Yu gives new flourish to age-old form

Yu Jigao has been widely praised as one of the most outstanding artists in the nation producing meticulous flower-and-bird paintings.

Born in the countryside in north Jiangsu province, Yu showed strong interest for fine art at an early age and continued studying on his own for years.

Due to his hard work, he was accepted by Nanjing Normal University to study flower-and-bird painting under master Chen Zhifo and instructor Fu Baoshi.

Yu's works are careful in detail. They tend to be more realistic, elaborate and decorative than many others in the genre.

He uncompromisingly observes traditional rules for such painting - known as the Literati School - requiring accurate lines, powerful brush movements, contrasting gradations of ink, the interplay between dark and light - and painted and unpainted space - to bring out the harmony and vitality of nature. These time-tested traditions have prevailed over the thousand-year history of Chinese Literati painting.

Beginning in 1959 Yu contributed a series of works for important sites such as Zhongnanhai, the traditional residential compound of China's post-1949 leaders, offices of the State Council, Tiananmen Tower and Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Flowers and birds were favorite subjects of paintings in ancient China, offering a refined sense of aesthetic interest.

Ancient masters

As an independent school of painting, flower-and-bird works originated in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and matured at the end of the Tang and Five Dynasties (907-960) period. Many celebrated painters emerged at the time - Huang Quan and Xu Xi notable figures among them.

Huang was a court painter during the Five Dynasties. Most of his works were of rare flowers and birds in courts. The birds depicted in his paintings were fully fledged and flowers looked luxurious under his bush.

Xu also lived during the Five Dynasties, but was never involved in politics. He did not seek fame or wealth - he just concentrated on painting.

Xu used thick strokes and ink, drew branches and leaves plainly, and used a hint of color so slight it would not impair the ink. His works were full of wild interest.

Huang and Xu represented completely different styles of painting, and people of later generations named them "Luxurious Huang Quan" and "Quiescent Xu Xi". Both artists later exerted a great influence on the creation of flower-and-bird paintings.

Zhao Ji, Emperor Song Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), was indifferent to politics. Although the destruction of the Northern Song is attributed to him to a great extent, he did make contributions to the development of painting and art.

Emperor Huizong was himself an outstanding painter, proficient in landscapes, figures, flower-and-birds and animal paintings. His flower-and-bird paintings were most famous for their delicate style and wash-painting characteristics.

Xu Wei, who lived in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was an intellectual lost in a world of politics. Because his entire life was filled with frustration and poverty, his inner indignation was displayed through poems and paintings. He excelled in flower-and-bird paintings through the use of concise strokes.

Xu's plain style was successful and had rich connections stressing the artistic effects of wash painting. He often used the poems accompanying his paintings to express his inner feelings, thus perfecting the message of his art.

(China Daily 05/09/2008 page15)