註:本幅題曰「效北宋劉道士法」。世傳劉道士之〈湖山清曉圖〉,曾為「大風堂」舊藏。一九四六年,大千先生往故都搜求戰亂時流散的書畫,得上述劇迹,初謂巨然之作,經研究後判斷乃劉道士手筆。同年夏,他在成都臨有一本,直到一九五一年客居印度大吉嶺時復臨一過。以張謝之交誼深厚,經常切磋論藝,鑑賞古人書畫,故謝氏所取法之劉道士,或可能就是借鑑於「大風堂」上述之藏品,蓋劉道士傳世畫迹稀矣!

張大千舊藏世傳劉道士之〈湖山清曉圖〉
Clear Morning Amid Lakes and Mountains, attributed to Liu Daishi, previously from Zhang Daqian's Collection

四十年代後期,謝稚柳筆下山水用功於宋人,對董巨畫風鑽研尤深。從本幅所見,劉道士法與巨然面貌甚為類近,故無論孰劉孰巨,都是巨師畫風的體現,其中滲合了畫家在再現過程中的融貫而生的調適變化。當中重巒叠嶂,佈局嚴整見序,緊密卻無壓逼難舒之弊,上方飛瀑如白練直瀉,配合右角一隅的江水帆颺,令肅穆靜謐的畫面頓見生機,動止之關係諧協。畫家寫來細緻,一石一樹,勾針葉、點苔,以至如魚網狀的水紋,筆筆精準,畫幅大而繁密,卻無絲毫敷衍。其體勢恢宏,氣象萬千,反映了畫家盛年時期筆下取法宋人的豐碩成果,洵屬四十年代後期之傑構。

畫上「龍鍾三十九」朱文印,這是專用於一九四八年作品上之印記。因是年畫家年屆三十九歲,故具紀年之用,又兼喻他自詡「老成持重」之意,遂倩金石名家方介堪刻成。依傳世畫迹所見,鈐用此印者多屬師宋人山水,水墨紙本,尺幅為小中堂,兼寫於是年冬,應是畫家同期潛心研習的系列作品之一。

Mountain Recluse in Solitude

The painting is inscribed, “After the style of Liu Daoshi from the Northern Song Dynasty.” Clear Morning Amid Lakes and Mountains, a painting attributed to Liu Daoshi, was once in the collection of Zhang Daqian’s Dafengtang. In 1946, Zhang Daqian came across this painting in the capital while searching for works of art dispersed during the war. He regarded it as being painted by Juran (fl. 10th century), but after some research decided it was by Liu Daoshi. He imitated this work in Chengdu in the summer of that same year, and again in 1951 when sojourning in Darjeerling, India. Xie Zhiliu was close friends with Zhang and often discussed art and connoisseurship with him. His painting in the style of Liu Daoshi, whose works had scarcely survived, may have been inspired by the aforementioned painting in the Dafengtang collection.

In the late 1940s, Xie Zhiliu concentrated his study on the landscape of Song-dynasty landscapes, particularly the style of Dong Yuan and Juran. As can be seen here, his rendition of Liu Daoshi’s style is very close to the latter master. Regardless of Xie’s own stated reference, this painting is more an expression of Juran’s style combined with his own creative interpretation. The layered peaks are tidily arranged, dense but not overcrowded. A waterfall dashes straight from a mountaintop and is released into the body of water on the right, where a sailboat meets a sampan. These elements add a harmonious dynamism to the solemn quietude of the scene. Xie conscientiously rendered all the details, from the leaves on the trees to the moss dots on the rocks, including even the fine, net-like, wave patterns in the water. This formidable composition shows Xie Zhiliu at the height of his talent, with a detailed knowledge of Song painting.

The seal Longzhong sanshijiu (Old and Clumsy at Thirty-Nine) seen here was used by Xie Zhiliu only on works dated 1948, when he was 39 years old. In addition to recording his age, the phrase connotes artistic maturity and assuredness. Xie invited the famous epigraphy master Fang Jiekan to create this seal, which Xie appears to have used mostly on Song-dynasty style landscapes with medium and size similar to the present lot, showing his devout dedication to study Song masters in this period.