Based on the natural scenery and local customs of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, this work comprehensively and extensively reflects the social features, humanistic spirit and historical background during the reign of Song Huizong, and has extremely high artistic and historical value.
"Green Landscape Painting" and "Ink Landscape Painting" are two major landscape painting techniques in the history of China painting, which were formed in the Sui Dynasty and prevailed in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Zhan Ziqian, a master painter in the Sui Dynasty (545-6 18), showed the techniques of green landscape painting in his works such as Classic Pictures, You Chuntu and Chang 'an chariots and horses.
When making turquoise landscape, the technique should be neat and delicate, and the color is mainly composed of two natural mineral pigments: celestite (alias azurite) and kyanite (alias kyanite or malachite). The picture is radiant, fresh and beautiful, and the decorative effect is strong.
As far as the history of painting is concerned, ink and wash landscape paintings are mainly literati, while green landscape paintings are mainly palace painting academy.
As a court painter in Song Huizong period and a student in Song Huizong, Wang Ximeng spent his whole life creating green mountains and green waters. A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains is his masterpiece and a masterpiece in the history of painting.
In his "Thousands of Miles of Rivers and Mountains", Wang Ximeng used a far-reaching and lofty composition technique and a very rigorous, serious and pious attitude to combine the natural scenery such as mountains and rivers, villages, houses, temples, pavilions, small bridges and flowing water in the south of the Yangtze River. At the same time, he also integrated spring outing, hunting, hunting and other people's activities into it, making static and dynamic scenery.
The reason why Wang Ximeng can create such exquisite works is closely related to Song Huizong's cultural orientation and artistic influence.
Song Huizong is a famous emperor in the history of our country. He "loves art rather than mountains and rivers", and his artistic talent completely exceeds his political talent. After the Song Dynasty entered the political arena, the concept of "Wen Zhi" became more and more popular. In Song Huizong's view, anyone who has made achievements in literature and art will be regarded as an elite by him. The imperial court has specially set up a palace painting academy, and all those literati who have made achievements or potential in writing, painting and calligraphy are incorporated into the painting academy, and the imperial court pays them a salary, which can improve the social status of literati at one time. In addition to writing lyrics, painting and writing, these literati did everything they could to prosper the culture and art of the Song Dynasty.
It is against this background that Wang Ximeng entered the Palace Painting Academy at the age of 15. Just like a well-educated teacher in Song Huizong, he often takes time to personally teach painters to draw and write in the Palace Museum. When he saw that Wang Ximeng had a high talent for painting, he was overjoyed and took the initiative to invite Wang Ximeng to teach privately, giving him good guidance in terms of pen and ink, techniques and ideas.
After teaching for more than three years, Song Huizong saw Wang Ximeng's achievements, so he assigned him a task and decided to test his painting level.
Song Huizong pointed to Wang Ximeng and said: The mountains and rivers in the Great Song Dynasty are really beautiful and charming. You should create a work that shows the great beauty of the Great Song Dynasty. Remember to write the social background and the spirit of the times into your works.
During this period, Wang Ximeng just celebrated 18 birthday. After receiving the creative task, he knew it was an arduous task, and he also knew Song Huizong's good intentions. After careful consideration, he decided to go to Jiangnan first, and it was very necessary to collect first-hand information. In the face of such an important theme creation, it is certainly impossible to build a car behind closed doors.
Realizing this, Wang Ximeng first came to Lin 'an (now Hangzhou), ready to take this as a starting point, and began to travel around the world and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River.
The fundamental reason why Wang Ximeng chose to travel to Jiangnan is that Jiangnan is still peaceful. In the north, Song and Jin have been facing each other for a long time. Due to the invasion of the Jin people, a large area of land in the north fell and its shape was unstable. It is very dangerous to collect information in the north.
The mountains and rivers of the Great Song Dynasty are thousands of miles from north to south, with great strategic depth. Even now the homes in the north have been captured by the Jin people, and there are large areas of rivers and mountains in the south of the Song Dynasty. Relying on the upbringing of Jiangnan, Dasong can still fight the Jin people to the end and then recover the rivers and mountains.
Finally, Wang Ximeng realized Song Huizong's good intentions and used art to arouse people's patriotic strength, which was Song Huizong's only wish after his political career.
This time, Dasong was not established by Song Taizu and Zhao Kuangyin. Due to the prevalence of "civilian rule", the court often appears weak politically and militarily. Therefore, the literati, led by Song Huizong, can only pin their good wishes of enriching Qiang Bing and recovering rivers and mountains on their works, so as to arouse people's patriotic enthusiasm.