Min Zhen Picking Mulberry Map Axis

[Min Zhen Picking Mulberry Map Axis]

Picking Mulberry Map Axis, Qing Dynasty, Min Zhen painting, paper, ink, 123.8 cm in vertical and 52 cm in horizontal
Signature: “Zhengzhai Minzhen painting.” Seal “Minzhen seal”, “Zhengzhai”, “Liaotang resident”, “Qingqiao”. The seal of the seal is “Yichang Li’s Ziqing Collection”
The picture depicts a petite woman climbing to pick mulberry trees under a tall mulberry tree. While looking up at the branches and leaves of the mulberry tree, she kept hitting with the pole while holding the bamboo basket to receive the fallen leaves. The characters try their best to move upward, the body stretches naturally, the relationship between eyes and hands is coordinated, and the actions of “hitting” and “receiving” are consistent, which shows that the author has a careful observation ability and a solid realistic foundation
This picture is ingenious in layout. In order to highlight the mulberry picking girl, the author omitted the unnecessary background, and naturally placed it in the center of the picture through the giant stone at the foot of the woman, making it play an important role in the composition of the picture while attracting attention. Through the dynamic of the woman lifting the pole to play the mulberry, the tall mulberry trees are connected with the low rocks, earth slopes, etc., thus creating a rectangular structural relationship between the objects and images, The gas channels are connected with each other, making the simple composition full and complete. The women’s clothing pattern in the picture is expressive, complex and overlapping, showing the soft texture of cotton fabric. The robust and lively posture of women is accurately delineated by the changing lines of color, thickness and inflection. In addition, the complementarities between the clothing patterns represented by the line molding and the tree stones dotted by the thick ink chapping have enriched the visual effect of the picture
From the development of the painting of beautiful women to the Qing Dynasty, the scope of expression has expanded increasingly, from the virtuous women, ladies and fairies in the Jin Dynasty to women of all levels, various identities and situations. However, the images of ladies that painters are most happy to create are women of various colors in dramas and novels, legends, or the ideal “beauty” in their minds. It is rare for ordinary women to express their life in a realistic way in the Qing Dynasty. This painting is one of the rare excellent works with rich life flavor.