Since ancient times, Zhejiang has had beautiful mountains and rivers, flourishing literary styles, and a rich historical and cultural heritage that has nurtured a large number of outstanding calligraphers and painters. Recently, the "Ink Rhyme Culture - Zhejiang Provincial Museum Collection of Ming and Qing Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting Masterpieces Exhibition" was held at the National Art Museum of China. Famous artists gathered and excellent works were presented, with a collection of 70 pieces (sets) of Ming and Qing Dynasty calligraphy and painting masterpieces and related cultural relics, reflecting the colorful appearance of calligraphy and painting art during this period, and reflecting the distinct regional characteristics and profound cultural accumulation of Zhejiang and Jiangsu. The lake boasts picturesque scenery and a rich cultural heritage. The lake is vast, with winding mountains and undulating hills and valleys covered in hemp and thick moss, showcasing the delicate charm of Jiangnan. Several flat boats row together, geese fly past in the air, and the scenery and characters are vividly portrayed. The long scroll "Beautiful Scenery of Lakes and Mountains" painted by Shen Zhou, the leader of the "Ming Four Families", is slowly presented as the opening of the exhibition, leading the audience to wander through the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains. The title on this painting reads: "In an instant, I traveled back from Hangzhou, dreaming in the midst of lush greenery." Shen Zhou rarely traveled far in his life, and after his trip to Hangzhou, he, who was already approaching his prime, recalled the beautiful scenery of West Lake. The brush and ink display the characteristics of "coarse and heavy", rough, healthy, moist, and vigorous. The natural mountains and rivers of Zhejiang have nurtured numerous calligraphers and painters who come here to socialize, study, and live. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, literati and poets from various regions came here to enjoy the scenery, form associations, and compose poetry, which stimulated artistic and cultural exchanges between different regions. Wang Yuanqi, one of the "Four Kings of the Early Qing Dynasty", was skilled in painting mountains and waters. Throughout his life, he followed the Yuan Dynasty painter Huang Gongwang as his master and imitated his own style. His painting "Imitation of the Great Madness of Fuchun Mountain Residence" is beautiful and vivid, full of vitality. It was created when he met his young friend in Hangzhou. The painting is self titled: "The lake and mountain colors reflect my heart, and I occasionally think of the long scroll of the Great Madness of Fuchun, so I created this painting." Zhejiang not only left behind many famous artists, but also gathered elite painters from the north and south of the country in the royal palace. There were many well-known Zhejiang court painters in the Ming Dynasty, and Dai Jin was one of the outstanding ones. His "Spring Plowing Painting" depicts the scene of farmers holding plows and whips, and oxen galloping in spring plowing. The brushwork is vigorous and the style is vigorous, with both the style of the Southern Song Dynasty and the ink painting of the Yuan Dynasty. Its vigorous and powerful artistic characteristics have influenced many painters and are regarded as the master of the "Zhejiang School". Also on display is the "Golden Rooster and Mountain Tea Painting" by the court painter Lv Ji. In the painting, plum blossoms and mountain tea complement each other, and the golden rooster is vivid and lifelike. The clever layout, coupled with delicate coloring and meticulous brushwork techniques, is unique. We came from Guangzhou and didn't expect to see these rare Zhejiang Museum national treasures. We are very excited Ms. Jiang held her son and enjoyed the painting while attentively listening to the guidance of the volunteers in the museum. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were numerous schools of thought and famous artists, and the status of Zhejiang calligraphy and painting was crucial. Calligraphers and painters rooted themselves in local culture, pursued the creation of brushwork, and gave birth to important art schools such as the "Zhejiang School," "Wulin School," and "Xiling Eight Schools." They also had a profound impact on "Yangzhou Eight Eccentrics," "Hai School," and others, which continue to this day. In the display cabinet, Ding Jing's "Thousand hectares of fish pavilion long" is printed with square corner white text, with straight lines; The "Xigang Private Seal" is simple and elegant, with a blend of calligraphy and seal; Jiang Ren's "Jiangshantang" seal is simple and rustic, with a unique charm... "The Eight Masters of Xiling" are eight representative figures of the Zhejiang style seal carving in the Qing Dynasty. Their works are based on the Qin and Han dynasties, incorporating stone and stone into seal script, advocating ancient meanings, and reflecting strong regional characteristics and cultural continuity. For over a hundred years, the trend of Zhejiang people governing seals continued endlessly. In 1904, at the foot of Gushan Mountain in West Lake, beside the Xiling Bridge where Zhejiang style seal artists studied and imitated each other, the "Xiling Seal Society", a major center of modern seal studies, was established, which made a remarkable contribution to the history of seal studies. Since modern times, literati and painters from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui have flocked to Shanghai, gradually forming a Shanghai style that combines openness, inclusiveness, and innovation. Among them, Zhejiang based calligraphers and painters represented by Zhao Zhiqian, Pu Hua, Ren Bonian, Wu Changshuo, etc. have distinct personalities in themes, techniques, and styles, playing an important role in promoting the modern transformation of Chinese painting. In the exhibition hall, Zhao Zhiqian's "Flower and Fruit Fan Pages" and Pu Hua's "Wind and Rain Returning to the Boat" complement each other, while Ren Bonian's "Jade Bureau Observation Zen Painting" places the characters in the tranquil mountains and forests, and ancient pine trees and rocks add Zen meaning to the paintings. It is worth mentioning that Shanghai style art was deeply influenced by Qing dynasty epigraphy. As the first president of Xiling Seal Engraving Society, Wu Changshuo integrated poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving. He used gold and stone in his paintings, pushing the art of freehand brushwork to new heights. The double-sided seals of "Cangshi Father", "Wu Jun Changshou", "Zhou Jia Hou Shu", "No Need for Wu" and other seal carving works presented this time are just like their paintings, opening up the style of "simplicity and wildness". Chen Shuihua, the curator of Zhejiang Provincial Museum, said that the calligraphy and painting of the Ming and Qing Dynasties flourished in a variety of schools. I hope that the collection of Ming and Qing Dynasty calligraphy and painting masterpieces exhibited in Beijing this time can enable more people to understand and appreciate the unique charm of ancient Zhejiang calligraphy and painting art. The Mo Yun style and cultural heritage continue from the middle of the Ming Dynasty. Wang Yangming's theory of "unity of knowledge and action" and "the absence of things outside the heart" had a significant impact on the thinking of scholars in the late Ming Dynasty. Painter Xu Wei advocated for the expression of one's true self in both literature and painting. In his "Grape Painting," clusters of fruits hang from the branches, with bold brushstrokes and illegal shapes, expressing profound life insights after experiencing hardships. Painter Chen Hongshou, on the other hand, dominated the art world with his unique and awe inspiring style. The painting "The Goose Cage of Xizhi" depicts the scene of Wang Xizhi returning home with his servant caged in a goose, fully showcasing his unique personality and spiritual style in the work. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, with the changing situation, literati and officials were full of concern for the country and the nation during the period of the Great Revolution. The volume of Huang Daozhou's "Tomb Inscription of Tang Di" exhibited this time is quaint and sharp, with a Wei Jin style, and is an external expression of Huang Daozhou's profound education and noble personality. Plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum are pure and elegant, while peach blossoms and apricot blossoms are graceful and elegant... In the Qing Dynasty's Jin Nong's "Ink and Flower Collection", the simple and delicate brushwork depicts different flowers, attracting people to stop and appreciate. Jin Nong, one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou", is knowledgeable and talented. His calligraphy and painting are particularly clumsy, not only with his unique style of "lacquer calligraphy", but also with more floral sketches. From the calligraphy and painting works of the Ming and Qing dynasties, it is not difficult to see the strong spiritual authenticity of calligraphers and painters, whether they are reclusive and indifferent, upright and majestic, or unrestrained and unrestrained. They showcase their different artistic styles and elegance. Wu Weishan, the director of the National Art Museum of China, introduced that since 2023, the museum has continued to deepen cooperation with several national first-class museums, jointly creating a series of exhibitions and revitalizing ancient calligraphy and painting masterpieces. It is hoped that this new paradigm of cooperation between museums and art galleries can build a bridge of communication between ancient and modern calligraphy and painting for the audience, allowing the ink charm and cultural context to continue. It is reported that the exhibition will last until September 20th. (New Society)