Ink Plum Blossom《墨梅花图卷》

Tang Yifen (1778–1853)
Tang Yifen, courtesy names Yusheng and Ruoyi, and pseudonyms Zhou Weng and Qinyin Daoren, was from Wujin (present-day Changzhou), Jiangsu. The Tang family was a prominent clan in Changzhou, and Tang Yifen, benefiting from his family’s status, inherited the title of Yunqi Commander at the age of sixteen. He held various military positions, eventually rising to Deputy General of Wenzhou. Due to illness, he retired and settled in Nanjing, where he built the Qinyin Garden. Tang Yifen was a man of diverse interests and exceptional talent, excelling in astronomy, geography, and the teachings of the ancient philosophers. He was proficient in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, and also had a keen interest in music, horsemanship, and fencing. Among his many talents, he was particularly renowned for his painting. In 1853, during the Taiping Rebellion’s attack on Nanjing, Tang Yifen assisted the Governor of Liangjiang, Lu Jianying, in defending the city. Following their defeat, he calmly composed a final poem and drowned himself, earning the posthumous title “Zhenmin.”

“Ink Plum Blossom”
This scroll of ink plum blossoms follows the brushwork of Yuan dynasty artist Wang Mian and Qing dynasty artist Jin Nong, characterized by its delicate elegance, slender and graceful branches, and a sense of sparse shadows and cold fragrance. The brushstrokes are relaxed and free, capturing the essence of literati painting.

汤贻汾（1778—1853），字雨生、若仪，号粥翁、琴隐道人等，江苏武进（今常州）人。汤家是常州名门，因祖荫，十六岁袭云骑尉，历任凤阳守备，浙江抚标营参将，累官至温州副总兵，称病告归，于南京筑琴隐园而居。他兴趣广泛，天赋亦高，在天文、地理、诸子之学均有造诣。长于诗文书画，旁及音律、骑射、击剑等，其中尤以绘画名重于时。咸丰三年（1853）太平军进攻南京，他协助两江总督陆建瀛督防守城，兵败后从容赋绝命诗一首投池而死，谥“贞愍”。

此墨梅卷宗法元人王冕及清代金农的笔意，清淡秀雅，瘦劲姿媚，花枝简练，给人一种疏影潇洒、冷香四溢之感。用笔极为轻松洒脱，契合文人画之旨。