绘画艺术大师徐渭Xu Wei,a Master Painter

施之昊

除了鲁迅的三味书屋、咸亨酒店的花雕酒、王羲之的兰亭，被称为一代绘画宗师的徐渭（1521—1593）及其作品也是绍兴一张重要的文化“名片”。作为一位具有划时代意义的绘画大师，徐渭的人生境遇离奇曲折，极富戏剧性，他的绘画艺术也开创新风。

Xu Wei （1521–1593）， renowned as a masterpainter of his era， holds a significant position as animportant cultural symbol of Shaoxing， alongsideLu Xuns Sanwei （Three-flavor） Study， the agedwine at Xianheng Restaurant， and Lanting featuredin Wang Xizhis literary work. Xu Weis life wascharacterized by tumultuous experiences. Despiteall the drama and difficulties he had to encounter，Xu Wei managed to develop an innovativeapproach to painting， which ushered in a newartistic style.

跌宕起伏的人生境遇

Turbulent Life Experiences

徐渭出生于浙江绍兴，很早就在文章、诗词和书法方面崭露头角。但八次科考未中，一生仕途不顺，加上家庭的一些变故，使他桀骜不驯、孤傲冷峻，成天萎靡不振。在41岁这年，徐渭开始结交浙江当地的一些画家，并以绘画自娱。随着绘画实践和作品的增多，他的艺术风格日渐独特，创作的作品真情流露、纵横来回，极具创造力。

Born in Shaoxing， Zhejiang Province， Xu Weiexcelled in writing， poetry， and calligraphy at anearly age. However， his struggles with the imperialexamination， which he failed eight times， coupledwith familial upheavals， marred his artistic journey.These challenges led him to become rebellious， aloof，and melancholic. At the age of 41， Xu Wei beganmingling with local painters in Zhejiang， indulgingin painting for personal amusement. Throughpractice and the creation of numerous works， hisartistic style evolved into a unique expression ofgenuine emotions， characterized by fluid creativity.

步入晚年后，徐渭遭遇了一系列不幸，精神疯癫甚至崩溃，但这反而给他的绘画艺术注入了一些非同寻常的元素。他在绘画中求新求变，他潦倒的生活也因此有了慰藉，内心的不平也得到了宣泄。如果没有这些坎坷和挫折，恐怕也不会有这位绘画史上的大师。

In his later years， Xu Wei faced a series ofmisfortunes that resulted in mental disorders andbreakdowns. Paradoxically， these adversities infusedhis art creation with extraordinary elements. Seekinginnovation and transformation in his paintings，Xu Wei found solace despite his impoverishedexistence， channeling his inner discontent into hisartwork. It is conceivable that without these setbacksand frustrations， this eminent figure in the annals ofpainting might not have emerged as prominently.

独具风格的绘画艺术

The Unique Style of Painting

中国画的审美最初来源于宫廷。五代时期有一位画家叫黄荃，其所作之画典雅富贵，为宫廷所爱。这种风格受到之后两宋画家的追慕，成为当时画坛的主要画风。明代中期以后，文人画方兴未艾，不同的画家各有自己的风格，他们不受限于他人，只画自己的“胸中逸气”。自此，画坛有了空前的自由——这是徐渭画风形成的大背景。

The aesthetic of Chinese painting traces its originsback to the imperial court. During the Five Dynastiesperiod， there was an influential painter named HuangQuan， known for his elegant and opulent artworks thatcaptivated the courts admiration. This style garneredsignificant praise from painters of the Song Dynasty，subsequently becoming the predominant artistic styleof the era. After the mid-Ming Dynasty， literati paintingsaw a surge in popularity， with individual paintersdeveloping their distinctive styles unconstrained byconventions， allowing them to depict their innermostemotions freely. This newfound artistic freedom laidthe groundwork for the emergence of Xu Weis uniquepainting style.

徐渭是青藤画派的开山鼻祖，创“大写意花鸟”画风。毛笔、宣纸和墨组合在一起，墨分五色，酣畅淋漓，产生了奇妙的效果。很长一段时间里，这种特征成为中国画的标志，两宋及其之前那种典雅富贵的画风反而被讽刺为“工匠之作”。

Xu Wei， the pioneer of the Qingteng paintingschool， introduced the “bold and freehand flowerand-bird” painting style. By taking advantage of thechemistry among brushwork， rice paper， and ink —the latter divided into the five levels known as charred，concentrated， heavy， light， and clear — he achieved stunning visual effects.This distinctive approach soon became emblematic of Chinese painting，overshadowing the once-revered Tang and Song dynasties elegant andluxurious style， which was then ironically dubbed “artistry work.”

正如李白、杜甫的文字与他们的身世、命运紧密相连，画家笔下的画作与他们的人生境遇也息息相关。了解了徐渭的生平，再来看他的画，就能有更深刻的理解。

Just as the poetry of Li Bai and Du Fu is intimately intertwinedwith their life experiences and destinies， so too are the paintings ofartists reflective of their encounters. Exploring Xu Weis life storybefore delving into his art provides a deeper insight into his creations.

徐渭的画，色少、水墨多，干净利落。雪白的宣纸和浓淡的墨团在矛盾中完成统一，有时舒缓稳健，有时跌宕起伏，就像一曲交响乐。作画如奏乐，只不过其用的不是音符而是笔墨，这正是中国画之核心。

Xu Weis paintings are characterized by a minimal use of color yetabundant application of ink， resulting in compositions that are cleanand precise. The stark contrast between the pure white rice paper andthe diverse shades of ink creates a harmonious balance amidst apparentcontradictions， at times exuding a calming stability and at other timesevoking turbulence， akin to a symphony. With painting likened toplaying music， only with a brush and ink instead of musical notes， thisessence underscores the profound nature of Chinese artistic expression.

才华横溢的书法诗文

Stunning Calligraphy and Poetry

在徐渭的花鸟画，尤其是花卉画中，线条是主要的元素，这源于他深厚的书法功力（见徐渭的《三江夜归诗》）。在明代，一位画家想要取得成功，其书法的水准甚至比绘画的技艺更加重要。徐渭的书法尤以草书见长，在中国书法史上也占有一席之地。他也将自己的书法技巧和笔法融于画中。

Xu Weis flower-and-bird paintings， particularly his floral works，highlight the significance of lines as a primary element， a testamentto his profound calligraphy skills. This is exemplified in the artworkReturning Late from an Outing. During the Ming Dynasty， a painterssuccess was often contingent upon their proficiency in calligraphy，which held greater importance than their painting prowess. Xu Weiexcelled in cursive script， carving a niche for himself in Chinesecalligraphy history. He also seamlessly blended his calligraphictechniques and style into his paintings.

有人说徐渭的书画都是墨团，看不懂。但他开创的“大写意花鸟”就是以“看不懂”独树一帜、区别于世俗绘画的。若要达到这样的境界，书法就是重要的一关，他在书法上的造诣也促成了他在绘画上的成就。

Contrary to some opinions that perceive Xu Weiscalligraphy and paintings as mere ink blots， incomprehensiblein nature， the distinctive “bold and freehand flower-and-bird”style he pioneered deviates from traditional artistic norms. Themastery of calligraphy played a pivotal role in achieving this levelof uniqueness， thereby aiding his accomplishments in painting.

徐渭最著名的一幅画《葡萄图》，上题“半生落魄已成翁，独立书斋啸晚风。笔底明珠无处卖，闲抛闲掷野藤中”。读了这首诗，再来看画中这一滴滴墨团，便可知这画的是葡萄，同时也了解了画家的心境。通过读诗，可以理解一幅画的内容，也能更深层次地理解画家的创作意图，这就是那个时代流传下来的审美传统，也是画家必备的素养。从这个意义上讲，徐渭的技艺达到了绘画的顶峰，书与画融为一体。

Among Xu Weis renowned works， Grapesstands out prominently， adorned with the verse：“Half my life spent in poverty， now grown old， Ising in my study hall with the evening wind. Brightpearls at the tip of my brush have no buyers， idlytossed among wild vines.” Delving into the poemand scrutinizing the ink blots in the painting，one can discern the depiction of grapes and gleaninsight into the artists frame of mind. By engagingwith poetry， viewers can unravel the essence of apainting and delve deeper into the artists creativeintent — a hallmark of the aesthetic traditionpassed down through generations， deemedindispensable for painters. In this regard， Xu Weisproficiency culminated in an unparalleled fusionof calligraphy and painting.

后世的大画家，如八大山人、石涛、吴昌硕、齐白石、张大千等，都受到徐渭的影响，成为各自所处时代的大师，发出了耀眼的光芒，用自己的作品丰富了中国美术史。追根溯源，徐渭功不可没。

Having left an indelible mark on Chinese art history， Xu Wei influenceda cadre of future eminent painters such as Bada Shanren， Shi Tao， WuChangshuo， Qi Baishi， Zhang Daqian， among others， enriching the artisticheritage with their luminous oeuvres. Reflecting on Xu Weis legacy， hiscontributions prove monumental and enduring.