Huayan Zhongkui Scale Ghost Map Axis

[Huayan Zhongkui Scale Ghost Map Axis]

“Zhongkui Scale Ghost Map” axis, Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Huayan painting, paper, color, 137 cm vertical, 66.8 cm horizontal
The picture depicts the story of Zhong Kui’s ghost. Zhong Kui’s temperament is elegant and upright, and the little ghost who is tied and weighed is ugly and frightened. The two form a sharp contrast, highlighting the main purpose of suppressing evil with positive. The characters painted in the scene are all delicately portrayed, and their facial expressions are particularly delicate, which perfectly shows the different psychological characteristics of the righteous and evil characters. This picture is beautiful and vivid. It should be a masterpiece of Hua Yan’s figure painting in his later years
According to the “Mengxi Bi Tan”, Li Longji, Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, fell asleep one day and was chased by small ghosts in his dream. At the time of shock, he suddenly saw a big man, who was very tall and brave, and named himself Zhong Kui. He raised his hand and tore the small ghosts one by one, thus solving Li Longji’s dilemma. After waking up the next day, Li Longji hurriedly ordered Wu Daozi to paint what he saw in his dream into a picture. Because Wu’s painting is exquisite and the pictures are lifelike, Zhong Kui’s theme has become popular among the people since then, and he often takes the meaning of exorcism
Self title: “Ren Shen (seventeenth year of Qianlong reign, 1752) drew up the Chinese style in Jietao Pavilion in autumn and July, and the people of Silla Mountain”. Seal “Hua Yan” (white text seal), “Qiu Yue” (white text seal)
Collection seal: “Cenzhong Taoists Collection” (Zhu Wenfang seal), “Laichen Heart Appreciation” (Zhu Wenfang seal), “Xuzhai Approval” (Bai Wenfang seal), “Taiyisu Taoist” (Bai Wenfang seal)