Five Color Chrysanthemums《五色菊图轴》

Huang Shanshou (1855–1919)
Huang Shanshou, originally named Yao, courtesy names Xuchu and Xuchu, and pseudonyms Lisheng, Xu Daoren, and Huxi Waishi, was from Wujin (present-day Changzhou), Jiangsu. He excelled in painting figures, landscapes, flowers, and animals, especially in ink dragons. For figures, he favored meticulous brushwork and vibrant colors, influenced by Gai Qi and Fei Danxu. His landscapes were renowned for their rich and elegant coloring. His flower and bird paintings skillfully combined the Wujin school’s boneless technique with the traditional double-outline method. In his early years, he made a living as a private tutor, and after 1901, he moved to Shanghai, becoming a prominent artist of the Shanghai School.

“Five Color Chrysanthemums”
Huang Shanshou’s floral paintings were grounded in Yun Shouping’s boneless technique but innovatively combined the double-outline method and Western painting techniques. This painting showcases his rich and vibrant coloring and elegant composition, vividly depicting the scene of blooming chrysanthemums. His inscriptions and calligraphy, influenced by Yun Shouping and Zhao Mengfu, seamlessly integrate with his paintings, exuding a refined and elegant style. The inscription reads: “The chrysanthemums bloom in five colors by the fence, resembling a brocade screen. The dazzling colors leave me in awe, do not mock the butterflies’ wandering intentions among the flowers. By Xu Huang Shanshou.” The seals read “Huang Shanshou” and “Master of Caijing Pavilion.”

黄山寿（1855—1919），原名曜，字旭初、勖初，号丽生、旭道人、鹤溪外史等，江苏武进（今常州）人。善画人物、山水、花卉、走兽，尤擅画墨龙。凡写人物仕女，喜用工笔重彩，从改琦、费丹旭化出。山水以青绿声名最著，设色艳而不俗。花鸟神态逼肖，融合常州派没骨法与传统双勾法。早岁以客幕为生，辛丑年后鬻艺海上，是海派著名画家。

黄山寿的花卉从恽寿平没骨画筑基，但他绝非一味地模仿，而是能参法双勾法与西洋画法，自出新意。从此图可看出，他的设色沉艳，造型姿态优美，把丛菊盛开的景象描绘得栩栩如生。他的落款书法亦源自恽寿平，又融合赵孟頫，与他的画配合无间，尽显温文儒雅之风。款署：“丛菊初开五色齐，篱边疑设锦鄣泥。陆离光怪吾犹眩，莫笑穿花蝶意迷。旭迟黄山寿。”款下钤白文“黄山寿”，左下角钤朱文“裁烟阁主”二印。