Su Wu Herding Sheep《苏武牧羊图轴》

Ren Yi (1840–1896)
Ren Yi, courtesy name Bonian, was from Shanyin (present-day Shaoxing), Zhejiang. His father, Hesheng, was skilled in portrait painting and taught Ren Yi from a young age. Later, Ren Yi became a disciple of Ren Xiong and studied under Ren Xun. He excelled in painting figures, flowers, birds, animals, and landscapes. Ren Yi blended ancient and contemporary styles with a focus on realism, creating a new and lively style with vibrant colors and dynamic forms. He found a perfect balance between elegance and popular appeal, influencing many subsequent painters and becoming a great master of the Shanghai School of painting.

“Su Wu Herding Sheep” (1888)
This painting was created by Ren Bonian in the 14th year of Guangxu (1888) when he was 49 years old, at the peak of his artistic achievements. The painting depicts Su Wu holding a Han dynasty emissary’s staff, with white hair and a resolute gaze into the distance. Two sheep are in front of him, one with closed eyes and raised head, the other with half-closed eyes, as if facing a gust of wind and snow. Su Wu’s firm and confident expression and upright posture convey his patriotic spirit and unwavering integrity. The headscarf and clothing folds are rendered with powerful, varied brushstrokes, combining elements of “dingtou shutou” and “zhelu” techniques, enhancing the decorative quality and the sense of weight and coldness of the northern land. Su Wu’s loyalty has been praised throughout history and is a frequent subject in art. Ren Bonian has painted this theme multiple times, and this piece stands out for its masterful brushwork and expressive power, making it a top example of this genre.

任颐（1840—1896），字伯年，浙江山阴（今绍兴）人。父鹤声，工写照，他幼时得父指授。后遇任熊，被收为弟子。继从任薰学画，人物、花鸟、走兽、山水皆擅。他师古、师今又重写生，创造出色彩鲜活明丽、形象生动活泼的新格调，在淳雅与通俗之间找到了十分恰当的平衡点，影响了许多后进画家，是海派绘画的艺术巨匠。

此幅图为任伯年于光绪十四年（1888）49岁时所作，正值其艺术臻于化境之时。图中绘苏武手持汉节，鬓发皆白，目视远方；两只羊在他前方，一合眼仰头，一眯眼平视，似有风雪迎面吹来。而苏武的目光坚定自信，身形舒展挺直，不畏严寒，表现了其坚贞不屈的爱国精神。人物头巾、衣纹勾勒顿挫有力，融钉头鼠尾描和折芦描于一体，既富于装饰意味，又表现出衣服之厚、北地之寒。苏武的气节历来被人们传颂，是画家们经常表现的题材，任伯年就曾多次创作，而此幅笔墨与传神俱属上乘，堪称是其同类画中之精品。