王冕及其梅花诗和《墨梅图》
2018-05-09林梢青付玉婷孙雯
林梢青?付玉婷?孙雯
“不要人夸好颜色,只留清气满乾坤”,这句最近很热的诗是元代画家王冕写在他《墨梅图》里的。
画史中的王冕,以擅画墨梅著称。明朝画梅高手姚浙说“王家元章传墨法,雪月风烟种种奇”。明末清初的張岱当年搜集绍兴府旧属八县名人家传遗像,后来刊刻了一部书,关于王冕,他的说法很有代表性:诸暨人,隐居九里山,种梅千树,还把自己的住处题为“梅花树屋”。
王冕的画都有一个特点:“凡画必题诗其上”。所以,今天我们能读到他许多梅花诗。他曾说:“写梅作诗,其来一也。名之虽异,意趣实同。”无论是“墨梅图”或是“梅花诗”,勾勒的其实都是一个文人的理想世界。
浙江大学出版社出版的“中国历代绘画大系”之《元画全集》里,收录的王冕作品共有7件,分别藏于故宫博物院、上海博物馆、美国克利夫兰艺术博物馆、美国纽约大都会艺术博物馆和日本宫内厅三之丸尚藏馆。7件作品的主题,无一例外,都是梅。
作为迄今最权威最完整的元代绘画编纂集成,《元画全集》共收录海内外600多件元代作品,涉及全球近百家博物馆、美术馆等收藏单位,其中,海外作品270余件。加之前所未有的高清图像采集与印刷技术,使我们得以欣赏到最全最精的元代画作。
集诗、书、画三绝于一体
藏于北京故宫博物院的这张王冕《墨梅图》,是一件集诗、书、画三绝于一体的神妙之作。
假如对作品没有一定了解,很难找到它准确的出处。原来,它藏在一件手卷里,全名叫:元赵雍等《元五家合绘》卷。
翻开《元画全集》第一卷第三册,第一件便是这件手卷。从右至左,王冕《墨梅图》列于赵雍《松溪钓艇图》之后——赵雍为赵孟之子;其后为朱德润《松溪放艇图》、张观《疏林茅屋图》和方从义的《林屋幽居图》。五件作品是在后人手中合为一卷的。
《元画全集》中除了作品原大图像外,还放大至130%的高清图像,呈现了《墨梅图》,可以很细致地观察每一个细部。
这是一幅纸本水墨画,约一本常见的期刊大小,纵31.6厘米,横51.0厘米。
题画诗见于画幅左上角偏中:“吾家洗研池头树,个个华开澹墨痕。不要人夸好颜色,只流清气满乾坤。王冕元章为良佐作。”
元章,即王冕的字。画中的题诗与如今流传的略有区别,比如“流”与“留”,这是因为后世在整理刊印时,将“流”字作“留”字,后来,“留”字的版本就流传得更广了。
紧跟着落款的是“王元章”和“文王子孙”两枚白文方印,左右两下角还分别有“会稽佳山水”和“方外司马”两方白文方印。这些都是王冕的印章,特别自然朴拙。在很多记载中说,王冕是自篆自刻的开创者,在他之前,一般先由专业人员写好印稿,再交给专业工匠刻制,但工匠因为文化素养不足,常会缺乏笔墨意趣,而当时印章材质多为质地较坚硬的金属与玉石,一般文人又刻不了。而王冕用了一种名为“花药石”的石材,从此,文人开始在篆刻中融入了更多精微的金石意韵。
王冕的画法最独特
王冕在《梅谱》中说过:“古人从画为无声诗,诗乃有声画,是以画之得意犹诗之得句,有喜乐忧愁而得之者,有感慨愤怒而得之者,此皆一时之兴耳。”
读完诗,再来看画,之所以将《墨梅图》的画面欣赏留待最后,这是因为,王冕的墨梅在中国画梅的历史中非常具有代表性,了解历史,才会更懂得他的好。
整幅作品墨色清雅,神韵秀逸。画中绘水墨梅花一枝,枝干秀挺,花朵疏朗。以淡墨晕染花瓣,浓墨勾点花蕊。
这墨梅究竟特别在哪儿?那就要提到另外一位在画面中留下题跋的重要人物——乾隆。尽管很多人不喜欢乾隆乱题跋,却不得不承认他对绘画的心得。乾隆极爱梅花,他在题跋中的第一句话便直指王冕的技法:钩圈略异杨家法,春满冰心雪压腰。何碍旁人呼作杏,问他杏得尔清标?
“杨”,指的是以擅画墨梅而声名远播的画家扬无咎,藏于故宫博物院的《四梅图》卷是其代表作。乾隆的意思是说,王冕画梅的技法和扬无咎不同。
梅花入画在中国起源很早,而用水墨画梅花,北宋中叶的禅僧仲仁大概是最早的,之后影响最大的便是南宋扬无咎。到了元代,画梅名家辈出,王冕继承扬无咎的画法,加以发展,对后世也产生巨大影响。所以,书画鉴定大家谢稚柳先生将王冕称之为扬无咎水墨画派的“嫡系”。
对后世画家产生至深影响
除了故宫博物院藏《墨梅图》,《元画全集》中还收录了王冕其余6件作品。其中3件来自上海博物馆。
2002年上海博物馆“晋唐宋元书画国宝展”展出的《墨梅图》立轴,是王冕的经意之作,从这件作品中,可以看到王冕笔下的墨梅与前人的不同之处。
清人朱方蔼《画梅题记·题画》中说:“宋人画梅,大都疎枝浅蕊。至元煑石山农始易以繁花,千丛万簇,倍觉风神绰约,珠胎隐现,为此花别开生面。”
宋代扬无咎时期的墨梅,多为疏枝浅蕊,构图空旷。而王冕的墨梅以繁花密枝的新形式出现。这件作品还以写意笔法画枝干,发枝善用中锋,挺拔坚韧。
将“中国历代绘画大系”此前出版的《宋画全集》中的扬无咎《四梅图》卷(第一卷第三册,故宫博物院藏),与这件《墨梅图》高清细节细细比较,会发现在圈花法上,王冕发挥扬无咎的技法,改一笔三顿挫为一笔二顿挫,称为“白花头”画法,花须、花英随意点簇,更为简洁明快,洒脱清逸。
王冕本人也尤其珍爱这件作品,在画中留下了自题诗5首,几乎将画作留白全部填满。这些题画诗直抒性灵,如“明洁众所忌,难与群芳时。贞贞岁寒心,惟有天地知。”画品、诗品、人品融为一体。
上海博物馆藏另一件王冕《墨梅图》轴,墨梅老干新枝,昂扬向上,具有独立不羁的气格。枝条用浓墨勾画,笔致挺劲坚韧,长枝势如弯弓秋月,干枝交叉,分枝多作平行伸展,颇有装饰意趣。花朵的分布长枝处疏,短枝处密,显得清新烂漫。图中自题七言诗一首。
上海博物馆藏的王冕《梅花图》亦是一件杰作。《元画全集》第二卷第二册中用23页来完整细节地呈现这件作品。画面中,梅花一枝横斜而出,枝条简疏,枝节交叉处吐蕊开放,表现不经栽接之山间野梅荒率清绝的韵致。笔墨精练蕴藉,主干以淡墨挥洒,中锋勾撇,数尺长枝,行枝接续,如弯弓秋月,一气呵成。短枝撇擢如箭戟,浓墨点苔,苍古老拙。梅花以圈花法,笔意清劲洒脱,颇得扬无咎笔法。
王冕在《梅先生传》中云:“为人修洁洒落,秀外莹中,玉立风尘表,飘飘然,真神仙中人。”王冕的绘画对此后的画家产生了至深影响,特别是通过陈淳、徐渭等人的丰富和发展,逐渐出现了大写意和没骨花卉并繁荣的花鸟画格局。
诸暨人王冕是个“神童”
王冕是浙江诸暨人。不管是吴敬梓的《儒林外史》、宋濂的《王冕传》,还是清雍正年间的《浙江通志》以及其他古籍,都有类似记载。
从《儒林外史》看,王冕是替别人放牛,自学成才。
而对照《王冕传》,可以发现,他是为自家放牛,可见家庭绝非吴敬梓描述得那般贫穷。史料记载,王冕为王猛后裔,原居关中,八世祖来诸暨任军职,死后归葬当地,子孙遂为诸暨人。到王冕父亲这一代,王家成为农家。
无论对于时人还是后来人,少年王冕都属于“神童”级别。
王冕的老师是当时名儒韩性,他听说王冕天赋非同一般,就去收为弟子。王冕对老师很尊重,韩性去世后,同门像对待韩性一样对待王冕。从另一个方面来说,也是对王冕的学问与为人的认可。
另一位对王冕颇有影响的人是赵孟。赵、王世家通好。1304年,赵孟在浙江等处儒学提举任上,王冕去湖南邵阳办事,路过杭州时,特地拜访了赵孟。赵孟为王冕作的《兰蕙图》题记:“王元章吾通家子也,将之邵阳,作此兰蕙图以赠其行。”这即宣示了两家的关系,也有做人的道理与艺术的教诲。
在九里山中欲“隐”弥彰
王冕读了一肚子书,当然希望通过考试来显亲扬名,但是从他约写于1316年的《自感》诗中可见,王冕此时已经30岁了:“蹭蹬三十秋,靡靡如蠢鱼”。学者考证,这首诗可能是王冕考试失败之后的作品。
雖然科举考试的路子没有走通,但王冕一直没有放弃济世安民的愿望。
60岁左右,王冕沿运河北上,到了大都,住在台州友人泰不花家中,后又绕道长安去寻访远祖王猛的遗迹。北地风光给了王冕别样的观感,但是他也看到了诸多时弊,在诸多诗作中留下了见闻与感想,后来怀着“磊落同谁语,孤高与世违”的心情回到家乡。
在葛焕标与陈侃章先生的署名文章《王冕隐居地九里山之所见》里可以读到,公元1354年,王冕带上一家老小,隐居九里山。文章认为九里山“在诸暨县境内”。文章还认为:归隐九里山是其人生的一个重要转折,他传世的许多诗和画都作于此。在山中他又接待了许多名士显宦,纵论古今,可以说王冕是欲“隐”弥彰。
确实,王冕在北上途中,曾有“赤心思报国,白首愿封侯”的诗句,而回乡之后的《村居四首》之一也不消极:英雄在何处,气慨属山家。蚁布出入阵,蜂排早晚衙。野花团部伍,溪树拥旗牙。抱膝长吟罢,天边日又斜。
他给后人留下很多迷局
1359年,王冕的生命走向史载的尾声,但仍留下诸多迷局。
这一年春,朱元璋命胡大海从金华率部攻占诸暨,再向东进攻绍兴。胡大海攻绍兴府城时,屯兵于两地之间九里山麓。
张辰为王冕所作的传记,也有记载,大意是,明军队夜里捉了王冕。王冕大呼:“我王元章也。”王元章这个名字在时人耳中是如雷贯耳的,就这样,王冕被带到了胡大海的驻扎处,未料,第二天病重,不久便去世了。
这一年,朱元璋32岁。如果王冕的出生日期是1278年,他已81岁——虽然关于他的出生时间,史界仍有不同的看法,但无论如何,他是个老人了。
据魏骥《书竹斋先生诗后》记载:太祖高皇帝召见(王冕)于金华,与语颇合。晌午,具饭一孟,蔬一盘,先生且谈且食,尽饱乃已。上喜曰:“先生能甘粗橱如是,可与共大事。”即授以谘议参军……
在连冕写于2007年的《王冕新证:一段不曾深入揭示的个人史》中,则提到了这样的说法:王冕在见胡大海之后,再次隐居了。
无论如何,一首诗,给我们一个重新去认识一个人、一个时代的机会。
Wang Mian (1287-1359), an artist of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), specialized in painting ink plum flowers. However, he is best known to most people of today for the poems he wrote on these paintings. It would not be difficult to understand how and why the fame of these poems goes beyond time and space. Not so many people are privileged to take a look at the paintings.
, which is a part of published by Zhejiang University Press, presents seven paintings by Wang Mian. The seven paintings, not surprisingly, are all about plum blossoms. The originals are now respectively housed in the Forbidden City Museum, Shanghai Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Sannomaru Shozokan (The Museum of the Imperial Collections).
The most outstanding of the seven in the collection is . The original painting is ink on paper and measures 31.6 centimeters in height and 51.0 centimeters in width. It is about the size of a magazine. The printed version offers a closer look at the original by providing 130% larger details.
In the up left corner of the painting is a 28-word poem. The last two lines state to the effect that “(plum blossoms) dont need other people to applaud how beautiful they are. They freely give fresh fragrance to the world”. At the bottom of the poem are two seal prints of Wang Mian.
It is said that Wang Mian was one of the first artists who wrote poems on their own paintings. It is also said that Wang Mian was the first artist who engraved his own seals. Before his time, artists wrote down inscriptions and left engraving to seal engravers. However, professional engravers, not subtle and sensitive enough to understand what artists really wanted to say and not versed in calligraphy, often failed to satisfy artists. Artists themselves lacked the training to make seals. Wang Mian picked a special kind of seal stone which was not so hard and carved his own seals. Thus his accomplished calligraphy made its way into his paintings. Wang Mian blazed a new trail for painters in his time. Artists in his time and in subsequent dynasties followed his footsteps and designed and made their own seals.
Plum blossoms became an artistic metaphor in very ancient times. It was not until the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) that artists began to paint plum blossoms in pure ink. Yang Wujiu, the best known ink plum blossom painter of the Southern Song (1127-1279), painted the blossoms in a very succinct style: a few twigs and a few blossoms here and there. In the Yuan Dynasty, many artists took plum blossoms seriously. Wang was one of them. Wangs paintings show the influence of Yang Wujiu, but Wang made some innovations. He preferred a plethora of plum blossoms in the style that seems to say the more the better. Technically, he also made some new brush moves. With such changes, he added a new understanding to the metaphor.
Wang Mian influenced many artists. The techniques and style he developed gradually evolved to a freehand style through the hands of Chen Chun, Xu Wei, and other artists.
Wang Mian was a native of Zhuji, now a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Shaoxing in eastern Zhejiang. After his death, Song Lian (1310-1381) wrote . Wang Mian appeared as the protagonist in the 18th-century novel by Wu Jingzi (1701-1754). compiled during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) also mentions Wang Mian.
In the fiction, Wang Mian was a self-made artist who grew up in poverty and was hired to look after buffalos when he was a kid. However, in the biography written by Song Lian, the family did not live in poverty. The boy looked after the familys own buffalos. His ancestral roots were in Shaanxi Province in the northwest. According to the family pedigree, an eighth-generation descendent came to Zhejiang and served as a military official. The ancestor thus put his roots down in Zhuji. The family eventually came down in the world and Wang Mians father became a farmer.
Wang Mians reputation as a wizard boy was known to many people when he was very young. A local scholar named Han Xin took Wang under his wing. After Han passed away, his disciples showed their respect to Wang. Wang Mian also met with Zhao Mengfu, probably the most influential artist of the Yuan.