Chen Shizeng Ink Plum Map Axis

[Chen Shizeng’s Ink Plum Painting Axis]

The Ink Plum Painting Axis, in modern times, is painted by Chen Shizeng in paper, with ink brush, 132.5 centimeters vertically and 63.7 centimeters horizontally
The title at the top right of the screen reads: “The painting of a donkey in a donkey house. Hengke imitates it.” With the seal of “Chen Hengke”
“Donkey House” is another nickname of Zhu Da (alias Badashan Ren), a famous painter in the early Qing Dynasty. Shi Zeng drew this picture to simulate the Eight Great Paintings. In the painting, there is a sturdy old plum tree standing in the middle, with only three or five plum blossoms among the tree tops. Plum blossom is a traditional theme in literati painting, and Chen Shizeng’s work is unique among many plum paintings. Although it is a painting of plum blossoms, it does not focus on plum blossoms, but highlights the branches and stems. The ink is extremely simple and vigorous. It looks like a decaying old tree, but the branches have flowers blooming, showing the tenacious vitality of the old tree. Chen Shizeng was nicknamed “Immortal”, and after his death, Wu Changshuo wrote an inscription calling it “Immortal”, which is exactly what this painting expresses.