This is a painting created by Mr. Huang Yongyu for the "Ink - Huang Yongyu Centennial Print Art Exhibition". I saw it and liked it very much. The original text is excerpted below.
Yangzhou Slow.
Huai's famous capital, a beautiful place west of the bamboo, where I briefly stopped after dismounting. Passing through the spring breeze for ten miles, the greenery of shepherd's purse is everywhere. Since the Huma peered at the river and left, the abandoned pond and tall trees still detest the sound of war. Gradually, dusk falls, and the clear bugle blows in the cold, all within the empty city.
Du Lang's appreciation is considered extraordinary in the present, and it is worth being amazed. Even though the eloquent wordsmiths are talented, the dreams of the brothel are difficult to express deep emotions. The twenty-four bridges still exist, with ripples in their hearts, and the cold moon remains silent. Thinking of the red medicine by the bridge, who knows who it blooms for every year?
Seal: The more people I know, the more I love dogs (Baiwen square seal)
Mr. Jiang Kui's poem not only commented on the great master Du Mu, but also educated generations of people and saw through the true emotions of society. Therefore, sometimes I have painted it with different moods. Many years have passed, and I am actually getting old to almost a hundred years old. It seems that there are still many things I want to do. Look, Lan Yue is so ruined, as if even I am sorry for it, as if there is no way to survive, as if I can't even write a Jiang Kui-style variation. (Is this really difficult?) Writing this laborious poem, I only need to write a few more words to please the master. I have been to Yangzhou, that was decades and decades ago. I bought a severely damaged copy of Fu Qingzhu's gynecology book at a stall near a temple gate. When I returned to Beijing, an old book lover told me that Fu Shan's edition was everywhere and not worth taking. Wait until the Lantern Festival, and I will bring you as many copies as you want from Changdian. This matter has nothing to do with Fu Shan or Yangzhou. I just mentioned that I once went to Yangzhou.
Seal: Huang (Zhuwen round seal)
I really went to find the twenty-four bridges, as mentioned by Mr. Jiang. According to his tone, it should not be the order of all the bridges in Yangzhou. Saying "still exist" means it should be counted from the time of Mr. Du. "Ripples in their hearts, the cold moon remains silent" is Jiang's response to the feeling. Where is that bridge? Some say it is here, some say it is there. I really followed him and them on a trip along a small street by the river, where a few local women were doing needlework. Not to mention the twenty-four bridges, I couldn't even figure out the foundation of any of them. Ah! There are many fools in the world, just like me. Facing the vastness, I have used countless strokes, truly countless. Mr. Kui himself has also used many paths. He is recognized as a master of creating melodies and finally managed to become an official like "Lezheng". When he took office in the morning and wanted to show some authority, he ordered the musicians to "play" for him to listen. But when he spoke, he made a mistake. It turned out that the musician should strike the "drum" instead of "play". As soon as the report was made, he was immediately dismissed. I vaguely remember a joke from the past, where Cubism, Impressionism, and Modernism were mixed together in a speech, just like mixing yellow people, white people, and "humans" together. No one dared to stand up and point out the mistake at the time, everyone knew that this was an academic "issue", and everyone knew that this was not an academic "consequence". Nearly a hundred years have passed, and I am writing it out for everyone to see. Perhaps at that time, a certain gentleman had not yet been born and would not believe that such a thing really happened. He would say that I took lies as truth, don't blame me, don't blame me!
Seal: Chunzi (Zhuwen flat square seal)
The Grand Canal Museum is preserved. On March 27, 2023, Huang Yongyu, 99 years old, in Beijing.
Seal: Huang Yongyu (Baiwen square seal), 95 Fire Eyes (Zhuwen oval seal)
Reflections#
When it comes to Yangzhou, my first impression is Jiang Kui's poem "Yangzhou Slow". On the way here, I also recited this poem silently.
I have drawn lotus flowers in my high school art class. I didn't do it well, so I know it's not easy to draw. But at the age of a hundred, being able to paint these lotus flowers and write so many words, I think it's even more remarkable.
Regarding the words on the painting, I think they are also good. Especially the content. I feel a sense of "doing as one pleases without going beyond the limits". Here are a few points I noted:
- "Not only did it comment on the great master Du Mu, but it also educated generations of people and saw through the true emotions of society." I can't grasp the meaning here. It may be due to my lack of experience.
- "I just mentioned that I once went to Yangzhou." It's quite interesting.
- "I really went to find the twenty-four bridges." Originally, I thought "附庸风雅" (fuyong fengya) was not a good term, but Mr. Huang used it humorously. I also like to do similar things, deliberately visiting some places I have read about in poems, even if things have changed.
- "Ah! There are many fools in the world, just like me." Humble.