Imitating Yuan Dynasty Landscape《仿元人笔法山水图轴》

Wu Hong (c. 1610–c. 1690)
Wu Hong, courtesy name Yuandu, and pseudonym Zhushi, was originally from Jinxian, Jiangxi, but later settled in Nanjing. His home in Yunlin Mountain, near the ancestral home of Zhou Lianggong in Jinxian, contributed to his cultural immersion. Known for his bold personality and eloquence, Wu Hong excelled in painting landscapes, ink bamboo, figures, and poetry. As one of the “Eight Masters of Jinling,” his landscapes followed Song and Yuan traditions, with bold and free brushstrokes. He often used chaotic brush and axe-cut strokes for rocks and strong brushstrokes for trees, making him the most uninhibited among the Jinling School painters.

“Imitating Yuan Dynasty Landscape” (1672)
This painting’s composition alternates between dense and sparse areas, creating a unique scene. Jagged rocks rise from the lower right corner, connected by a straight corridor. A thatched cottage and courtyard are half-hidden in the forest, with cliffs and trees hanging behind. The distant background features a serene creek and sparse trees, blending harmoniously with the expansive water in the foreground and contrasting with the jagged rocks and trees. The painting’s spatial rhythm, created by the varying perspectives and blank spaces, immerses the viewer. The rocks are rendered with different brushstrokes, including chaotic brush, small axe-cut, and hemp-fiber texture strokes, varying with distance. The lines have a fuzzy texture due to the paper medium, with slight smudging adding to the overall charm. The brush and ink exhibit the thickness and strength of Song artists and the elegance and clarity of Yuan artists, making this paper work more profound than his silk paintings. The inscription reads: “Song-style brush techniques taught by Master Muweng. Two days before the Double Ninth Festival in the year Renzi (1692), by Wu Hong of Jinxian.” The seals include “Seal of Wu Hong” in white and “Yuandu” in red.

吴宏（约1610—约1690），字远度，号竹史，原籍江西金溪，其家在云林山白马岭，与周亮工金溪祖居相距不远，后久居南京。他性格豪迈，方颐哆口，谈若悬河。擅画山水、墨竹，兼作人物，亦能诗，为“金陵八家”之一。山水宗法宋元，笔势纵横放逸，画山石多用乱柴皴兼斧劈皴，画木大刀阔斧，在金陵画派诸家中最为豪迈。

该作疏密相间，布景奇特。奇崛的山石从右下角蜿蜒直上，中间以平直的连廊衔接。一座茅屋庭院半隐在山林之间，左后绘山崖垂木。后景则是平远的溪水疏林，景致归于平淡，不仅与前景大面积的湖水相呼应，也与山石怪木形成了正与奇、静与动的对比。全幅通过景物、留白与视角的高低变换，营造出有韵律的空间，有较强的代带入感。山石据远近不同施以乱柴皴、小斧劈皴与披麻皴。因是纸本，线条的毛涩朦胧感明显，加上稍加晕染，更为蕴藉。笔墨既有宋人的厚重苍劲，又有元人的温雅清润，比其绢本画作更有深度与内涵，在纸本中也是少见的快意之作。款署：元人笔法为木翁先生教之。壬子重九前二日，金溪吴宏。款下钤白文“吴宏之印”，朱文：远度。