Picture scroll of Gu Hong, China and Han Xizai’s dinner

[Picture of Han Xizai’s Banquet in Gu Hongzhong]

Picture of Han Xizai’s Banquet in the Five Dynasties, painted by Gu Hongzhong (copy of the Song Dynasty), silk, colored, 28.7 cm in length and 335.5 cm in width
There is no money in this picture. There are 20 words left in the remnant title of the Southern Song Dynasty people across the water, “Xi Zai’s wind and clear, and he is the official servant of heaven,…”. At the beginning, there are three characters in the seal script of Cheng Nanyun in the early Ming Dynasty, which are entitled “Banquet Map”. After the volume, there is a gourd seal of “Shaoxun” by Shi Miyuan of the Southern Song Dynasty, and a seal of “Shangqiu and Song Luo verified the authenticity” by the Luo seal of the Qing and Song Dynasties. There is a running script “Biography of Han Xizai” at the end, followed by a poem written by Yuan · Ban Weizhi in the third year of Taiding (1326), and the title of the owner of Yuzhai. After that, Wang Duo wrote an inscription and postscript on the back of the Qing Dynasty. Later, there were “Dong Lin Jushi”, “Wei Xiao Thatched Cottage Painting Notes” and other collection seals. There are also the long postscript of Emperor Qianlong and the seals of various collections in the Qing Dynasty
There are two kinds of reasons for the creation of Han Xizai’s Night Banquet. The Xuanhe Painting Manual records that the later master Li Yu wanted to reuse Han Xizai, and that he “heard of his extravagance, but he wanted to see the attitude of drinking and crisscrossing between the cups and candles. It was his life to come to the end of the night in Hong Zhong, peep at it, see the mind and remember it, and draw the above.” The Supplement to the History of the Five Dynasties said that Han Xizai’s life in his later years was desolate and unrestrained, “Although the false master knew it, he was angry, and his minister did not want to point out his mistakes directly. He was ashamed of the fact that he had ordered the imperial edict to be painted as a picture, and Xizai knew he was safe.” In short, this picture was painted by Gu Hongzhong in accordance with the imperial edict. According to the records, Zhou Wenju also wrote the “Han Xizai Evening Banquet”, both of which were still in existence during the Yuan Dynasty, and only Gu Ben still exists today
The work faithfully depicts the historical scene of the guests at the banquet of Han Xizai, the minister of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and carefully depicts the lively scene of playing silk and bamboo, singing and dancing, mixing the host and guest, and making fun of joy at the banquet. It also deeply portrays the complex character of the protagonist, who is detached, uninhibited and depressed. The whole picture is divided into five paragraphs. The first paragraph is “listening to music”. Han Xizai and Lang Can, the number one scholar, are sitting on the bed, listening to the sister of Li Jiaming, the deputy envoy of the school, playing the pipa, and sitting next to his brother. There are also Ziwei Zhumi, Dr. Taichang Chen Zhiyong, student Shuya, and other people at the Wangwu Mountain of Jiaji; In the second stage of “watching the dance”, people were watching the “six yao dance” at Wangwu Mountain. Han Xizai personally beat the “Jiegu” to cheer up. His friend, Monk Deming, unexpectedly encountered this scene and stood on his back in embarrassment; After three “temporary breaks”, Han Xizai and his family members sat on the bed to rest while Han was cleaning his hands; Han Xizai sat in the chair on the undressing plate, enjoying the ensemble of five singers and girls in four sections of “Qing Blow”; In the five-part “farewell banquet”, Han took a drumstick to see off, and some guests were still laughing with female performers. The whole volume shows the various plots in the form of comic strips. Each section is separated by screens and fans, and is skillfully connected with each other. The scene appears unified and complete. The layout has ups and downs, and the plot has ups and downs, especially the vivid portrayal of the characters, such as the leaning and listening posture of Lang Can, the number one of the “Listening to Music” section, the kind eyes of Li Jiaming who pays attention to his sister, and the involuntary cooperation and clapping of others; The petite and exquisite posture of Wangwushan in the “dance watching” section, the awkward posture of the Deming monk standing with his back folded and his head bowed, and so on, all of which are deeply rooted. The most outstanding is the portrayal of the hero Han Xizai. The appearance of the long beard and the high hat are consistent with the literature records. His behavior and expression reveal his complex heart. On the one hand, he drank and mingled with guests at the banquet, and did not stick to details. For example, he played drums to accompany Wangwu Mountain in person, listened to the ensemble of women’s music with his chest open, and said goodbye to the guests when they were mixed up with family tricks, which fully reflected his wild and unrestrained attitude towards life and pursuit of life; On the other hand, he is absent-minded and full of melancholy, such as staring at the drum, not smiling, listening to the clear air carelessly, and chatting with the maid opposite. These emotions all reveal his mood of being frustrated in his old age and self-fouling with wine and lust. Han Xizai, portrayed by the painter, not only has a vivid image and a portrait character, but also has a deep excavation of his heart and a three-dimensional character, which can be said to truly reproduce the original appearance of this historical figure
The artistic level of the works is also quite superb. The shape is accurate and subtle, the lines are fine and smooth, and the colors are gorgeous and elegant. The use of pen and ink of different objects is also full of changes, especially the application of color is more rich and harmonious. The plain makeup and gorgeous clothes of ladies are in sharp contrast with the black and blue clothes of men. The dark black furniture, such as several tables of couch, is thick and elegant, and the patterns on ladies’ skirts, curtains, curtains and pillows are colorful. Different colors have different contrast and complement each other, which makes the overall color bright and not vulgar, and the element is in the gorgeous, presenting an elegant and jasmine style
There are several copies of Han Xizai’s Night Banquet by Gu Hongzhong recorded in the past dynasties. According to various textual research, this volume is a copy of Xiaozong to Ningzong Dynasty (1163-1224) in the Southern Song Dynasty. Its style basically reflects the face of the original work and reaches a very high level. It can be regarded as a treasure of ancient paintings that have been circulated
The first edition of Shiqu Treasure Collection.