A scroll of Wang Ximeng’s thousands of miles of rivers and mountains

[Wang Ximeng’s Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains Volume]

The Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains Volume, written by Wang Ximeng in the Northern Song Dynasty, is a silk version with colors, 51.5 cm vertically and 1191.5 cm horizontally
The painting of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains is the only work handed down by the painter Wang Ximeng of the Northern Song Dynasty. This picture depicts the beautiful rivers and mountains of the motherland. On the picture, the mountains and valleys are rolling and rolling, the rivers are misty and vast, and the atmosphere is myriad, magnificent and magnificent. There are high cliffs and waterfalls in the mountains, winding paths and secluded paths. The houses and houses are dotted with beautiful scenery, including green willows and red flowers, long pines and slender bamboos. The Yedu fishing village, waterside pavilions, thatched cottages, and Shuimo Long Bridge in the mountains and rivers are set up according to the terrain and environment, reflecting the mountains, rivers and lakes. This volume shows the majesty of the mountains and rivers of the motherland with concise and concise techniques, gorgeous colors and meticulous strokes, and has always been regarded as the giant masterpiece of the green landscape in the Song Dynasty
In the composition, the painter makes full use of the multi-point perspective features of the traditional scroll form, and roughly divides the scenery into six parts in a ten-meter long scroll. Each part takes the mountain as the main object of expression, and each part is connected by a long bridge or by a running water, so that each section of the landscape is relatively independent and interrelated, and ingeniously connected into one, achieving the artistic effect of moving different scenes. The interspersed use of various composition methods such as high, deep and flat makes the picture more ups and downs, full of strong rhythmic sense and fascinating
The painting of a Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains inherits the traditional “green and green method” in color setting and pen use, that is, taking minerals such as stone blue and stone green as the main pigments, with exaggerated color application and a certain degree of decoration, and is called “green and green landscape”. This method of expression is one of the earliest developed techniques of landscape painting in China. In the Sui and Tang dynasties, many painters such as Zhan Ziqian, Li Sixun, Li Zhaodao and so on were good at green landscape painting. Throughout the painting world of the Song Dynasty, although some painters used this method to create, there is no work that can surpass the “Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” volume. On the basis of inheriting the former law, Wang Ximeng showed a more delicate style of painting, reflecting the neat and rigorous style of the Northern Song Dynasty. This picture is well written. There is no failure in any painting. Although the characters are small as beans, they are dynamic. The microwave water texture is drawn with the same brush, and the fishing boat and cruise boat are dragging in it, which makes the picture more dynamic. Taking a comprehensive view of the whole picture, we can not lose the majestic realm and magnificent momentum. It is impressive from a distance and from a close view. In the use of color, the painter seeks changes in the monotonous blue-green. Although the main color is cyan, he pays attention to the change of technique when applying color. The color is either thick or light, and the ochre is used as a contrast, making the picture layered, and the color is as bright as a gem. Pu Guang, a famous calligrapher of the Yuan Dynasty, praised this volume to the utmost. In the postscript after the volume, he said: “In the ancient and modern small blue scenery, you can walk alone for thousands of years, almost the solitary ear of the stars.” This theory is fair
From the view of the scenery described in this volume, it is mainly composed of the clear and beautiful mountains and waters in the south, and some features of the northern mountains and waters are added to the performance of some mountains. It can be said that it is an elaborate work integrating the northern and southern mountains and waters. From the perspective of the architectural form represented in the picture, the living scene of the Jiangnan water town, and the tools used for production and labor, the painter has a relatively deep understanding of the Jiangnan region. His artistic creation should come from life, and Wang Ximeng created such a huge work when he was 18 years old. It is impossible to have a profound life accumulation. Therefore, the author speculates that the painter Wang Ximeng should be a Jiangnan person, and the specific native place is unknown.