Xu Zhang, Li Kai, Single Tree Image Volume

[Xu Zhang, Li Kai’s Single Tree Image Volume]

“Li Kai’s Single Tree Image” Volume, the 15th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1750), Xu Zhang’s painting, paper version, color setting, 33.7cm vertically, 56.5cm horizontally
The inscription in the lower left corner of this page reads, “On the 20th and 1st day of the first month of the spring in the fifteenth year of Qianlong’s reign, it was written by Xu Zhang of Songjiang.” The seals “Yao” and “Pu” are printed together with the beads. On the tree trunk on the right side, I wrote, “A picture of a single tree.” By Li Kai, a native of Qingshan, I was five years old when I was sixty. I stamped the seal “Meishan” on the bottom. At the front of the volume is an introduction by Chen Jingyuan, a native of Haicheng, Liaoning, and at the back is a handwritten recording by Li Kai
From the title, we can see that this volume is the portrait of Li Kai painted by Xu Zhang. The picture shows an old man sitting under a tree, his left hand resting on the ground, his right hand resting on his knee, his face wrinkled, a wisp of white beard floating under his jaw, and a look of aging. This is Li Kai in his later years. The environment in the picture is elegant, with the old man leaning against a tree and facing a stream. The distant view is spacious, creating a leisurely and leisurely life scene. In his later years, Li Kai lived in seclusion in a winding mountain. In front of his room, there was a big tree, which he loved very much. He wrote the phrase “Single Tree Old Man’s Home”, which is his metaphor for a single tree, reflecting his proud attitude towards life in the world
In this painting, the artist concentrates the protagonist and the single tree on the right side of the picture, while on the left there is only a small stream and endless sky, leaving a huge space. This composition is very suitable for setting off the protagonist’s secluded life scene. The painter focuses on the facial features of the characters, with exquisite brushwork, soft colors, and multi-level texturing. The facial features of an elderly person are vividly displayed.