The story of Qi Baishi as a child

1. Lou Shibai, a close disciple of Qi Baishi and a famous painter who is nearly 90 years old, recently launched a personal collection of paintings. Lou Shibai hopes that when he is 90 next year, he can take these works to the Chinese Art Museum The museum holds a retrospective exhibition. Reporters enjoyed the paintings for the first time this week.

I have been fond of painting Zhou Yu since childhood

Published a collection of paintings when I was 60 years old

One winter morning, according to the address provided by a friend, the reporter came to Beiyuan Hotel The southwest corner of the courtyard. The inconspicuous corridor and the somewhat simple green iron door made the reporter wonder if he had found the wrong door. He rang the doorbell hesitantly, and within a moment the door opened. An old man with a kind smile on his face told reporters that she was Mr. Lou's wife, surnamed Wang. Lou Shibai, who I met shortly after, also had a smile. Although he was 89 years old, except for his ears that were not working well, the old man's body was still very strong. His eyebrows were gray and there were a few at the end of them. Extraordinarily long, matching the hair.

Talking about the reason for the publication of "Collection of Lou Shibai's Works", Lou Shibai, who is already a master of painting today, still modestly said that it was published to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the birth of his mentor, Mr. Qi Baishi, and to pay tribute to the teacher. Report results. On the day of the interview, Lou Shibai rarely mentioned himself, but "Qi Baishi" became the three words that appeared most frequently. Talking about how he started painting, Lou Shibai himself said that before he met Mr. Qi Baishi, he had a natural love for painting. In childhood memories, his father often bought books to read, Chinese paintings to appreciate, and old inscriptions to study... These invisibly cultivated Lou Shibai's love for calligraphy and painting. From the age of seven or eight, Lou Shibai began to graffiti on walls and cement floors. Every time I come back from watching Peking Opera with the adults, I always draw the characters Zhao Zilong, Zhou Yu, etc. in the opera.

Study painting under Bai Shi’s disciples

The crack-repairing picture shows the relationship between teachers and students

I studied painting with Qi Baishi at the age of 14, and formally became a disciple at the age of 16. I followed Qi Baishi for 25 years. After many years, he eventually became a closed disciple. To this day, Lou Shibai still talks about his acquaintance with his mentor Qi Baishi: “One day in the summer of 1932, my father, who was working as an engineer at the Xiangshan Salesian Home, was on the long-distance bus going to work when he saw a man sitting in the front seat. There was an elderly man with a long beard and a middle-aged woman with two children. The old man spoke with a Hunan accent. When the father heard the local accent, he couldn't help but chat with him. Only then did he realize that the old man was the famous Qi Baishi, and he wanted to give away his two children. We went to Xiangshan Salesian Hospital to study, and later we found out that we lived not far away from each other, so we started to communicate frequently. Once, Qi Baishi, who was visiting me, saw the fans I copied from his calligraphy and ink paintings. After complimenting me, he suggested that we should exchange ideas with each other. So, one day before the beginning of autumn in 1934, my mother bought two boxes of dried fruits and two pieces of clothing material, and my father wrote a discipleship post with the names of three generations on red paper and took me there. Mr. Qi’s family performed a simple kowtow ceremony."

During the interview, Lou Shibai showed the reporter a painting called "Mending Cracks", which depicts an old man mending clothes in the courtyard. woman. Lou Shibai said: "In the 1920s and 1930s, Tongchun Garden was a famous restaurant in the capital. It made excellent squirrel and mandarin fish, and many literati often came here because of its reputation. Once, Mr. Baishi took me to Tongchun Garden. After getting off the rickshaw, I was eager to help the teacher, and the rickshaw accidentally tore my gown. Because my family was poor, I felt very distressed. But in order to make me happy, Mr. Qi Baishi asked for paper and pen when I entered Tongchun Garden, and wrote. He left one for me as a souvenir."

Renamed Shaohuai Shibai

Don't make fake paintings by Qi Baishi

In 1937, Qi Baishi sent Lou Shibai to His original name was changed to Shaohuai, Lou Shaohuai, and his name was Shibai. A seal of "Shibai" was engraved on him as a gift. "Shaohuai" is taken from the words of Confucius: "The old are kind, the young are kind, and friends trust." The meaning of "Shibai" is mainly to urge them to learn and improve. As Qi Baishi's proud disciple, Lou Shibai is naturally very familiar with his teacher's brushwork. But the principle that Lou Shibai adhered to throughout his life was to study and copy the teacher, but never create a fake painting of the teacher, even though his own copy could almost be authentic.

"At that time, teacher Shiraishi's paintings were very popular in the market, and many people came to buy paintings every day. One day, I took several completed paintings and asked the teacher to see them. After the teacher saw them, he arranged them On the case table, Mr. Tian Yi from Lunchizhai in Liulichang happened to come. He mistakenly thought that these belonged to Mr. Baishi and repeatedly asked to take away two pieces.

The teacher then chose a piece of "Reed Frog" and wrote an inscription in his own hand: "Young disciples who can confuse my authenticity without being false are the gentlemen of my disciples."

Feeding ducks on the farm also draws ducks

Red acrylic for painting maple leaves

The reporter saw in the "Collection of Lou Shibai's Works" that castor, ducks, deer and even ostriches and penguins have all become the objects painted by Lou Shibai. It is reported that these themes are not covered by Qi Baishi. Lou Shibai's wife "complained" to reporters: "In the 1960s, Lou Shibai was sent to the farm to feed ducks. When he came back at night, he kept drawing ducks. The 'duck paintings' at home were overwhelming, and I was a little annoyed. He was surprised. A friend was surprised when he saw it at home and jokingly said that he would wait for Mr. Lou to replace it with the "Quanjude" roast duck in the future. He didn't expect that after so many years, his paintings would really be replaced. Tens of thousands of roast ducks."

Lou Shibai said: "In 1957, when Master Bai Shi passed away, I started to try to create. That year, I went to the countryside to experience life and found that castor is a treasure. The beautiful character of human beings, so I started to create with this theme. This painting is the first painting that I have left the predecessors' model, but the changes are based on the inheritance, not just the painting of the chicken, Qi Baishi's painting is full. The paper only has chickens and little background. My current paintings will add some backgrounds to give the chickens a specific environment, so that the artistic conception will be different. In terms of color, I use ink as the basis, mixed with watercolor and gouache. I paint Vancouver. Maple leaves used red acrylic paint for the first time: I also used fluorescent colors to paint bees, finding a new sense of color."

Why rush to learn Western painting

Picasso once studied Shiraishi.

When the reporter mentioned the preference of the media and the public for Western paintings in recent years, as well as the disparity in prices between Chinese paintings and Western oil paintings in the art market, Lou Shibai was a little excited: "The current habit is not good. If you study in the West, you must call it Picasso, as if there was only one Picasso in the entire painting world in the 20th century. In fact, Picasso, the most popular painter in the West in the 20th century, also copied Qi Baishi's paintings. When Picasso met Zhang Daqian, he copied them. He copied the works and showed them to Zhang Daqian and said, "Art is in the East." He didn't understand why so many Chinese painters had to go to Paris to study painting. Picasso had a very profound foundation in realism. Many of his early works were realistic. It has just begun to deform, and the style of painting has changed. Many of our young people are eager to achieve success before they learn painting, and they engage in abstraction and deformation in the name of connecting with the world, thinking that the more ignorant they are, the more sophisticated they will be, and the more distorted they will be, the more fashionable they will be.”

The reporter asked Lou Shibai what his health tips were. He, who was already in his nineties, smiled like a child and said: "Painting and walking." He told the reporter that painting can concentrate the mind. It’s good for the body, and it’s like practicing Qigong. Walking has two meanings, one is walking and the other is traveling. I take a walk after meals almost every day. I go to Canada to visit relatives every year. I even went to Xinjiang last year. Taking the train doesn’t feel hard at all.

2. Mr. Qi Baishi, the master of traditional Chinese painting, once went to the south of Beijing for business. It doesn't matter if it goes away, but it leads to a story.

Coincidentally, at a street stall, someone was selling Qi Baishi's paintings. At first glance, they were all fake paintings. Such damage to Mr. Qi's reputation made him very angry, so he shouted sharply: "Why are you pretending to be my name and selling fake paintings here to deceive people?"

A sharp-tongued painting seller

The painting seller frowned, thought about it, smiled, and solemnly replied. What did Mr. Qi think? Unexpectedly, his anger disappeared and he became silent. So, what exactly is coming out of a pair of sharp-tongued mouths? Please think for 5 minutes and post your guess.

Zhang Haibo - He said: "My family is very poor, with an old mother on top, a wife and children on the bottom. We encounter disaster years and have no livelihood. In order to make ends meet, I came up with this business. For the sake of my wife, children and children. , just show your noble hand, don't say anything, save our lives." After hearing this, Mr. Qi was very sympathetic and calmed down his anger.

Su Kang - This kind of rhetoric can relieve anger, but it is not enough to make Mr. Qi "silent". Being silent shows that the painting seller used creative thinking and came up with some truth in the dilemma of being "completely disrespectful". I think he could say this: "Your paintings are so noble, even if you spend 25 hours a day creating them, we people in remote areas still can't see them and can't afford them.

To put it bluntly, I haven’t even heard of your name. I will copy your paintings and sell them at a cheap price. The rich people here can buy them and take them home, while the poor people can come to my stall and have a feast for their eyes. In this way, your paintings can bring beauty to many working people, and your name will remain in their hearts forever. So, does what I do hurt you, or does it help you? "

Chen Qianqian - Zhang Haibo is talking about low posture, Su Kang is talking about medium posture, and I think there is also a high posture. The painting seller said: "You said it is a fake painting, yes, it is a fake painting. , the fake thing is that you didn’t draw it with your own hands, but you signed it with your name, that’s all. But you should know that the most important thing is not these. The key is, is my fake painting inferior to your real painting? How inferior? OK, please take a closer look at each of my paintings and every stroke in them. If you can find anything slightly different from what you drew by your own hand, you are willing to punish me, and I will do whatever you want. "At this time, Mr. Qi hurriedly bent down and carefully reviewed each piece one by one. As a result, based on his half-century of experience, he was convinced that it was not "difficult to tell the true from the false", nor was it "confusing the false with the true", or even " "Lifelike", it was simply painted by his own hands. Mr. Qi sighed in his heart: "Even my own descendants cannot reach such a state." It’s really a fake but not a fake! "

Xu Yang - I think, still has a super high profile. I just heard the painting seller say: "Please old sir, take a look at my painting first, and then discuss it later." Mr. Qi took the painting When he came to take a look, he was surprised. Mr. Qi was thinking about it when the painting seller said: "Your paintings have reached the peak of your art, which is admirable. But you know, art has no limits. You have seen that my paintings have made up for every flaw in your original work, and I have always been faithful to your original work without leaving any flaws. This cannot be hidden from you. You see it now, and only you can gauge how difficult it is. ”

Min Rui, the painting seller, will also add: “My paintings are better than your paintings, and compared with your paintings, the price is almost free.” So, am I still to blame?

Liu Chang, the painting seller, would also add: "Today's facts are in line with the old saying: 'It's better to be young than to be good'. You won't be angry about this, right?" ”

Zhu Qi, the painting seller’s superb painting skills are honed on the basis of learning from his master without knowing him. It can be seen that he is always highly respected by Qi Qi. Therefore, in the face of Those who have admired the master for a long time will not say anything that is out of respect. Min Rui and Liu Chang’s additions should be switched to Qi Lao’s point of view, and what Qi Lao wants to add is his growth experience: “I was 5 years old. At that time, I happened to see the master's painting of two shrimps. The shrimps were alive and the water was clear, which made me feel magical and unpredictable, and I became interested in painting from then on. That's it for the age of forty. 50 years later, Mr. Fang De said sincerely: "I sincerely hope that my disciples will surpass themselves. Piety is strength, so I have today's work."

Zhang Yue - Super high profile refers to a super master of painting, like this How can the master set up a street stall?

The painting seller said

If the discussion continues, everyone will have many novel ideas. So, what did the painting seller say at that time? He said: "Mr. Qi, you are so ignorant! Yes, these are all fake paintings. You have to understand that all great painters are faked by others. The more fakers there are, the greater his fame; Senior, no one will make his fake paintings. Besides, my paintings are sold cheaply. Rich people still buy your real paintings. Why should you be angry? These words made Mr. Qi’s anger disappear. Silence. ”

Unexpected ending

Listening to his words is worse than watching his paintings. Mr. Qi picked up a painting from the ground and said, "Let me see how well you paint?" Yes, how well did he paint? How will this dispute be resolved? Think for 5 minutes and continue to express your speculation.

Wang Yan——Qi Lao took a look and saw that the paintings were smeared and smeared, and they were very poor. So he said: "You defrauded the world, stole your reputation, defrauded people of their money, and you were so sharp-tongued that you made random excuses. Close the stall immediately and don't sell it again in the future. Otherwise, I will sue you."

Liu Han - This won't happen . The painting is too inferior, no one cares about it, and the person who sells the painting cannot make a profit, so it will not be sold. In fact, it is like this: "When Mr. Qi took a look, he already understood in his heart that the painting skills of this painting seller were too poor and full of flaws. But the paintings were exquisite, backed by the creative framework of the original work and the careful processing of every detail. Therefore, the beauty is still vivid on the paper. So, he warned: "If you are really interested in painting, you must start from the basic skills and practice hard.

From now on, you must not do such shameful things again. "

Xiong Tingting - These statements are all based on the fact that the person selling the paintings has a certain level of painting. Who would take the risk and make things difficult for a painter with a certain level? Therefore, I don't know if I haven't seen her paintings. He just listened to his words and spoke like a profiteer. For a moment, Mr. Qi was frightened by him. He couldn't bear to look at the painting. He was so angry that he grabbed his hand. , said angrily: Go, go to the interview with me. As a result, the person who sold the fake paintings went to jail.

Zhai Xingyu is a great painter who always has a beautiful mind, and his paintings are also a little bit strange. After thinking about it, I became kind-hearted and wanted to accept him as a staff member of my studio. Firstly, I could stop his ugly business and slowly cultivate his good morals and temperament; secondly, I could get a regular income and support my family. , Qi Lao asked: "Would you like to ask you to be my helper? "The painting seller was stunned and didn't believe his ears. Seeing this, Mr. Qi repeated the original words again. After hearing clearly, the man quickly knelt down on his knees, bowed to the ground, and said repeatedly: "Thank you for your great kindness. . In the past I only knew the beauty of your paintings, but today I know your soul is even more beautiful. "Mr. Qi lifted him up, as if he had grown a new arm from his old body, and he immediately felt a lot more strength.

Feng Jie - everyone thinks of the best. In fact, the thief has a guilty conscience. When the painting seller saw Mr. Qi picking up the painting, he knew that something was wrong and he would be liable for it. The best way to escape was to take advantage of Mr. Qi's unpreparedness. He knew it. Qi Lao was old, so he was lucky to avoid going to jail. Qi Lao wanted to fulfill his wish, but when he saw him running away, he quickly called him back. By this time, the painting seller had already gone away. . As a result, the painting seller felt lucky and Mr. Qi felt uneasy. This is exactly what happened when the real and fake Baishi met in the south of the city and broke up.

The real result of the matter is this: Qi. After looking at the painting, Lao said, "It's still interesting. Well, let me accept you as my apprentice. "As soon as the man heard this, he got down and kowtowed to Mr. Qi.

Inspiration

The story of Qi Baishi's recruitment of disciples and the related discussions have inspired us in many ways.

1. Uniqueness or uniqueness

Uniqueness is the spirit and life of art. Imitation, plagiarism and repetition have always been the enemies of artistic creation. It is unique, and most of its performance is to propose novel and extraordinary new insights when solving problems.

Old man Shiraishi actually accepted a counterfeit painting seller as his apprentice, which is behind this unique way of dealing with problems. , it is his unique thinking. Writing is a kind of creative work with very active thinking and emotions. It not only requires observation to obtain materials, but also needs to enrich materials through imagination, and to imagine, associate and create materials through association. It is a trilogy of thinking.

At the same time, we should also realize that the art of painting is an art based on imagination. Mr. Qi not only condenses his superb imagination into his works. In the short story, we also see a bright spot. The act of accepting a disciple has rich imaginative connotations. At the moment when he accepts a disciple, the wings of imagination not only fly to the distant past experience of the painter, but also reveal the story. The possible future development of the new apprentice.

3. Mr. Li Kuchan is passionate about art. He is a true disciple of Qi Baishi and specializes in copper. Hammer. He believes that art is connected: he found the rhythm of brushwork in the figure playing with the steel fork; when he raised the brush to paint, he showed traces of the melodious singing. But how does this flower-and-bird painting inspire the Chinese people today? Although he thought about it, he still couldn't think of a reason.

Mr. Li Kuchan was Mr. Qi Baishi's most proud disciple. Mr. Qi once praised him like this:

There are hundreds of disciples under my sect, and everyone learns from me. My talent wins my heart, my talent is better than mine, and my talent is invincible. If my talent is not famous in the future, there will be no ghosts or gods in the world. Mr. Li Kuchan is a teacher to a student! It should be added that Mr. Li Kuchan was still called Li Ying at that time. Later, according to Mr. Ai Qing's recollection, it was probably because of Mr. Qi that Mao Zedong paid great attention to his fellow Xiangtan man. He is still an honorary professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He is embarrassed to immediately destroy these flower-and-bird painters who are of no use to the new society or the new regime. It is said that Mr. Li Kuchan once lost his teaching position.

He once wrote a letter to Mao Zedong himself. When he was young, Uncle Li once studied in the Work-Study Society of Peking University in France and had been classmates with Mao Zedong for several months.

Originally, he and Mao Runzhi were determined to go to France for work-study studies. However, in view of the "complex moral character" of these students at the time, the French authorities were actually a group of peasant revolutionary activists like Mao Zedong, and were afraid of affecting the domestic situation in France. It has been decided that all work-study students will not be granted visas.

History cannot be rewritten, and we cannot turn back time. If Mao Zedong had gone to France to study at that time, he might have been more able to listen to the advice of Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping after the founding of the People's Republic of China? But who knows the secrets of history? Who knows what changes will happen to him?

At that time, Mr. Li Kuchan, under the influence of alcohol, wrote a letter to Mao Runzhi: Chiang Kai-shek no longer cares about my affairs, so I have to look for you...

When the People's Republic of China was first founded , the human feelings are still very strong, they are still more like ordinary people, and have not yet cultivated to become the kind of people made of special materials. After interfering with his former classmates, Mr. Li Kuchan managed to keep his job at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

On April 15, 1950, the Central Academy of Fine Arts was established. Mr. Xu Beihong was the president, Comrade Jiang Feng was the vice president, and Mr. Wu Zuoren was the provost. I think my dad was a great revolutionary. The meaning of this sentence in those days was that he was having the most fun at that time. In the eyes of children, I am always the best in the world. I estimate that I am the best in the world, that’s how this sentence comes about. Later, people started calling themselves Lao Tzu for some unknown reason. Those people might be more stupid than me. What are the benefits of being Lao Tzu? And if you become my father, you will be number one in the world? It's ridiculous. I can't explain my pain for a while. You won't know what it feels like until you have a son. If Lao Tzu refers to Mr. Li Er, and he is the best in the world, I can still accept it. It means that you think his philosophy is more to your liking. Each one has its own merits. You have the right to say that, and he can also change this sentence to: Zhuangzi is the best in the world. He also has a good one. My dad never mentioned to me that he wore a yellow military uniform and entered the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Later, after he became a civil servant in a daze, he became a superior. So his subordinates were particularly enthusiastic towards me. Some people thought that I was even more confused than my father, so they quietly told me that my father had a high prestige and a prominent position in these two acres of land. Who wouldn't be happy to hear this at that time? In fact, we have all forgotten Lao Tzu's philosophy: Blessings are the source of disaster. In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, artists jointly created "Long Live the Victory of the Korean People's Army and the Chinese People's Volunteers." In 1951, these painters who came together collaborated on a propaganda poster to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea. This was their new policy for the development of art. An unprecedented collaboration, the work is "Long Live the Victory of the Korean People's Army and the Chinese People's Volunteers". The authors are published as follows: Zhang Ding, Dong Xiwen, Li Ruinian, Hua Tianyou, Li Keran, Li Kuchan, Huang Jun, Tian Shiguang, Zou Peizhu, and Wu Guanzhong.

For the painters from Yan'an, painting this kind of revolutionary propaganda posters is very familiar, but for the former professors of the National Art College, this is really a new attempt and a beginning. If you think of these painters, they are not a type of painting, let alone a style.

Mr. Dong Xiwen is an oil painter, so he is certainly competent in the modeling of posters; Mr. Hua Tianyou and Ms. Zou Peizhu are both sculptors, so this is a bit difficult; as for the landscape painter Mr. Li Keran, he has a lot to do. The meaning of putting it on the shelves is that fortunately he has some background in figure modeling and has done figure sketches in the past; Mr. Li Kuchan's specialty is the freehand brushwork of flowers and birds. He is accustomed to the artistic language of Bada Shanren and does not dye the US imperialism into a black-eyed chicken. Forget it; Mr. Huang Jun's specialty is line drawing of figures in heavy colors, which can at least outline the outline; Mr. Tian Shiguang's meticulous flowers and birds can only be outlined together; Mr. Wu Guanzhong had a clear mind at that time, so he couldn't draw the outline at this time. The French pointillism was applied to this propaganda poster; Mr. Li Ruinian is an oil painter who came back from Brussels. Like Mr. Wu, he had to hold back and take it easy. Looking at this collectively created propaganda poster now, it seems that all the people at that time shared the same hatred and were high-spirited. After these painters were incorporated, they not only took a bath, but as Alexey Tolstoy said on the title page of his novel: They also had to--

Be soaked in blood three times, and Soak it in alkaline water three times and wash it in clean water three times before it becomes clean. Alas, revolution is not easy.

Later I heard that Yenching University was soon canceled and merged with Peking University in the city. This is now Peking University. Life at Tsinghua University was just as difficult. The bath water there was definitely much hotter than here. After all, the teachers of the Central Academy of Fine Arts are still a relatively peaceful group of craftsmen in the eyes of the leaders of New China. Compared with the Ph.D.s who returned from studying abroad, they are still closer to the workers and peasants.

If Mr. Mao Zedong had not continued the earth-shaking mass movement and had allowed them to continue painting so seriously, what kind of historical trajectory would these painters have left behind? What kind of mental journey will you go through? Where will it go in the end? It's unimaginable.

At the same time, Mr. Xu Beihong, Mr. Li Hua, Mr. Ai Zhongxin, Mr. Xia Tongguang and other painters also collaborated on the propaganda poster "We must give the warmongers a more serious blow and teach them a lesson". During the war, the painter's task was to support the front line and educate the people. It’s hard to imagine that these two promotional posters are the masterpieces of collaboration between these art masters. This is indeed an unprecedented cooperation, absolutely. Groups of liberal intellectuals, in the courtyards of Tsinghua University and Peking University, in various colleges and universities, in research units and cultural units, were bathing, adapting to the current water temperature, and watching the first one being dragged out. Mr. Zhang Dongsun said that he had liaisons with foreign countries and had committed espionage, but he was not arrested and was kept at home under control. This was war time, and everyone was bathing in hot water, slowly rubbing the mud off their bodies. Who dares to say no? No one can believe Mr. Zhang Dongsun’s self-defense, and no one will listen to it. The freelance artist at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, no matter where he comes from, no matter what he paints, has really taken a hot bath. We were too young to see it, but we only heard from the old people that the sculptor Mr. Wang Linyi, who was forced to come back from France, knelt on the stage of the Central Academy of Fine Arts with a shovel, saying that he was a corruption criminal. His French wife Wang Henei sat calmly in the audience, waiting for him to come home no matter how long it took. When the shadows of the old trees slanted, the old couple walked east along Dongdan Sanjiao, crossed the intersection, and returned to the small courtyard of Qifenglou Alley. The names of many alleys in Beijing allow you to have fun daydreaming about them.

This time is an eye-opener for this group of artists who have lived in Beijing for a long time. For this group of people from Yan'an, this is still a piece of cake, but it is indeed a struggle against landlords in the land reform. The mildest necessary procedure.

People say that he embezzled the people’s millet and the millet of resisting U.S. aggression and aiding Korea at a time when the enemy was facing great enemy. Fortunately, the movement passed before he could commit suicide. Naturally, the relevant personnel apologized again, but everyone had misunderstood, and we are still good comrades. This is Wang Mazi's model in the late Yan'an Movement, and people are all familiar with it. What a brilliant move, it restored the party's prestige and prevented a good man from being wronged. At the same time, it also made everyone understand how majestic the proletarian dictatorship is. Look at those old Communist Party members Liu Qingshan and Zhang Zishan who were shot. The founding heroes of the country turned into corrupt officials. They killed them without fail and did not let any bad guys go. Beijing Hutong - Lao She's Former Residence, No. 19, Fufu Hutong, Dongcheng District (provided by Li Yuxiang) During the holidays, bright five-star red flags are picked out in Beijing's mainly gray hutongs and fluttered in the unique wind and sand of Beijing.

4. Recalling Master Baishi

Liu Shudu

In 1927, after being introduced by Comrade Li Kuchan, I became my teacher and learned seal cutting from him. At that time, I was studying at Beijing Women's Normal University, and I was trying to learn how to carve seals in my spare time.

Teacher Shiraishi specialized in Han Dynasty seal-making after he turned sixty. After he accepted me as his apprentice, he asked me to study Han bricks seriously and develop basic skills. Among modern seal carving families, my teacher highly praised Zhao Jushu, Huang Mufu and others, and asked me to learn from them. The teacher has repeatedly told me that seal cutting has a long history in our country. To learn it well, you must "learn from the strengths of others" (you cannot stick to one family). Since you are my student, of course you must learn from me, but you don't want to be like Qi Baishi. , and imitated Qi Baishi to death. The teacher himself did exactly this. Although he specialized in Han seals, he was not constrained by it. Instead, he was able to break out of the stereotypes and make bold innovations in seal writing and sword techniques.

I remember that when I was free, I would go to the teacher’s house and bring my (homework)-engraved seal rubbings to ask the teacher to make corrections in person. Sometimes when I saw the teacher drawing, I would Yintuo stayed with the teacher and wrote some comments when he was free. In this way, over time, I have many volumes of seals corrected by the teacher. I have always treasured these seals. Unfortunately, after ten years of catastrophe, only two volumes are left.

Now I open these two volumes of printed music and reread the teacher’s comments fifty years ago. I am filled with emotion. Among the nearly one hundred square seals, the teachers almost all made detailed comments, including affirmation, praise, and more criticism and guidance. Some even drew seal character demonstrations. From the teacher's powerful handwritten comments, we can see how careful and meticulous he was in correcting my homework.

The teacher has a habit of doing seal seals, usually in the early morning or at night, so although I often go to his house, I have never been able to see him seal seal seals with my own eyes, which is of course a pity. A few years later, I finally found an opportunity to ask the teacher to carve the seal of a Baishi disciple for me on the spot. I saw with my own eyes how the teacher used seal characters and used a knife, and I was greatly inspired. The teacher engraved on the edge of this square seal: Yu said: The saint still has the ability to teach people to learn literature. Yu is ashamed of his small skills and his wild temperament. He can be a teacher of people and live longer than gold and stone. Shudu said: "I heard that there was a seal (by Baishi's disciples) that was carved by Master. Please pay attention to the proportion." There is nothing more to be done, so publish it and record it. I was very moved by this humble attitude. Later, the teacher also carved the (Qianshi Seal Room) seal for me, and I still keep these two seals.

After graduating from college, I became a middle school teacher, and continued to practice seal painting after work. During this period, I also carved two seals for Mr. Lu Xun. Teacher Shiraishi believed that my seal cutting had "improved greatly in the past few years" and he went to great lengths to write and recommend "Confessions" to me enthusiastically. At the end of 1931, I wanted to compile a volume of the seals I had made over the past few years. The teacher, who was nearly seventy years old at the time, enthusiastically wrote a short preface for me. The article says: "The spirit of craftsmanship has always belonged to scholars, and women have never heard of it. That is, Ma Xianglan painted orchids, and Mrs. Guan painted bamboo. As soon as she saw it, she knew it was a woman, and it was not easy for the scholar to see the boudoir and want to drive. My disciple, Liu Shudu, was a beginner in the Han Dynasty. He often used seals and rubbings to make impressions. His craftsmanship in seal writing was not childlike. He took the strengths of the ancients and neglected the shortcomings of his master's method. "It should be explained that the teacher is very good to me. I didn't actually achieve the evaluation, which is undeserved, but can't we clearly see the teacher's sincere encouragement and ardent expectations for the students?

Now, I am over 80 years old. I have carved nearly a thousand square seals in my life. If I have achieved any success in seal cutting, it is due to the education and training I received from my teacher. Not open