Almighty painter

Chapter 346
Mr. Cao, who had been writing for a long time, suddenly asked to sharpen his ink.

How dare Lao Yang neglect?

He fetched the inkstone and rice paper almost at a sprint speed, then opened a box in the storage compartment, thought about it for a moment, then held it like a dumbbell, and put the whole thing with a label that read "Mo in Chinese and German" in both Chinese and German ( Tinte) and took the storage box back to the study.

Many of the galleries that cooperate with major artists have endorsement contracts with painting equipment dealers.

For example, if Kazunari Sakai signed with Mashi Gallery.

The equipment, paints and brushes used in daily painting.

Especially in front of the media’s cameras, you can basically only use items from a niche art and cultural label from southern Belgium.

This is what people spend their sponsorship money on, if they are willing to dig deeper into the market’s consumption potential.

Maybe in two years there will be another "Sakai Kazunari" joint series, limited to [-] copies, and you can cut small leeks for a good price.

It’s not just about painting.

The bigger the artists and galleries are, the more IP contracts they have with various cultural companies.Dali has co-branded with a luxury jewelry maker, Takashi Murakami has a contract with Louis Vuitton, and the great painters owned by Ma Shi Gallery can only wear watches provided by Richard Mille in public...

As long as the reputation is big enough.

Basically, their daily necessities, food, clothing, housing, and transportation, especially all aspects related to painting-related fields, are taken care of by commercial companies and galleries from the moment they open their eyes every day.

Cao Xuan has never signed with a gallery.

But because of this, every year during various festivals, the old man would have strange painting supplies companies send him a dazzling array of painting supplies as gifts.

These messy things were piled up all over the house. Gu Weijing's set of master's painting tools was taken away by Mr. Cao and used by Mr. Yang to borrow flowers and offer them to Buddha.

After Lao Yang took over Lao Cao's personal assistant job.

He found that the old gentleman was not very particular about the use of pens. New and old pens could be used for whatever they had, and even the poorest pens could not get into Cao Xuan's hands.

But he is very particular about the quality of ink ingots and pigments.

When Cao Xuan agreed to take charge of the Shwedagon Pagoda project last year, he only made a few requirements.

This included all the ink sticks, cinnabar and other pigments used, which he had to personally inspect.

Only in this way can we achieve the restoration purpose of painting as old as before and repairing as old as before.

Most of the big box in his hand was a gift from the century-old Hu Yige Ink Factory when he was invited to the Huizhou International Cultural Festival in 12 and visited Huangshan.

Cao Xuan has always used it smoothly.

"Old man, which piece do you want to use today? The one from the 11th year of the Republic of China, the one from 53, the one from 78, or should you take out the two clear ink pieces and grind them?"

Lao Yang asked cautiously in the tone of an ancient eunuch who asked, "Your Majesty, which brand will I turn to today and which empress will I sleep with, the empress of the east palace or the empress of the west palace?"

Mr. Cao suddenly wanted to write again.

Lao Yang's excited heart and trembling hands were really like the state of mind he felt when His Majesty, who had been childless for a long time, suddenly wanted to spend the night in the harem again.

Cao Xuan pondered for a moment.

There is a consensus among the circles of Chinese painting and calligraphy enthusiasts.

That is whether it is sheep hair or wolf hair, even the more expensive purple hair pen or the rare rat whisker pen, as long as it is a pen peak written by the same artist with the same softness, and the painting is made with a pen worth hundreds or thousands of yuan. , the lines are pretty much the same.

Even if Gu Tongxiang's treasured one looks like something, that set of old jade pens passed down from his ancestors.

What is provided more is only the emotional value of the user, rather than the technical value.

Ink and paint are completely different concepts.

Old ink produces better results than new ink, the taste is more elegant, and the writing strokes are smoother. This is not a puzzling scientific metaphysical issue.

First of all, there is really no comparison between the importance of ink ingots in modern society and ancient society.

Its status has been reduced from a mainstream writing tool to a thing only used by niche art lovers.

The market is too small, and ink manufacturers have no intention of researching good ink.

Ink production during the Ming and Qing dynasties was a highly developed industry with very segmented and refined processes.

Refining tobacco, mixing materials, making, drying, gold painting... Each process has a large factory that specializes in just this, and many generations can live a happy life.

The contemporary ink factories that do this have long since closed down.

Secondly, it is a process issue.

Traditional raw materials such as century-old pine roots and antler glue cannot be dug up or added. If they can be added, they are too expensive, so pine branches and gelatin can only be used instead.

Beginning in the 15th year of the Republic of China, Huizhou Ink Making Factory began to introduce a large amount of German low-cost carbon black to replace the more cumbersome tobacco refining method. Later, the ink making method in the 80s was restructured to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Almost all of them have caused the quality of finished ink to drop by more than one level, and also caused the market price of old ink of these years to rise by a large level every time one era is pushed forward.

Of course, ancient ink that is too old will also have preservation problems.

I have heard of wealthy businessmen who were not short of money using Yuan and Ming Dynasty inkstones, but I have never heard of anyone using Yuan Dynasty ink blocks.

The box of ink in front of Cao Xuan was worth an exaggerated amount of gold.

But each piece is the best of the best, even those of a relatively recent year, are all hand-inked in the high-end line.

"I remember that there was an ingot in the box imitating 'Eighteen-grade ink imitating famous flowers of the Ming Dynasty'?" Cao Xuan thought for a while.

Famous flower ink.

This is the traditional classic ink ingot style of the Eastern Xia Dynasty, which has appeared since the middle of the Ming Dynasty.

A set of ten, twelve, or eighteen ingots of ink, embedded in a black lacquered gold box.

On each ink ingot, skilled craftsmen use a combination of Yang line and bas-relief, plus extremely fine gold lines, to draw flowers such as radish, peony, cinnamon, jasmine and so on.

It not only shows the beauty of flowers, but also adds to their splendor by using gold.

The back of the box will be decorated with cloud patterns and light grass patterns.According to the ten, twelve and eighteen ingots, there are three types of ink cartridges: small, medium and large. In the center are written "Ten Friends of Famous Flowers", "Twelve Guests of Famous Flowers" or "Eighteen Ranks of Famous Flowers" respectively.

"There are some, I should keep them under there."

After hearing this, Lao Yang immediately rummaged through the storage box and found a long lacquer box.

The box is not big, but it contains 18 yuan ink ingots. Each ink ingot is small and cute.

It's only the length of your little finger, no bigger than a stationery eraser used by students.

to be honest.

This kind of expensive ink stick has been used more for collection than for use since it was produced. It is often used as a souvenir for literati and doctors when visiting relatives and friends.

Cao Xuan opened the lid, picked out the ink block with the "wisteria" pattern from inside, and handed it to Lao Yang.

"After grinding, the wisteria ink will be given as wisteria flowers in return, which really complements each other."

"Just grind one spindle?"

"One tablet is enough."

Lao Yang licked the corner of his mouth, agreed, used the inkstone to get some water, poured it into the stone inkstone, rolled up his sleeves, held the ink stick between his thumb and middle finger, held the upper edge with his index finger, and slowly rubbed it out of the inkstone. . "What a pity."

This box of famous eighteen-grade ink is not two pieces of clear ink, but it is also produced in the early years of the Republic of China. It is older than the record.

Even if only one level is removed, seventeen levels will be left unused.

If it is released, the market price will be reduced by [-] to [-]%.

What Lao Yang regrets is not this ink stick.

Most of these inks used by ordinary enthusiasts are a waste of money, and writing is like burning money.

When Cao Xuan used these inks, the master matched them with good ink, a good horse with a good saddle, and the writing was like printing money.

But the old man only asked him to grind a small piece of ink.
Judging from the color, the gelatin of this old ink has been dehydrated, making the ink lines strong and burnt. It seems more suitable for writing calligraphy rather than drawing outlines.

In addition, Cao Xuan only asked him to grind a small ink strip, and it didn't look like he was going to draw an ink painting.

"Do you want to write a message for Brother Gu?"

Lao Yang guessed the answer.

Today is a surprise enough. Mr. Cao's handwriting is also very good, and it is also extremely expensive. It is only a few thousand yuan less per square foot than Mr. Qi Gong.

But in the end, painting is more meaningful.

"A seal is a seal. The Shwedagon Pagoda has made an exception for the sake of the Bodhisattva. One painting on the left and one on the right. What does it look like? If word gets out, everyone will definitely think that I am colluding with the market to raise prices. Forget it. , It's time for young people." Mr. Cao smiled.

"When Qi Baishi was in his 70s, he still got up and painted thirty paintings every morning. At your age, if you are willing, you can still paint more." Lao Yang still wanted to persuade.

Even if Mr. Cao painted a picture and gave it to Gu Weijing in return - if such a thing happened casually in his mind, he would feel so jealous that he would have a heart attack.

This guy has only known Cao Xuan for a few days. His old man, Yang An, has been running around for so many years. Why doesn't Mr. Cao want to give him a painting by Lao Yang?
Although the young man has a sweet mouth, he, Old Yang, also licks it so carefully.

However, as an assistant, apart from these distracting thoughts, Lao Yang still hopes that the old man's artistic life can be longer and longer.

Cao Xuan stopped talking to the assistant.

He stood up, took out this year's calendar that was on the table, turned to the cover with the list of artists thanked for the Shwedagon Pagoda project written in gilt font, and looked at the two names [Cao Xuan] and [Gu Weijing] on it. .

The old man stretched out his fingers and gently leaned the yellowed black and white photo against the side of the calendar.

Jiazi time.

Two pairs of masters and apprentices.

They are all from one end to the other, with the teacher at the front and the disciple at the back.

History is like a cycle that goes back and forth.

Masters pass on to apprentices, and apprentices become masters. One generation goes and another generation comes, life and death, only the soul of art is passed down from generation to generation, one spark after another.

Cao Xuan looked gentle.

Since ancient times, the Eastern Xia sect has focused on the views of its sect.

The same is true for painting. Since the Jin Dynasty, it has been divided into Southern Sect and Northern Sect.

The southern sect is round and soft, while the northern sect is rigid and cautious.

The energy situation of the southern sect is still dull and mixed, while the physical momentum of the northern sect is still strange, steep and abrupt.

The Southern Sect tends to be free and casual, while the Northern Sect tends to be descriptive and focused.

Jiangnan and Jiangbei are at odds with each other, dissatisfied with each other, and want to outdo each other. Even the gates between the north and the south make the two gangs like enemies of each other.

On the surface, this phenomenon gradually disappeared after the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the modern art academy system, which replaced the traditional teaching method of one gentleman leading several disciples and secretly teaching skills in the study room.

In fact.

Even in the middle and late period of the Republic of China, the division of art between the north and the south, and the regional prejudices between various art cliques and small groups were still undercurrents in the interpersonal relationships of great painters.

People in the capital are aloof, while people in Lingnan are arrogant.

The atmosphere in Shanghai is exclusive and does not tolerate outsiders.

The most typical representative is Mr. Bai Shi, the representative of northern painters in the theory of "Southern Zhang and Northern Qi". He was a Hunan native who went north to Beijing and was suppressed and excluded because of his identity.It can be called the bitter history of the Northern Drifters a hundred years ago. When Mr. Qi recalled it in his later years, he would always feel a lot of emotion when he talked about it.

To this day, Cao Xuan is still considered by many to be the next representative and leader of the Southern Painting School after Zhang Daqian.

since ancient times.

Seventy percent of the people who can wear this hat are leaders of the Southern Scholars. They have no official status but are proud princes in white clothes.

It is precisely because of this meaning that Tangning is so jealous of the throne under the teacher's butt.

Many times, Cao Xuan himself has forgotten that his ancestral home is Shuntian Prefecture. In a strict sense, he is actually an authentic northerner.

After the teacher passed away,

Whether a northerner can be regarded as the successor of a master of the southern painting school has caused great controversy.

Three senior friends of the teacher before his death read aloud the suicide note specially left by the teacher in front of everyone.

Mentioning this, the teacher said.

The world is ignorant. The great painters of the Northern Sect, including Dai Jin, Wu Wei, Jiang Song, Liu Songnian and others, were all born in the south, while the great painters of the Southern Sect, Zhao Qian, Guan Tong and Li Cheng, were all from the north.

Even Wang Wei, who has always been proudly regarded as the ancestor of the southern landscape painting school, is actually a northerner.

Although Dong Qichang is a great talent in the painting world that only emerges in a century, it is really ridiculous for him to judge the north and the south.

"The motherland should not be divided into east and west, and paintings should not be divided into north and south."

In Mr. Wang’s mind, instead of putting people into different baskets just because the artist was born in different places, it is better to use the different practice methods of “Southern Zen” and “Northern Zen” in Buddhism to illustrate the differences between painting methods. and analogy to the two learning methods, technical characteristics and creative tendencies of landscape painting.

The so-called southern painting school is bland and solemn, and the essence of painting is free and casual. How can we pay attention to painting?

One is tranquility, the other is truth.

Listening to the sound of your heart in the quiet depths is so wonderful that the painting is like life.

The "Wisteria Picture" that Gu Weijing handed over was more pleasing to Mr. Cao's eyes than Tang Ning's "Hundred Flowers Picture" which focused more on technique. He felt that it had the true meaning of the Southern School of Painting.

"It's not easy to polish this state of mind to be able to draw like this. My husband taught me step by step. I didn't have a breakthrough in my state of mind until I was 30 years old. He has already reached this stage. I think I haven't mentioned it yet. He has too many. I am not as good as my husband when it comes to being a master."

"That's all, just praise him. This kid deserves it."

Cao Xuan let out a sigh of relief.

In a blink of an eye, 38 big characters were written in one go, like a dragon.

[The luminous pearl does not have to come from the Mengjin River. 】

[The jade you hold in your hands does not need to be picked from the Kunlun Mountains. 】

【Thousands of rocks compete for beauty, and thousands of valleys compete with each other, but one must stand out. 】

(End of this chapter)