Moonlit Offering Over the Great River《酹月大江图轴》

Li Shizhuo (1687–1770)
Li Shizhuo, courtesy names Tianzhang and Hanzhang, and nicknamed Guzhai and Xingya, was a native of Fengtian (modern-day Shenyang, Liaoning) and of Sanhan (now Harqin Banner, Inner Mongolia). A member of the Han Army’s Zhenghuang Banner, he was the son of Li Rulong, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and a nephew of the renowned painter Gao Qipei. Li held the title of Taichang and served as deputy censor of the capital, earning him the moniker “Li Taichang.” He was highly skilled in painting landscapes, figures, flowers, birds, and fruits, with a refined and elegant style.

“Moonlit Offering Over the Great River”
This painting showcases Li Shizhuo’s mastery of combining traditional techniques with his own artistic insights. The inscription reveals the inspiration for this work: a Ming dynasty painting by Wu Wei depicting a scene of drinking by the moonlit river. Li found Wu Wei’s inkwork to lack the tranquility typical of literati painting and thus employed Li Gonglin’s “white drawing method” to reinterpret the scene.

Li skillfully blends the sky and water into a unified expanse of ink, creating an ethereal sense of a seamless nightscape. The monochromatic palette accentuates the serene harmony between water and sky, evoking a tranquil ambiance. The characters, boats, and reeds are carefully outlined and shaded with layered ink, adding weight and depth to the composition. The figures are rendered with a vividness and naturalism that bring the narrative to life, while the interplay of light and shadow imbues the scene with a dreamlike quality.

This work reflects Li Shizhuo’s ability to merge the meditative qualities of literati painting with his own technical prowess, offering a deeply atmospheric and contemplative visual experience.

李世倬（1687—1770），字天章、汉章，号榖斋、星厓等，奉天（今辽宁沈阳）人，一作三韩（今内蒙古喀喇沁旗）人。隶汉军正黄旗，两广总督李如龙子，高其佩外甥。曾任太常，人称“李太常”，官至副都御史。善画山水，笔墨秀润，人物、花鸟、果品亦佳。

此画款题云：“吴小仙写酌月大江，笔墨纵横，第唯乏静逸之气。是特以伯时白描法画之。”可知其创作由来是见到明代吴伟有此图，只是笔墨缺乏文人画追求的静逸之气，故以李公麟白描法画为之。他将天空、水面用水墨晕染，融为一体，表现了夜间水天一色之景；其余人物、舟、芦草以纯水墨勾勒细擦，轻重深浅有致，人物刻画生动自然。