Revels of Han Xizai by Gu Hongzhong from the Five Dynasties (the version by Chen Linzhai) by Hu Bo.
Exhibition scene. Ink and colors on silk. 38.5cm×355.5cm. 1979
The copy that Hu Bo used was the facsimile made by Chen Linzhai, a senior at Rongbaozhai, based on the original work Night Revels of Han Xizai by Gu Hongzhong collected in the Palace Museum. Rongbaozhai spent eight years in total before finally reproducing Night Revels of Han Xizai using the woodblock watermark printing method. This is also a pinnacle work of the traditional woodblock printing technique. At that time, the senior painter Chen Linzhai personally traced and separated the colors, the woodblock carving technician Zhang Yanzhou engraved the plate, and the printing technician Sun Lianwang skillfully and meticulously printed it. When making the woodblock watermark print of Night Revels of Han Xizai, Chen Linzhai first made a copy of the original work by Gu Hongzhong treasured in the Palace Museum. After Chen Linzhai's copying, the original in the Palace Museum went through the processes of washing, peeling and remounting. Judging from the depth of the silk color and the charm of the antique, Chen Linzhai's copy seems to be superior to the original. Therefore, there was once a case where someone mistook the copy for the original, which is also one of the interesting anecdotes in the art world and is sufficient to illustrate the exquisite craftsmanship of Chen Linzhai's copy.
Hu Bo's Copy of Night Revels of Han Xizai by Gu Hongzhong from the Five Dynasties (Transmitted Version) - On-site Picture
In 1979, under the personal guidance of Mr. Liu Lingcang, Hu Bo completed the copying of this Night Revels of Han Xizai. The copy selected for Hu Bo by Mr. Liu Lingcang was exactly the treasure of Rongbaozhai—the copy made by Chen Linzhai (which is now collected by the Palace Museum). Because Mrs. Guo Muxi, Mr. Liu Lingcang's wife, had been engaged in the copying of ancient paintings in the Palace Museum for 12 years and had guided and participated in the woodblock watermark printing work at Rongbaozhai. Due to work needs, she could bring Chen Linzhai's copy home, but it was absolutely forbidden to spread it outside. Therefore, Mr. Liu Lingcang rather "domineeringly" asked his wife to take out Chen Linzhai's copy and offered her painting table for Hu Bo to use.
In this way, for a full month and a half, Hu Bo rode a bicycle every day between Wangfujing and Mr. Liu's home located in Qian Sanmen. From selecting the copy to outlining the lines and then applying the colors, he completed the copying of this work under the personal guidance of Mr. Liu.
Hu Bo's Copy of Night Revels of Han Xizai by Gu Hongzhong from the Five Dynasties (Transmitted Version) - On-site Picture
The lines of this copied work are both firm and gentle, and the coloring is fresh, elegant and refined. Especially in the depiction of the characters' faces, clothing, and gestures, it not only retains the delicate details of Gu Hongzhong's original work, but also incorporates the elegant temperament of modern meticulous brushwork with heavy color. In terms of composition, it continues the original work's techniques of "scattered perspective" and the use of screens to divide and narrate, presenting the plots such as "listening to music" and "watching a dance" in a coherent manner, vividly and incisively reproducing the protagonist's detached and uninhibited, as well as gloomy and melancholy demeanor. Hu Bo once said, "Through copying, we can understand the techniques of our predecessors, directly draw on them, and ultimately make them our own. More importantly, we should understand the artistic spirit and the vein of painting contained in the brush and ink techniques of the ancients, and comprehend the soul of Chinese culture. With the confidence and foundation nourished by Chinese culture, in the colorful international art world, we will know where we should go."
It is worth mentioning that when dyeing the imitation old silk fabric, since Mr. Liu's home was only a two-bedroom apartment and too small, Hu Bo found a classroom at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. During this period, Mr. Liu, who was over seventy years old, visited the school several times to provide on-site guidance. Due to the length of the silk fabric, it could only be hung horizontally with clips for drying, which caused a slight deformation of the silk surface. If it was cut evenly, there was a fear that it would affect the size. Therefore, Hu Bo's copied work was only mounted on paper and not framed with an axis. It is precisely this special way that records the beautiful story of the inheritance from generation to generation among the teachers and students of the Central Academy of Fine Arts.
At the same time, this exhibition also showcases several copies of The Night Revels of Han Xizai made by the teachers and students of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Viewers who are interested can come to the exhibition site to carefully appreciate these works.
On-site photo of Jiao Kequn's copy of The Night Revels of Han Xizai attributed to Gu Hongzhong of the Five Dynasties period.
Painted with colors on silk, 28cm×73cm, 1957
On-site photo of Jiao Kequn's copy of The Night Revels of Han Xizai attributed to Gu Hongzhong of the Five Dynasties period.
Painted with colors on silk, 28cm×73cm, 1957
On-site photo of Shan Yinggui's copy of The Night Revels of Han Xizai attributed to Gu Hongzhong of the Five Dynasties period.
Painted with colors on silk, 28cm×59cm, 1959
On-site photo of Shan Yinggui's copy of The Night Revels of Han Xizai attributed to Gu Hongzhong of the Five Dynasties period.
Painted with colors on silk, 28cm×59cm, 1959
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Transmission and Imitation
Exhibition of Works from the Copying Teaching of Chinese Painting in the Central Academy of Fine Arts
Sponsor: Central Academy of Fine Arts
Organizers: School of Chinese Painting of Central Academy of Fine Arts; CAFA Art Museum
Exhibition Time: January 21, 2025 - April 16, 2025
Exhibition Venue: Exhibition Hall on the 3rd Floor of CAFAM
Chief Editor / He Yisha
Editor / Du Yinzhu
