Chapter 1305: Clearly marked prices are disgusting
Further back, it turns out that they are all handwritten by painters. Except for Zheng Banqiao and Wu Changshuo, they are followed by Qi Baishi, Hu Xiaoshi, Feng Zikai, Zhang Daqian, and Sha Menghai. , Lu Yanshao, and Huang Yongyu, a total of nine painters wrote smooth notes.
Some of these runge tables are humorous, some are lively, some are serious, and some are very serious. Not only the calligraphy is casual, but the text can also explain the environment and mentality of the painters at that time. It's really interesting.
Some famous artists have more than one copy of their Runge table, such as Qi Baishi, who has three copies here.
The first one is: "Selling paintings regardless of friendship, it is a shame for a gentleman, please pay according to the rules. Add flowers and insects and birds, add ten yuan each, add vines and bees, add twenty yuan each." Those who reduce prices will benefit others and benefit themselves, and I will not like it. The tenth day of the first lunar month of Geng Shen.
The year of Gengshen was 1920. At that time, Qi Baishi settled in the capital and began to have a reputation as good as that of Wu Changshuo.
The previous Runge was ordered by Wu Changshuo, priced at 12 yuan for a four-foot fan, 18 yuan for a five-foot fan, 24 yuan for a six-foot fan, and 30 yuan for an eight-foot fan. Later, the painters always wanted to gain some friendship and gain some advantages, such as asking Qi Baishi to add some insects and birds. Qi Baishi took the trouble to write this style.
Qi Baishi was no longer short of money, so he set stricter output regulations for his works, and then published another one:
“I have been tired for the past few years, and my eyesight has deteriorated. Especially bad. When it comes to painting and engraving, you can only do it arbitrarily, and don't dare to respond to others' instructions... Those who don't do it: don't paint, don't paint with details, don't paint, don't paint if it's not the person, don't do the engraving. : crystal, jade, The bones of the teeth are not carved, the characters are not carved, the seals are not carved, those who are not suitable for sealing are not carved, those who are fond of painting are not carved with paper, and those who are greedy with seals are not carved with stone. Words of advice. "From this period, it can be seen that Qi Baishi no longer accepts "propositional painting", and he also pays attention to freedom in engraving, giving himself a greater space for independent creation.
What’s even more interesting is the third copy:
“The painting will not be sold to officials, for fear of being stolen. Confession: If Chinese and foreign ministers want to buy Shiraishi’s paintings, they can use their representatives. There is no need to drive to the door in person. Officials have never been allowed to enter. If an official enters a private house, it will be unfavorable to the owner. I would like to inform you that you will not be welcomed. . The eighty-year-old man Baishi paid homage to Bai Shi in the first lunar month of Gengchen. "Gengchen was in 1940. It was during the Anti-Japanese War and Yanjing was already an enemy-occupied area. This "notice" shows that Qi Baishi was tired of it at that time. Due to the entanglement of the Japanese and puppet personnel, he had some control over the sale of paintings and seals.
"How much was one dollar at that time?" Jiang Shuyi asked.
“The yuan here refers to the ocean.” Luo Qianhe explained: “According to Wu Changshuo’s pricing, if the ocean is one yuan and four jiao per tael, the runge of He Shaoji’s eight-foot couplets should be equivalent to the eight-foot nave. , worth twelve oceans, almost seventeen taels.”
"In 1914, one ocean in Shanghai could buy forty-four kilograms of rice. Twelve oceans had the purchasing power of more than five hundred kilograms of rice."
"That doesn't seem too expensive?" Jiang Shuyi said.
“It doesn’t feel expensive because you can’t realize the terrifying gap between rich and poor at that time.” Zhou Zhi said with emotion: “It was an era when the small farmer economy was the mainstay, and 80% of the country’s Many people are struggling on the poverty line not far from the line of life and death.” Only a very small number of people can spend more than ten yuan to buy such a couplet without any pressure."
After saying this, Jiang Shuyi finally understood. , people playing calligraphy and painting at that time was equivalent to people playing high-end mobile phones today, and playing with luxury cars was simply not affordable for ordinary people.
The runges of many famous writers are very interesting and can very well reflect the personality of the literati, such as Hu Xiaoshi.
Hu Xiaoshi is a famous master of Chinese studies in the Republic of China, a philologist, a litterateur, a historian, a calligrapher, and an artist. He once served as the director of the Chinese Department of Nanjing University, the dean of the School of Liberal Arts, and the director of the Nanjing University Library. At that time, together with Chen Zhongfan and Wang Pijiang, he was known as the "three elders" of the Chinese Department of NTU. There are several interesting things in his poem: Those who seek seal script: the original value is doubled. Illuminated Paper: Double. Tangfu screen couplet: double the number of applicants. Ink grinding fee: one-tenth of the original price.
If you specifically want seal script or official script, the price will be doubled! If you tell me to use good paper, the price will double! If you write the text yourself and let me copy it, the price will be doubled!
Jiang Shuyi looked at the last item and was a little shocked: "You still have to collect money separately for polishing ink?"
"Hahaha..." Zhou Zhi and Luo Qianhe looked at each other and laughed. Luo Qianhe said with a smile: "Mr. Zhou, please explain it to the girl."
Zhou Zhi said with a smile: "Literati are ashamed of their words. Money is the earliest form of helping people write epitaphs, inscriptions, etc. This kind of income is called "money writing". , and later developed into painting. I’m sorry to say collecting money, but also collectively referred to as 'Runjin' and 'ink fee'."
"Later, specialized intermediary managers appeared, mainly from and. A calligraphy and painting shop that is familiar with painters and calligraphers, and is responsible for matching calligraphers and calligraphers with buyers. Qiao, charge a certain commission as a reward.”
“I understand, since the painting fee is called ‘ink fee’, then the agency fee is called ‘ink money’.”
< br>"That's it." Zhou Zhi smiled and said: "Later, some intermediaries used The information gap between the painter and the buyer is used to make profits, and the unexpected difference in intermediary fees is huge. Therefore, many calligraphers and painters specifically indicate the intermediary fees in their lists. For example, Hu Xiaoshi puts the intermediary fees for his works as It is clearly set at one tenth of the price of the work.”
"There is another hint here, that is, the intermediary fee is paid by the buyer himself to the intermediary, and he only collects the painting money from Runge."
Jiang Shuyi thought it was funny: "You literati are so clever. "So many."
"I'm not..." Zhou Zhi smiled and waved his hands, firmly denying it. Recognize: "It's them, their literati are so oblique. Oh! There are also some who are not oblique..."
It turns out that while speaking, Zhou Zhi has already turned to the end of the album, and here is a contemporary picture Painter Huang Yongyu Runge:
All paintings and calligraphy transactions are subject to cash. In front of money, everyone is equal. The price will be determined based on the item on the spot, and the price will be the same. If you insist on bargaining, you will immediately double the original price; if you continue to bargain, you will let a vicious dog bite you; if you make an evil face and speak evil words, you will be kicked out of the hospital!
"This is great," Zhou Zhi applauded, "Mr. Huang, the price is clearly marked and the appearance is disgusting, hahahaha!"
"Mr. Zhou should like this gift, right?"
"I like it so much." Zhou Zhi smiled and said: "This booklet is so thoughtful. Except for Zheng Banqiao, they are basically Shanghai-style painters who have had important travels in Shanghai. There are connections and connections between them."
"For example, Qi Baishi's earliest style was formulated by Wu Changshuo for him. Now that they are in the same volume, it is very interesting to compare. This volume is valuable for studying the relationship between Shanghai-style painters and the cultural works of that time. The rise and fall of the painting, as well as the painter’s style and even the social and economic situation at that time, are all of good reference value.”
“I like it very much”
(End of this chapter)