Records of modern dartists

As the closing time approached, there were very few tourists in the city museum. The clearing notice was played on the loudspeaker, and the elegant and beautiful female voice repeated over and over again asking tourists to bring their belongings and leave the museum in an orderly manner.

Holding an electronic PAD in his hand, Huang Yang walked against the flow of people, patrolling the exhibition areas one by one, checking and confirming the status of the exhibits on the screen.When the security guard of the exhibition hall saw him, he said respectfully, "Director Huang."

Huang Yang nodded: "Thank you."

The security guard shook his head: "We don't work hard, but Director Huang does hard work."

Since the opening of the Ancient Famous Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition this month, this young and promising deputy curator has taken root in the museum and worked hard every day, coming early and leaving late and even staying overnight. Everyone admires the degree of desperation. Everyone is saying, As soon as the current old curator retires next year, Deputy Curator Huang may take over the current position.If this is the case, then it can be regarded as a bright future!

Huang Yang inspected the exhibition area where the paintings of famous painters of the Tang Dynasty were exhibited, but saw a person standing in front of a certain painting in the empty exhibition room, watching it attentively.He glanced at his watch, and it was less than 5 minutes before the closing time, so he walked over and said, "Excuse me, sir, the closing time is up, you can..." He stopped talking at this point, because he turned his head when he heard the words Huang Yang recognized the person who came, "Are you... from Qiangwei Villa?"

Lu Ying smiled: "It's me, Director Huang, we meet again."

When Huang Yang went back to Qiangwei Villa, he didn't have a deep impression on Lu Yingyi. He only remembered that the boss was very young and had an outstanding appearance.Huang Yang himself was a Chinese painting student, so he naturally has his own aesthetics. However, there seems to be a big difference between the Lu Yingyi he saw in Qiangwei Villa that day and the Lu Yingyi standing in front of him at this time. Knowing how to describe this difference, it's probably like a dusty rare pearl suddenly bursting into brilliance. Because of this, Huang Yang was a little distracted for a while, and immediately coughed twice in embarrassment after realizing it.

"Mr. Lu...isn't it?" he said politely, "It's really a surprise. I didn't expect you to also specialize in painting and calligraphy?"

Lu Yingyi said shyly, "It's because the elders in the family like it, so I've been exposed to it since I was a child. It's not a specialization, but I just know a thing or two."

Huang Yang followed his gaze, but saw that what Lu Yingyi was looking at just now was a picture of "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Lectures on Hell"*6 by the famous Tang Dynasty painter Wu Daozi.Wu Daozi is recognized by the world as a "painting saint", especially good at explaining Taoism, gods and ghosts, figures and other subjects. There are many legends about him in the world, so even ordinary people who don't know much about calligraphy and painting basically know this thunderous name, and this painting "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Lectures in Hell" is the masterpiece of this exhibition.

Lu Yingyi said: "I'm ashamed to say that, in the past, I only knew that the painting sage had the "Picture of Hell in Disguise" that shocked butchers and fishermen and changed his career. I also lamented that it was destroyed in the fire of war, but I didn't expect such A picture of "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Lectures on Hell" has been handed down to the world."

Huang Yang stared at the portrait through the glass protective frame. The Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the painting wore a Vairocana crown on his head, a cassock, and held a tin staff or jewel. Paintings are indeed rare. Historical records record countless paintings by Wu Daozi in his life, but not many can be confirmed as authentic works. Among them, the paintings in the last two years before the master's death in the Qianyuan period are the most difficult to verify. It was almost blank. If it hadn’t been for the generosity of an overseas Chinese collector who donated this painting to our museum, the world would not have known that the artist had advanced so far in his later years!” After he finished speaking, he watched the painting silently without making a sound.

Lu Yingyi smiled slightly and said, "I may have a different opinion from Director Huang."

Huang Yang turned his head and asked suspiciously, "Oh?"

Lu Yingyi seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then said: "This "Picture of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Lectures on Hell" is written in a very short time, but the characters are vivid and natural, and they are vivid and detailed. The appearance of saving sentient beings is perfectly presented, and the style is very consistent with Wu Daozi's consistent works, but there is one thing that may be questionable."

Huang Yang frowned slightly and said, "What does Mr. Lu mean?"

Lu Yingyi said: "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is a very special existence among the eight great Bodhisattvas of Buddhism. He has already attained Buddhahood, but in order to save all living beings in the world, he hides his true merits and virtues and only walks in the world as a Bodhisattva. He I once made a big vow 'Hell is not empty, I vow not to become a Buddha', and I thought that to save sentient beings, I would go to the filthy world, and the more filthy the world, the more I would go, so..."

"So preaching scriptures in hell is obviously in line with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's motivation."

Lu Yingyi smiled embarrassedly and said, "Director Huang, I didn't say that the content of this painting is inappropriate, but..." He pointed to the "Picture of Lectures", and said, "Look at the structure of this picture. For Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, there are ghost kings, judges, and yakshas around, and a group of tortured ghosts crawling underneath, worshiping Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and the surrounding is the reproduction of "Hell in disguise", so it can be inferred that this The painting is a scene where all the ghosts listen to the Bodhisattva and see all kinds of torture in hell, so they wake up and believe in Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and get rid of the sea of ​​suffering. However, look at the expression of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Discover?"

Huang Yang looked intently at the face of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha in the painting, and after a while he was still puzzled and said, "How does Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha describe his expression? I don't think there is anything wrong with it."

Lu Yingyi said: "It's too calm, too detached."

Huang Yang was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Didn't you just say that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has already attained the Buddhahood? He is a Bodhisattva with great wisdom. How can you get the evaluation of "be patient and unmoving, like the earth, and think deeply, like a secret treasure"?"

Lu Yingyi said: "However, this expression does not seem to match the posture of the Bodhisattva in the painting."

Huang Yang looked at the painting carefully again with half-belief, and saw that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the painting was sitting in lotus position, holding a nine-ringed tin staff in his right hand, and holding a magic jewel in his left hand, the bright moon mani stretched forward. All the watching ghosts showed obsessive expressions.Huang Yang said: "The posture of stretching the left hand forward is really rare in the statues of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, but what's the difference between this and the expression?"

Lu Ying sighed and said, "Director Huang, if this painting was painted by Wu Daozi in his prime, then there is nothing wrong with it, but since you said this, it was painted in the last two years before the death of the painting sage. , then there may be a problem here.”

Huang Yang asked: "What's the problem?" His tone was inexplicably displeased.

Lu Ying said, "Director Huang, have you heard of Lu Lingga?"

Huang Yang was very displeased with Lu Yingyi's ghostly wandering around for a long time. Hearing this, he felt that his professionalism had been ridiculed by him, so he was a little annoyed: "Of course I know, he belongs to Wu Daozi. The proud student, who was once evaluated by Wu Daozi as the most like him in writing power!"

Lu Yingyi said: "Then Director Huang, do you still remember what this person was doing during the Qianyuan period?"

"I first painted at the Dashengci Temple in Chengdu, and then painted the three gates at the Zhuangyan Temple in Chang'an. Later, due to excessive painstaking efforts, I died of illness."

Lu Yingyi said: "At the beginning of Qianyuan, Wu Daozi was 78 years old, but according to historical records, he was still alive at that time, and he was able to go here and there to see and praise Lu Lingga's paintings, which shows that At that time, Huasheng was in good physical and mental condition, why did he die of illness just one year later?"

"Because of illness." Huang Yang said, "It is rumored that Tang Xuanzong called Wu Daozi to the palace again to paint, and he died of the plague on the way. It is not normal for an old man to be infected with an infectious disease after traveling thousands of miles. ?"

Lu Yingyi said: "That's why I think the eyes of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in this "Picture of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Lectures in Hell" are wrong."

"Where not..." Huang Yang was suddenly at a loss for words, his eyes seemed to have hooks suddenly, he stared viciously at the portrait on the wall that was protected by layers of glass cover for a long time, and finally showed a look of shock on his face. In addition, there are some hidden complex emotions.

Lu Yingyi said: "Look, curator Huang, "Phantom of Hell in Disguise" was made by Wu Daozi in his prime, when he was full of vigor and fame, and he was at the peak age and position, so The figures of hell beings in the pen can be described as vivid and unrestrained. In the words of Duan Chengshi, a strange novelist in the late Tang Dynasty, this painting is "the brush is powerful and angry, and the shape is strange. You don't know it." But this "Ksitigarbha The disguised form of hell in the Bodhisattva Lecture on Hell is different."

Unknowingly, cold sweat began to seep from Huang Yang's forehead, but he insisted, "What's the difference?"

Lu Yingyi said: "In front of the evil mirror, the original form is exposed, and the evil hells are tortured. In the "Hell in Disguised Map", the flames and blood flow in the hells, and the evil ghosts open their eyes and claws. How cruel and realistic, it will make those butchers and fishermen After reading it, I was flustered and even changed my career. However, in this "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Lecture on Hell", there are many places in the disguised part of hell that are not colored. However, a lot of impact has been virtually reduced, and not all hell scenes have been painted in this painting."

"Maybe it's because the painter has already painted a panorama in the past, and he doesn't want to repeat it now, and because of the composition of the picture, so..."

"I have an idea, maybe it's not mature." Lu Ying looked at Huang Yang, "I think these hells are specially selected in disguise. Director Huang, you see, in fact, you and I are mortals, and we all know that mortals have mortals The faults, such as gluttony, drinking, eating meat, indulging in lust, speaking ill of people behind the scenes, and other crimes in the paintings, in fact, ordinary people have or have had them. These things do not violate the law and are common in human society, but Isn't it shocking that these not-so-bad problems will be punished by horrific torture in hell? Especially for an octogenarian who has just lost a big man In the case of my beloved apprentice who is much younger?"

A drop of sweat on Huang Yang's forehead finally slid down slowly.

Lu Yingyi said: "So I guess Wu Daozi drew this picture after Lu Lingga's death, because Lu's death made him realize very clearly that he would also die one day. This question Never has a moment been so vividly displayed in front of this old man. In front of the years, no matter whether you are a beggar, a general, a painter or even an emperor, you will eventually turn into a cloud of dust. Wu Daozi has painted gods and ghosts all his life, you say Does he believe in hell gods and Buddhas in his heart, or not?"

"Naturally... letter." Huang Yang tried his best to speak.

"So he drew this picture, picked out those faults that he thought he might have and incurred the punishment of hell, redone the "Picture of Hell in Disguise" and changed the posture and image of Bodhisattva in the painting. Bodhisattva The orb in the hand is said to be able to cure four hundred and four diseases, and how vividly this gesture of reaching forward reflects the artist's eagerness to be redeemed and get rid of the pain and suffering of the disease! Therefore, the expression of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in this painting is my favorite The deduction should never be indifferent, not only should it not be calm, but in order to give the viewer hope, it should even be enthusiastic, after all, this is the last stroke of nostalgia for this world of an old man who is dying!" Lu Yingyi said this Chu sighed softly, "So, whether the picture hanging here is the authentic work of Wu Daozi, I personally think it is still open to debate."

Huang Yang's body shook slightly, and he almost fell forward. Lu Ying immediately stretched out his hand to hold his arm, and asked a little confused, "Director Huang, what's wrong with you, are you alright?"

Huang Yang's lips trembled for a long time, and finally he said softly: "No...it's okay."

Lu Ying said, "Oh, that's good. By the way, I actually came to see you, but I forgot about it just now."

Huang Yang tried his best to calm down and said, "Is there anything you can do with me?"

"It's because of Lin Xueping." Lu Yingyi said, "After you came to look for her that day, she went out and hasn't come back yet. I'm a little worried about her safety, and after all..." He smiled mockingly, "After all She is our guest, she still owes the rent, and Lele is still in our hotel, I really have no choice..."

Huang Yang said: "Don't worry, maybe she has gone back to her mother's house? I can contact you for you, and I can help pay her rent." As he said that, he went to take out his wallet.

Lu Ying hurriedly said: "No, no, don't be in such a hurry, there are still a few days left, anyway, it's better to find her first, Lele also misses her very much, I just thought that if you don't know, then I have to call the police gone."

Huang Yang hurriedly said: "You'd better wait for my news, if you can't get in touch, let's make another plan."

Lu Ying said gratefully, "That's great, thank you, Curator Huang." Then he said, as if embarrassed, "What you said just now was about the "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Lectures on Hell". I guessed randomly, you must not take it to heart, of course you are more authoritative in appraising ancient paintings, I have seen the clips of you appraising the "Lecture on the Sutra" on the TV program, it is too professional!"

Huang Yang didn't say a word, he tried his best to force a smile, but that smile was stiff and cold.He just watched Lu Yingyi say goodbye and walk away, with a gloomy and vicious expression on his face, he stared at Lu Yingyi until he walked out of the exhibition hall, and then he took out a mobile phone from his pocket and decided Calm down, dial a number.

"It's me." He said, "I want you to help me deal with a person. Yes, in 5 minutes, he will walk out of the gate of the museum. Yes, do it immediately. He found that the "Lecture Map" has been replaced."

The author has something to say: Note 6: The speculation about Wu Daozi's state of mind in his later years and the "Picture of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Lectures in Hell" are all fictional by the author, so don't take it seriously.