Wen Tong was very near his cousin Su Shi and had a really comparable character. Wen Tong was blunt and inexperienced; (Fotolia)
Su Shi had a tough time among the many the Aristocracy all through his life, however he had many good mates. The artist Wen Tong (1018-1079, also referred to as Yu Ke) was certainly one of them, and he was not solely a detailed good friend of Su Shi, but additionally a cousin.
They take into account one another as shut mates, and each love and draw bamboo equally. Su Shi as soon as mentioned: “It is best to eat with out meat than to stay with out bamboo.” for a very long time.
Wen Tong as soon as mentioned: “Those who have no idea me on the earth can look and know my magnificence Su Shi calligraphy”, particularly bamboo portray. Wen Tong had the flexibility to attract bamboo ink. He was the primary to make use of ink and monochrome to color bamboo. When Su Shi painted bamboo, he inherited his grasp from Wen Tong.
Su Shi made an in depth file of Wen Tong’s bamboo ink portray in his well-known article “Wen Yu Ke Paints Yuandang Valley Yan Bamboo”, “Therefore, once you paint bamboo, you should first have the bamboo in your chest, maintain the comb and look rigorously, then you will note what you wish to paint, rise up rapidly and comply with it, take the comb instantly, and chase what you see, like a rabbit up and you’ll fall, and you’ll go after some time.“
The basic concept is: once you paint a bamboo, you should first have a whole picture of the bamboo in your thoughts, then take a pen and look carefully. When the bamboo you wish to draw seems in entrance of you, you should rapidly paint with it with a brush and full the drawing on the similar time. Like a rabbit leaping out of its gap, an eagle falls rapidly, and the time to be free is over. This is the place the expressions “have a assured thoughts” and “assured thoughts” come from.
Wen Tong’s ink and bamboo work had been highly regarded on the time. When he was the Justice of the Peace of Yangzhou, individuals from all around the world got here one after one other with clean silk to ask for work. However, increasingly more persons are asking for work, which makes Wen Tong, who’s quiet, deep and unintelligent, really feel lonely.
“Bamboo” was written within the Song Dynasty. (Courtesy of the National Palace Museum)
So he threw down the silk despatched by the beggar, and mentioned, “I wish to use it to make socks, as a result of he didn’t respect his work and refused to make use of the bamboo portray as a cosmopolitan leisure to achieve fame. For a very long time, this matter grew to become a joke amongst bureaucrats.
Later, Wen Tong left Yangzhou and returned to the capital at the moment, Su Shi was working as a Justice of the Peace in Xuzhou (historic Pengcheng) and wrote a letter to Su Shi: “Recently, I instructed the bureaucrats. paint the ink bamboo college in Pengcheng You can ask him to color.” This implies that he requested the scholar-bureaucrats to go to Pengcheng, Xuzhou to ask for Su Shi’s work, then he warned his cousin jokingly. making socks will probably be gathered in your home.
At that point, Wen Tong additionally gave Su Shi the portray “Yundang Valley Yanzhu” and mentioned: “This tree is just a few meters lengthy, however it has a ten thousand meter lengthy stress.”
“Yundang Valley” is situated within the north of Yangzhou City and is wealthy in bamboo. Wen Tong, who was an official in Yangzhou on the time, constructed the “Piyun Pavilion” within the village and infrequently got here right here to play and watch the bamboo.
Wen Tong cherished bamboo, painted bamboo and ate bamboo shoots Su Shi wrote the poem “Yundang Valley” with this theme as a present to Wen Tong, “Planting bamboo in Hanchuan is affordable as fluff, and the heavy ax has by no means forgiven the dragon It is predicted that the poor and grasping official may have 1000’s of acres of Weibin of their chests.“
The basic concept is: The tall bamboo that grows alongside the Han River is as low-cost as cool grass! He should be a poor and grasping official who desires to devour greater than a thousand hectares of bamboo close to the Wei River to fulfill himself.
It is a metaphor for Wen Tong, the poor and grasping cousin of the boss, who grabbed an ax and reduce down bamboo shoots, consuming 1000’s of acres of bamboo forest alongside the Wei River. This vivid image exhibits Wen Tong’s open-minded and cheerful character, and divulges the shut relationship between the cousins.
On today, Wen Tong and his spouse got here to Yuandang Valley to play, and it occurred that they had been cooking bamboo shoots for dinner. time, he blew rice in his mouth on the desk. This is the place the expression “you make individuals squirt” comes from.
Wen Tong and his cousin Su Shi had been very shut, and their personalities had been very comparable. Wen Tong spoke frankly and instantly; Su Shi was additionally blunt and outspoken.
Advice: “Even although West Lake is gorgeous, you possibly can’t say poetry”
In the fourth 12 months of Xining (1071), Su Shi grew to become the overall Justice of the Peace of Hangzhou Wen Tong specifically wrote a poem to warn: “When guests from the north come, don’t ask about something. Although the West Lake is nice. don’t write poetry. ” He suggested his cousin to not write poetry to touch upon present affairs. He was afraid that Su Shi could be included within the fierce wrestle between the previous and new factions at the moment.
Eight years later, on July 7, the second 12 months of Yuanfeng (1079), Su Shi, who was in Huzhou, was erasing his calligraphy and work when he immediately noticed the “Yundang Valley Yanzhu” portray that Wen Tong had given him. that Wen Tong had died just a few months in the past, on the twentieth of the primary lunar month, and I could not assist however put down the scroll and burst into tears.
What he didn’t anticipate was that twenty days later, on July 28, the imperial emissary Huangfu Zun arrived in Huzhou to arrest him and escort him again to the capital. It turned out that he was charged, he mentioned that he slandered the federal government and lied to the courtroom. In the tip, Su Shi was “condemned by poetry” and imprisoned. This is the well-known Wutai Poetry Case in historical past.
After greater than 4 months in jail, Su Shi was lastly launched and demoted to the place of deputy ambassador of Huangzhou Tuanlian. On January 1, the third 12 months of Yuanfeng, Su Shi left the capital along with his eldest son Su Mai, 21, and arrived in Huangzhou, the place he was exiled, on February 1.
Perhaps when issues have modified, Su Shi will bear in mind her cousin Wen Tong at night time, and on the similar time, she will even take into account his recommendation. At this time, Su Shi might really feel even deeper: Wen Tong, his finest good friend and confidant, is the one who is aware of him finest.
“Rain Bamboo” by Su Shi of Song Dynasty. (Courtesy of the National Palace Museum)
Reference texts: Su Shi’s “Wen Yu Ke Hua Yuandang Valley Yan Bamboo Records”, Hu Zai’s “Tiaoxi Yuyincong Hua First Collection”
Editor-in-Chief: Li Mei#