Liang-kaj csan festményei
Liang Kai (fl. late 12th-early 13th c.)

"The Madman"

Liang K'ai excelled at painting figures, landscapes, Buddhist and Taoist subjects, as well as spirits and deities. He learned painting from Chia Shih-ku (fl. mid-12th c.), but he outdid his teacher in being able to convey the grace and bearing of figures. In 1210, he was promoted to the rank of Painter-in-Attendance at court and bestowed with the honored Golden Belt. For some reason, however, he refused and left the court with the belt hanging on the academy wall. Taking to a life of drinking and painting, he called himself "Madman Liang." It is said that he retired to the Liu-tung monastery to become a Zen monk.

His paintings indicate that he knew and respected many men and was sympathetic to them. Landscapes or still life did not hold him. He sought "the human" directly, through portraiture.

Liang K'ai's painting parallels his two lifestyles. His early work uses Academic conventions although his essential interests are already present. The basis for his fine reputation at the Academy is not clear. In the later work the Zen style emerges. Liang is credited with inventing it and having such strong influence that he created the whole school.

Hiszamacu szerint a zen művészetnek hét ismérve van: szabálytalanság, egyszerűség, szikárság, természetesség, sejtelem, függetlenség, nyugalom.
Hozzá kellene tenni nyolcadiknak a humort is.

»

Huj-neng összetépi a szútrákat The Sixth Patriarch (Hui Neng) Tearing up the Sutra Hanging Scroll, ink on paper, 73 x 31.7 cm. Collection of Mitsui Takanaru, Tokyo A híres párvers A hatodik pátriárka szútrájából Terebess Gábor fordításában: A megvilágosulás fája tested, Tiszta tükör az értelmed. Törölgesd és dörzsöld folyton, Nehogy a por rárakódjon. (Sen-hsziu) A megvilágosulásnak nincsen fája, A tükörnek is üres az állványa. A buddhatermészet tiszta mindenkor, Vajon hová rakódjon a por? (Huj-neng)

Részeg Halhatalan Immortal in Splashed Ink Album leaf, ink on paper, 48.7 x 27.7 cm National Palace Museum, Taipei When he was at court, his paintings were admired for their refined brushwork. This album leaf, however, is said to be a masterpiece from his period of drinking and spontaneous painting. The immortal shown here also appears to be somewhat inebriated. As a being of elevated status, his proportions also differ from those of ordinary mortals. The protruding forehead and rounded belly are accented by a few shods of hair and surrounded by unkempt robes that hang loosely down. No lines were used for these parts of the painting as only a few short slanted strokes were employed to define some of the details. Brushwork, however, defines the belt. The painting was first sketchily rendered in light washes of ink, and then darker ink was applied before the washes had dried in order to convey the weight of the immortal's body. The remaining elements, such as the humorous facial features, were dotted to give the final touch to the immortal's mysterious qualities. Despite the brevity of the work, nothing seems to be missing. This type of brushwork, in which the number of brushstrokes is reduced, is often referred to as "abbreviated brush" and used in Buddhist and Taoist figure painting to convey the untrammeled and supernatural qualities of the supernatural beings. It is said that when Liang K'ai sobered up, he looked upon this painting with a sense of pride. This is the second leaf from the album "Ming-hua lin-lang."

Han-san és Si-tö Han-shan and Shih-te (detail) Hakone Museum Toyo Bijutsu Taikan IX, plate 65

Szakadék fölött repülő madár Bird Flying over Abyss Hakone Museum

Részeg szerzetes An Old Drunkard Count Matsudaira Collection

Pu-taj batyuval a hátán táncra perdül Pu-tai Carrying a Sac Murayama Collection „Fenghua Hszienben, Mingcsouban élt Pu-taj, akit Rongyos Zsák mesternek hívtak, mert olyanra hízott, mint egy jól kitömött batyu. A homloka szűk volt, a pocakja kövér, a beszéde szokatlan. Ott hevert le mindig, ahol rájött az alhatnék. Gyakran szundikált a hóban, csak úgy ültében, felhúzott térdekkel, de nem esett baja. A vállán átvetett boton lógott a batyuja, mindenét abban hordta magával. A vásártéren válogatás nélkül összekoldult bármit, amit csak meglátott, hogy megegye vagy eladja. Jövendőmondásban sosem tévedett. Eső előtt vízbe áztatott szalmabocskort viselt, száraz időben magaslábú sársarut. A környékbeli emberek figyelték a jövését-menését, és ebből tudták, milyen idő várható. 917-ben halt meg összefont lábakkal a Jüe-lin templom keleti tornácán ülve. Ám halála után is gyakran látták kószálni batyuval a hátán, és a szerzetesek versengtek egymással, melyikük tudja élethűbben megfesteni Pu-taj alakját.” (Terebess Gábor fordítása)

Pu-taj kakasviadalt néz Fighting Cocks Hanging scroll, painted in ink on paper, 78 x 32 cm Matsunaga Memorial Hall (Matsunaga Kinenkan) No. 943, Itabashi, Odawara-shi, Kanagawa-ken Matsunaga Yasuzaemon (1875-1971) was one of the great industrialists and art collectors of the 20th century. He made his fortune in power companies and retired from that world at the age of sixty and took the Tea name Jian (part of a saying from the Analects of Confucius, basically meaning "follow your ear after sixty"). In 1946 he built a Tea house called Roukyosou (Old Zelkova House) in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, to display his immense collection. Of course, not all at once, but depending on the season and guests. Matsunaga's collection has been displayed at the Tokyo National Museum. Roukyosou was purchased by the City of Odawara and is now part of the Matsunaga Jian Memorial Museum. Árva csészémből ezer család rizsét eszem, Ezer mérföldön át magamban kószálok. Botorok szavát készpénznek nem veszem, Az igazságra fehér felhők közt találok. (Pu-taj verse Terebess Gábor fordításában)

List of the paintings attributed to the painter Liang K'ai

Of 27 paintings listed for Liang K'ai, one is a horizontal scroll, two are fan-shaped and the rest are vertical hanging scrolls. Only two have inscriptions that can be seen in the reproductions, which have been cropped to fit our book sizes. The cropping makes it hard, however, to judge the original size. The right sense of placement or whole composition is lost, besides the seals and the inscriptions.

Each entry including the name of the painting first. The owner, miscellaneous detail, best source of reproduction, and Osvald Siren's authenticity grades follow. Siren's grading is: A, A?, B, B?, C, C?, in descending order of possible authenticity. The books available for reproductions in this paper are fully listed (numbers 9 {Chung-kuo ming-hua chi}, 43 {Time}, 60, 61 {Siren}, and 75 {Waley}), with the other possible sources, in the Bibliography. To that I might here add that No. 60 occupies itself with numbers, No. 61 with plates. {Note: for a few listings, the online version adds a category: Internet.}

Sakyamuni leaving his mountain retreat. Count Sakai. Signed. Siren #325. A. Internet: National Museum of Tokyo, Sakyamuni descending the mountain after asceticism. Dark with faint color. http://www.tnm.jp/scripts/col/MOD1.en.idc?X=TA617

Three old trees by a slope in snow. Institute of Art Research, Tokyo. Ink and slight color on paper. Siren #333/ A?

Landscape in snow, two men on horseback approaching a pass. National Museum, Tokyo. Signed. Siren #332. A

Winter birds. M. Chas. Vignier, Paris. Not on Siren list. Waley.

A pair of herons alighting on rocks. Hakone Museum. Signed fan-painting. Siren plate 75. B

Winter landscape with a dry tree and birds. Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Mass. Fan-shaped, signed. B?

Wild geese and some reeds on the shore. Prince Yoshihisa Toku-gawa ("Hereditary Shogun of Japan"). Album leaf, signed. Toso Gemmin Meiga Taikan {73}, p. 82. B

Top of a bare willow-tree, two birds in flight. Ink and slight color on silk. Signed, Album leaf. Hui-hua Kuan. B

Sixteen arhats or lo-han. M. Abe. Long handscroll, signed and sealed. Colophons by Wang Wen-chin, p. 89. Possibly a Ming picture. B?

Wang Hsi-chih writing on a fan. Manchu household Collection, Peiping. Several colophons of the Yuan period, one dated 1323. Poem by Chien-lung. Siren #327. A. Internet: National Palace Museum (China). http://www.npm.gov.tw/english/exhbition/ecol0401/sel-02.htm

Hui-neng chopping bamboo. National Museum, Tokyo. On paper. Siren #328. Internet: The sixth patriarch cutting bamboo. A. Internet: National Museum of Tokyo. http://www.tnm.jp/scripts/col/MOD1.en.idc?X=TA143

Hui-neng tearing up a sutra. Count Matsudaira. Early Japanese copy after Liang Kai. Siren #329.

Pu-tai carrying a sack. Murayama Collection. Signed. Kokka, No. 152. A?

Li T'ai-po. National Museum, Tokyo. Ink on paper, 79 cm. by 30 cm. Signed. Siren #330. Internet: National Museum of Tokyo. Li Bo in stroll, http://www.tnm.jp/scripts/col/MOD1.en.idc?X=TA164

An old Immortal in a loose open gown. Signed. Inscription by Chien-lung. Imperial Collection (formerly in Peking), Formosa. Time Magazine, May 6, 1957. B? Internet: Immortal in Splashed Ink. Album leaf, ink on paper, 48.7 x 27.7 cm. National Palace Museum (China). http://www.npm.gov.tw/english/collections/p022.htm

Two hermits. Asano. Kokka, No. 402. B

Monk eating a pig's head; Monk holding a shrimp. Masuda. Kokka No. 114. C

Han-shan and Shih-te. Hakone Museum. Toyo Bijutsu Taikan IX, plate 65; Matsudaira. Signed. Kokka, No. 40. B?

An old drunkard. Count Matsudaira. Album leaf, signed. Kokka No. 145. B?

A man standing between two old pines looking at a waterfall. Attributed by Wang Tsuan, Yuan period. C

A man sleeping under a pine tree. P'ang Yuan-chi Collection, Ink on silk, album leaf. Hui-hua Kuan. A?

Three old scholars under a pine tree. Ink on silk, album leaf, signed. Hui-hua Kuan. B?

A fisherman with his nets returning home in snow. M. Hayasaki. Signed fan-painting. B

A man reading and a grazing buffalo by a tree. Formerly possession of the Marquis Kuroda. Handscroll, signed. Toyo Bijutsu Taikan IX, plate 72; 9. C

A man seated on a projecting cliff under a pine tree. M. Magoshi Collection, Signed. Toyo Bijutsu Taikan IX, Plate 69. B

Seated arhat. Nezu. London Exhibition Catalogue 972. Attributed. C

Figures. Owned by ? Album leaf. Pan Yuan-chi. Catalogue No. III. Attributed.