Two Oxen by the Reed Bank《芦滩双牛图轴》

Yang Jin (1644–1728)
Yang Jin, courtesy name Zi He, and pseudonym Xiting, was a disciple of Wang Hui and hailed from Changshu, Jiangsu. He excelled in painting landscapes and pastoral scenes, often with a freehand style, capturing the natural charm of his subjects. Yang Jin was also adept at painting figures and birds, particularly known for his depiction of cows. He often accompanied Wang Hui on travels and contributed figures, carriages, horses, cattle, and sheep to Wang’s works. He participated in painting the “Kangxi Southern Inspection Scrolls” and was a key painter of the Yushan School.

“Two Oxen by the Reed Bank”
This painting is rendered with light and elegant colors and refined brushstrokes. The entire composition is painted meticulously, with detailed depictions of the oxen’s fur, capturing the tender affection of a mother ox licking her calf. The rustic charm is evident. The upper left contains a poem and inscription by Yang Jin: “The smooth grass on the gentle slope meets the distant sky, drinking from the stream when thirsty and sleeping when full. In peaceful times, one does not depict the hermit, only the desire to sow fields in spring. Written by the Crane Daoist Yang Jin.” The seals include “Private Seal of Yang Jin” in white and “Wild Crane” in red. The lower right bears the seal “First Peak of Yushan Family” in red. The upper part of the painting contains a poem by Da Zhongguang, enhancing the artistic and poetic integration of the piece.

杨晋（1644—1728），字子和，号西亭，王翚弟子，江苏常熟人。擅画山水、田园景物，多写意，取材别致，有自然逸趣。亦工人物、花鸟，尤长于画牛，体毛毕肖，线条洗练，情态生动。王翚出游，晋必随行。翚作图，凡人物、舆轿、马、牛、羊等景物，皆由晋代笔补画。曾随王翚入宫，参与绘制《康熙南巡图》，为“虞山派”的重要画家之一。

此画设色清淡雅致，用笔娴熟朗润。全图用细笔绘成，牛毛纤细可见，姿态可爱，把母牛对小牛的舐犊之情表现得淋漓尽致，乡土气息浓郁。画左上有杨晋题诗落款：“细草平坡接远天，渴时饮涧饱时眠。太平不写巢由事，只写春深欲种田。鹤道人杨晋并题。”款下钤白文“杨晋私印”印，朱文“野鹤”印。画右下角钤杨晋“家在虞山第一峰”朱文印。画上部有笪重光和诗。画面诗景交融，风趣盎然。