Shu Lin's landscape scroll painting - 林紓山水水墨立軸

Shu Lin, known as Qinnan (courtesy name) and Weilu or Chunjuezhai zhu jen (pseudonyms), was born in Fujian, China. Lin was a renowned Chinese paleographer, painter and translator. Li read extensively in classics and had intimate knowledge of ancient literature. He was one of the opponents of the movement of Written Vernacular Chinese, a literature reform promoted by Hu Shih (1891-1962). Lin’s painting is recognized as innovative. His landscape drawings are often compared with that of Dong Qichang (1555-1636, a well-known painter at the end of the Ming dynasty). Lin’s most significant achievement is translation. Although he only knew how to speak and write Chinese, Lin worked with Wang Chouchang and Wei Yi and translated several books from English, French, Russian, Japanese and Spanish to Chinese. An example of their work is translation into Chinese of “La dame aux camellias” by Alexandre Dumas.林紓，字琴南，號畏廬，別署冷紅生，晚年又號春覺齋主人。福建人，為民初著名的古文家，畫家、翻譯家。林紓博覽經書，古文造詣深厚，曾反對胡適所倡導的文學改革。其繪畫自成一格，以山水畫最被後人所稱道。林紓最大成就是用古文筆法翻譯外國文學，雖然完全不懂外文，但和友人王壽昌、魏易等人合作下，曾筆述英、法、美、比、俄、日和西班牙等名著。The artist, Wenjie Dai, mentioned by Shu Lin in the text is a renowned artist in Qing dynasty. One of Wenjie Dai's works is also included in this collection (see http://collections.lib.uwm.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/scroll&CISOPTR=103&REC=1)林紓在作品中所提到的清代畫家戴文節，他的其中一幅作品也被周策縱所收藏 (詳見: http://collections.lib.uwm.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/scroll&CISOPTR=103&REC=1)Jian Wang (1592-1680) often used very moist brushes in his painting. Not many people know that dry brushes were also applied in Wang’s drawing. Similarly, most people think that Shigu Wang’s (1632-1717) painting style is characterized by dry brushes. Not everyone understands that moist-brush features are also embedded. These type of artistic expression are beyond imagination and cannot be understood by layperson. One exception is the painting of Wenjie Dai (1805-1860) which is evidently featured by wet and dry brush skills. His style is mature, energetic, moist, and effortless. The following drawing is based on the principle of Wenjie Dai and integrated with my own technique. This Shuimo landscape is vivid as if it were real-life scenery. I think this is one of my master pieces, created after I had comprehended the principles of aesthetics.廉州用濕筆，人乃不知其中有乾筆也。石谷用乾筆，乃不知其能參以濕筆。此等超以像外之能，淺人寧復能解。獨文節乾濕並用，蒼潤如休。是禎正用文節舊本參以已意，墨氣盎然紙上，自謂是鰲山悟道時也。Postscript: age 72 in Feburary, 1923; Signature: Weilu, Shu Lin wrote and signed.款識: 癸亥二月, 畏盧林紓並識, 時年七十有二.1) Tse Tsung Chow; 2) Chunjuezhai made1) 周策縱; 2) 春覺齋