 |
|
Zhang Xiaozhai is demonstrating the mounting technique of ancient calligraphy and painting restoration.
Photographed by Ning Qinbo
|
Biographies
Zhang Xiaozhai, Distinguished Professor of China Academy of Fine Arts, Senior Cultural Relics Restorer of Zhejiang Art Museum. During more than 60 years of painting and calligraphy restoration career, Zhang Xiaozhai concentrated on nothing and studied carefully, and summarized a set of techniques for repairing and mounting various paper and silk books, as well as unearthed and handed down cultural relics and paintings damaged, mouldy and moth eaten. His restored paintings and calligraphy include works of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Huang Quan's Painting of Flowers and Birds of the Five Dynasties, Song Ma Gongxian's Painting of Sitting in the Bamboo Shade, Zhao Mengfu's Painting of Leading a Horse of the Yuan Dynasty, Ming Lan Ying's Painting of Travelling in Snow Mountain, Tang Bohu's Painting of Beautiful Women of the Ming Dynasty, Dong Qichang's Painting of Mountains and Rivers of the Ming Dynasty, Huang Shen's Painting of Old Man of the Qing Dynasty, and other rare and endangered ancient calligraphy paintings, Let the original style and features of each piece of treasure reappear in front of the world.
The amateurs sighed after looking at the mouldy and damaged paintings and calligraphy, but in the eyes of the cultural relics restorer Zhang Xiaozhai, there is still the possibility of being "rescued". When the original appearance of the works is re displayed in front of the audience, few people understand the "rejuvenation" in the restoration process. Zhang Xiaozhai is such a "person behind ancient calligraphy and painting".
From Tang Bohu, one of the "Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty", to the Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty's imperial book "Bo Jing Nan Ming"... The paintings and calligraphy repaired by Zhang Xiaozhai came from all previous dynasties, and many museum directors, painters and collectors at home and abroad came to admire his reputation and asked him to repair the collection. The exchange with Zhang Xiaozhai shows us the historical value and cultural heritage contained in the restoration of calligraphy and painting.
"Painting and calligraphy repair is not urgent, and only slow work can produce fine work"
In 1961, 18 year old Zhang Xiaozhai was assigned to work in the Hangzhou Painting and Calligraphy Society after graduating from Hangzhou Art College, and studied under Mr. Chen Yanbin, a famous painting and calligraphy restoration expert. After three years of hard training as an apprentice, he went to Shanghai Museum and the Palace Museum to participate in learning and training. Zhang Xiaozhai's art of painting mounting and restoration has been constantly improved.
Now, 81 year old Zhang Xiaozhai has become an outstanding representative of the second generation of restorers of cultural relics, ancient books and paintings in Zhejiang Province. This persistence has gone through 63 years. "In retrospect, I only listened to the master's instructions at the beginning to repair for the sake of repair. Now I have been with ancient calligraphy and painting for a long time, and I seem to feel their vitality," said Zhang Xiaozhai.
Zhang Xiaozhai told the reporter that there are many processes for painting and calligraphy restoration, the most important of which is the four processes of "washing, uncovering, repairing, and completing". If subdivided, there are more than 20 small processes
Zhang Xiaozhai usually needs to understand the basic situation and damage of the works before getting the paintings. The first step is to "wash the paintings", remove all kinds of impurities on the surface of the paintings, and then separate the painting heart from the mounting paper. This is the "uncovering" step and the most critical part of the whole restoration process. "If you do not operate properly, you will cause great damage to the paintings and calligraphy."
After the "uncovering" is completed, it is necessary to "make up" and "complete". "'Patching' is the most laborious part. To choose the right material for patching, it must be consistent with the material used for painting core in terms of quality, texture, light and color, and adhere to 'repair the old as the old'," said Zhang Xiaozhai.
When Zhang Xiaozhai was repairing the Ming Dynasty Wu Wei's silk version of "Three Star Painting", he found that the front mounted picture was fast and easy, and his work was "repaired" beyond recognition. He unexpectedly used colored paper instead of the patchwork, which was plastered on the hole on the back of the painting heart, which made him very angry. He wrote "hateful!" in his repair diary.
In order to rescue this painting, Zhang Xiaozhai spent two years before and after. He traveled around for more than a year just to find a suitable patch. Later, he repaired holes of different sizes in strict accordance with the process, and the final repair effect was amazing. "Although the tedious steps are time-consuming and laborious, they can extend the 'life span' of the painting and make it truly stand the test of time." Zhang Xiaozhai sighed.
"Every rescue of a cultural relic is a revival of history"
Zhang Xiaozhai said that he should assist his master Chen Yanbin in repairing the unearthed cultural relics, the Lotus Sutra of the Northern Song Dynasty.
In 1963, the Zhejiang Provincial Museum sent seven volumes of the Northern Song Dynasty paper scriptures, "The Lotus Sutra of Magical Methods", to Hangzhou Calligraphy and Painting Society for repair and mounting. When they got the scripture, they were shocked by the degree of damage: the paper was full of soil. Because it had been hidden deep in the tower for a long time, it was seriously affected by moisture and mildew. It was bonded with the soil and became a roll of hard blocks. "The paper of these sutras is crisp and decaying, and will flake off if touched a little, neither dry uncovering nor blistering." Zhang Xiaozhai recalled that even the master who had more than 40 years of repair experience at that time had never encountered this situation.
After repeated research, Zhang Xiaozhai and his teacher decided to adopt a method of softening from outside to inside. "The master found a clue. It is said that there was a method of steaming pictures with steam in the old framed paintings, but it has been lost for a long time. There are no details about how to steam, how long to steam, and how to control the humidity and temperature." Zhang Xiaozhai said.
Although repeated experiments have been carried out before the official repair, many situations have been encountered in the actual repair process. Steaming and uncovering, soft steaming and uncovering, and steaming and uncovering after uncovering... Finally, the master and the apprentice overcame the most difficult problem of uncovering and uncovering seven volumes of scriptures.
The rescue and restoration of cultural relics made Zhang Xiaozhai, who had been studying painting for less than three years, gradually realize the significance of this work. "Every piece of cultural relics saved is a revival of history."
With this experience, in 1966, the Hangzhou Calligraphy and Painting Society appointed Zhang Xiaozhai to repair the red silk embroidery scripture bundle, a cultural relic of the Northern Song Dynasty. For the first time, Zhang Xiaozhai was excited and stressed. He analyzed that because it was a silk warp bundle, and then treated with "steam method", the silk fabric might shrink and deform under high temperature. After thinking about it, he found a compromise method - hot gas infiltration method.
During that time, Zhang Xiaozhai went to the library frequently, consulted a large number of relevant materials and made full preparations. "Adjusting the hot gas to an appropriate temperature can not only soften the silk fabric, but also avoid the damage of high temperature to the silk fabric, which is a technological innovation based on the 'steam method'," said Zhang Xiaozhai.
After months of careful repair, the bundle finally reverted to the original apricot double silk Suruo, representing China's superb textile and embroidery skills, providing important material materials for the study of the development of ancient silk weaving, dyeing and other processes in China. In 1987, the "steam method" and "hot gas infiltration method" won the third prize of the national cultural and scientific achievements of the former Ministry of Culture and the second prize of the provincial cultural and scientific achievements of the Department of Original Culture of Zhejiang Province.
In Zhang Xiaozhai's opinion, as a painter and calligrapher, we should grasp a yardstick, keep the original appearance of ancient paintings and calligraphies to the maximum extent, and not change it
"The ancient skills should be passed down and live"
Zhang Xiaozhai spent a lot of time saving precious paintings and calligraphy, and time seemed to be more "kind" to the old man. Today, he is still active in the line of painting and calligraphy repair without shaking his hands or blinking his eyes. Since 2012, he has also become a distinguished professor in the Department of Cultural Relics Protection and Restoration of the China Academy of Fine Arts.
At present, Hangzhou is verdant and the scenery is just right. Zhang Xiaozhai has started his course at the China Academy of Fine Arts. In class, he demonstrated the mounting technique for students, and more than 20 students surrounded him, watching, taking pictures, or recording, with great care. Later, Zhang Xiaozhai let everyone start to experience and patiently guide the students in their techniques... "There are three prerequisites for repairing ancient calligraphy paintings: first, correct repair ideas, second, excellent technology, third, repair materials. None of the three conditions is dispensable." Before class, he ordered again.
After this class, Zhang Yunqing, a junior student after 00, had a deeper understanding of painting and calligraphy restoration. "From the restoration of calligraphy and painting in the last semester to the completion of mounting in this semester, we experienced the whole process of painting and calligraphy restoration, which is very valuable." Zhang Yunqing said, "Teacher Zhang often asked our opinions in the teaching process, he said that he would learn from young people and hoped to help repair through scientific and technological means." This surprised Zhang Yunqing and other students, who are experts in the field of painting and calligraphy restoration, Zhang Xiaozhai's modesty, preciseness and sincerity are unforgettable.
Ning Qinbo, a graduate student, has a deeper feeling about this. As a teaching assistant, Ning Qinbo will cooperate with Zhang Xiaozhai in school. Usually, he also works in the painting and calligraphy restoration studio outside the school. "I didn't feel deeply about some of Mr. Zhang's instructions when I was reading. I didn't realize the importance of them until I started this business."
Ning Qinbo said that there was a special box in Zhang Xiaozhai's house, which collected various mounting materials. "Mr. Zhang's restored paintings and calligraphy will pay attention to the collection of corresponding papers and mended silk." At first, he didn't care. In 2020, Zhang Xiaozhai led his students to restore the six foot silk painting Landscape Painting of the Ming Dynasty. The mended silk needed in the restoration process was prepared by Zhang Xiaozhai in advance. Later, everyone checked with a microscope and found that the mended silk was almost the same as the silk painting heart material to be restored. This event greatly touched Ning Qinbo: "I now understand what Mr. Zhang said, that repair materials are very important. If you want to repair the old as the old, you can't 'expect to use less time to hate'."
Zhang Xiaozhai's "treasure" is not only a box full of materials. Every time he repairs a piece of work, he will take a comparison and record it carefully. Now he has recorded several thick albums. When he reads the photo album, his love and dedication to the cause are expressed in words. Influenced by him, students have also formed such a good habit.
Zhang Xiaozhai's wife has been his assistant since he was young. Although she complained, she always accompanied him. "He has done this all his life. He will forget to eat and sleep when the key link is reached. Now he is still taking students with him at an old age, so I will accompany him." To this end, Zhang Xiaozhai said, "Cultural relics restoration must have a sense of responsibility, and the ancient skills must be passed on and live."
Over the years, from the Hangzhou Painting and Calligraphy Society to the China Academy of Fine Arts, Zhang Xiaozhai has taken five apprentices and about 200 students, some of whom chose to continue their studies, some of whom were engaged in painting and calligraphy restoration in museums and other cultural institutions, Some also set up restoration workshops... "Not only is it the art of painting and calligraphy restoration, Mr. Zhang's persistence and love for cultural relics, but also the qualities of humility and sincerity in dealing with people, which we as students should continue." Ning Qinbo said.
People's Daily (May 21, 2024, 07 Edition)
