Heron《荷鹭图轴》

Tang Yuzhao (1602-1672), also known as Kongming and Banyuan, was born in Wujin (now Changzhou, Jiangsu Province). He was the great-great-grandson of Tang Jingchuan, a Ming Dynasty literature. In the ninth year of Chongzhen (1636), he became a disciple of Sun Shenxing. He was skilled in poetry, prose, calligraphy, and painting.

This painting was created in the 11th year of Shunzhi during the Qing Dynasty (1654). The artwork is light and elegant, mainly using the boneless technique. The lotus is vivid and serene, accompanied by an egret, creating a beautiful and refined work that represents his painting style. According to records, he was a close friend of Yun Shouping, and his painting style had a significant influence on the Yun School. The inscription in the upper right corner reads: “How can it be that the orchid smells like the beginning of a relationship, the gentleman’s taste is especially true in the flowers. The fragrance is separated in the shadow of the painting, and it is also sent to the master of Jing who picked the lotus. The painting looks like the old man Ke Shou. It is adjacent to Tang Yuzhao in the half garden of the mausoleum.” The inscription “Shi Gong” is stamped under the writing.

唐宇昭（1602~1672），字孔明，号半园，武进（今江苏常州）人。明代文学家唐荆川玄孙。崇祯九年（1636）举人，为孙慎行门人。工诗文，善书画。

此画作于清顺治十一年（1654），整幅画淡逸飘举，以没骨法为主，荷花写得极为生动、恬静，以一只白鹭相配，清丽脱俗，为他画风的代表作。据载，他与恽寿平为金石之交，他的画风对恽派影响较大。右上角题款：“岂必如兰臭始亲，花中君子味尤真。丹青影里分香去，还寄采莲泾上人。画似柯老年翁寿。毗陵半园唐宇昭。”款下钤朱文“石公”印。