09/14/2024
張大千曠世鉅製〈巨荷〉六連屏首度亮相亞洲
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張大千潑墨鉅製〈巨荷〉六連屏，將於9月14日至25日假中環置地遮打的蘇富比旗艦藝廊展出。
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張大千〈巨荷〉六連屏，可視為畫家進軍國際畫壇的宣言。寫於1960年，取珍藏丈二乾隆內庫紙6張、明末清初之吳天章墨，並為其專門興建大畫室，不惜工本製成。畫高360公分，長800公分，屬畫家傳世尺幅最大之作。畫中翠荷漫湖接天，隨風招展，見澎湃、飄盪之動勢，彰顯其筆下豪邁奔放的氣魄。
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1961年中，本幅首展於巴黎塞努奇亞洲藝術博物館〈巨荷─張大千筆下巨製〉，大獲成功，哄動西方藝壇，大千經此更自謂「成名世界」。展覽邀約遂紛至沓來，同年年底參加巴西聖保羅「雙年藝展」、1963年復亮相於紐約赫希爾艾德勒畫廊舉辦之首場美國個展，再創佳績，由美國〈讀者文摘〉社以14萬美金創紀錄之巨資購入。1982年，於紐約蘇富比釋出，轉入「補拙齋」收藏，未再示人。歷經歐洲、南北美洲巡展，至今60年，方首度亮相亞洲。
「畫家從構思至創作之過程，由身邊友好留下不少珍貴的第一手照片和文字紀錄，讓觀眾深入了解畫家創作心思，反映作品之特殊意義與重要性。」
蘇富比中國書畫部主管葉卓敏
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畫家創作鉅幅潑墨荷花通景屏之整個過程，特委託攝影記者、好友王之一，一一拍攝記錄，王氏日後在〈我的朋友張大千〉書中，即細述親睹畫家繪此六屏之經過：
「一天下午，大千先生捲起短衫的衣袖，將磨好的墨汁，一碗一碗的倒在紙上，看來十分可怕，我在旁看得提心吊膽，無法想像如何處理，墨潑完以後，將畫室門鎖上，不許任何人入內走動，讓它自然風乾，這些工作也不過半個多鐘頭，大千先生即下樓捧了一個蓋碗茶杯獨自飲起茶來了，他不講話，閉目深思，看得出心思很沈重，原來他在計劃如何處理他剛才潑下的那些墨團團。……這樣一連幾天，仍舊看不出什麼眉目，只看見新地毯上東一塊墨漬，西一堆顏料水漬，大千先生毫不在意這些，只顧在那些宣紙上比畫。數日後，張夫人和葆蘿將墨團團的宣紙一張一張抬到畫桌上，大千先生又用毛筆將每個墨團團連接起來，又加上荷花一朵一朵點綴上去，又將六張宣紙拼在一起，果然是一幅構圖完整的巨荷圖。……
巨荷圖完成了，大家鬆了一口氣。張夫人說：『下次再畫這樣的大畫，最好能訂做一架磨墨的機器吧！看起你一碗一碗的倒下去，一點也不心痛，那裡知道磨墨人的辛苦，磨得兩手發酸，心裡發毛，這個罪也真不好受。』……
完成後，大千先生又恢復往日的神情，繼續擺龍門陣。我從旁觀察他老人家，體重至少減輕五公斤，鬍子也白了不少。不過，他愉快的心情，補償了這些天的辛苦。」
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張大千好友、資深新聞工作者黃天才在〈張大千的後半生〉一書中，亦有記述畫家對本幅售出後之感悟:
「大千接著向我解釋，說他畫〈巨荷圖〉，目的並不在賣錢，主要是想在海外多向外國人介紹中國傳統水墨畫；畫這麼大一幅畫，是要引起西方人注意及重視。〈巨荷圖〉已經在歐洲、南、北美洲展覽過，都很轟動，得到好評，他很高興……中國傳統水墨在西方藝壇算是揚眉吐氣了……」
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One of the Most Important Works in Modern Chinese Art History
Zhang Daqian's Monumental Masterpiece
The Giant Lotuses
Debuts in Asia
Over 3 meters tall and 8 meters wide
by far the Largest Known Work Created by the Artist
In Celebration of Sotheby’s Maison Opening
Available for Public Viewing from 14th - 25th September
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In celebration of the successful opening of Sotheby’s Maison in July, one of the most important works in Modern Chinese Art History, Zhang Daqian's (Chang Dai-chien) monumental splashed ink masterpiece, The Giant Lotuses, is available for public viewing from 14th - 25th September at Sotheby’s Maison at Landmark Charter in Central.
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The Giant Lotuses is a work that propelled the artist to international prominence. Created in 1960, this work is a six-panel painting executed on prestigious mediums -- six sheets of large Qianlong paper and Wu Tianzhang ink from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Standing over three meters tall and eight meters wide, it is by far the largest known work created by the artist. It was so monumental in size that the artist had to build a newer and larger studio specifically for its creation. In the painting, vibrant lotuses unfurl across the water, reaching toward the sky, swaying gracefully in the breeze. It conveys a sense of dynamic movement that reflects the artist's bold and expressive spirit.
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In 1961, The Giant Lotuses made its debut at Musée Cernuschi in Paris, where it garnered critical acclaim. The artist described this as his “world-renowned moment”. Following this success, this work was shown later that year at the Bienal de São Paulo in Brazil. In 1963, it was exhibited at Hirschl & Adler Gallery in New York, where it was purchased by The Reader's Digest Collection for a record price of US$140,000. In 1982, it was auctioned at Sotheby's New York and subsequently acquired by The Compensation for Clumsiness Studio, where it has since remained unseen by the public. Now, The Giant Lotuses is finally making its long-awaited debut in Asia, more than 60 years after its very first exhibitions in Europe and the Americas.
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“The artist's process from conception to creation is well documented with many precious first-hand photographs and written records left by his friends, allowing the audience to gain a deeper understanding of the artist's creative intentions, reflecting the special significance and importance of the work.”
Carmen Ip, Head of Fine Chinese Paintings Department, Sotheby’s
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Photojournalist Wang Zhiyi was invited by the artist to document each step of this work’s creation. In his later book, My Friend Chang Dai-chien, Wang elaborated on witnessing Zhang's preparation and the process of painting this six-panel masterpiece:
“One afternoon, Zhang rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and began pouring the prepared ink onto the paper bowl by bowl. It looked quite intimidating, and I watched anxiously, unable to imagine how to handle it. After splashing the ink, he locked the studio door, forbidding anyone from entering or moving around, allowing it to dry naturally. This whole process took just over half an hour. Zhang then went downstairs to sip tea from a covered bowl, remaining silent and deep in thought with a serious demeanour. It was clear he was contemplating how to deal with the ink splashes he had just created……This continued for several days, with no clear outcome; the new carpet was marked with ink stains in various places. Zhang paid no mind to these, focusing solely on his work. A few days later, Madam Zhang and Paul lifted the ink-splashed xuan paper onto the painting table one by one. Zhang then used a brush to connect each ink splash, adding lotus flowers here and there, eventually joining the six sheets of paper together to create a complete composition of The Giant Lotuses painting……
Now The Giant Lotuses was completed, and everyone sighed with relief. Madam Zhang said, “Next time we paint such a large work, it would be best to have a machine made for grinding ink! Watching you pour it bowl by bowl, you seem completely unaffected, but you have no idea about the hardships of the ink grinder. My hands ache from the effort, and it's quite a struggle; this task is truly not easy.”
After The Giant Lotuses was completed, Zhang returned to his usual self and continued his lively chatter. Observing him, I noticed he had lost at least five kilograms, and his beard had turned noticeably whiter. However, his cheerful mood compensated for the hardships of the past few days.”
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In the book The Later Life of Chang Dai-chien, the esteemed journalist Huang Tiancai reflects on the artist's insights on the significance of this work:
“Zhang explained to me that his intention in creating The Giant Lotuses was not to make money; he primarily wanted to introduce traditional Chinese ink painting to foreigners. By painting such a large piece, he aimed to attract the attention and appreciation of Western audiences. The Giant Lotuses had already made a splash in exhibitions across Europe and North and South America, receiving overwhelming reviews, which made him very happy…… Chinese paintings had finally gained recognition in the Western art world……”
#張大千 #巨荷圖 #蘇富比
