At the age of seven, Yan's father taught him calligraphy and painting skills, which laid a solid "childlike innocence" in his art. Yan Lao remembers painting when he was a child. The main learning method is to repeatedly copy the famous works of Shi Tao, Badashanren and other famous artists, pay attention to the use of ink naturally, and follow your heart. Yan Jiyuan has never studied painting in a professional school, and his painting and calligraphy art has its own unique style. He advocated "learning from the past as an enemy, and innovation as a new breakthrough", and emphasized in "On Painting" that "learning painting must first learn books, and then learning painting after the book is completed, and there must be achievements". To this end, he has made great efforts in calligraphy and has profound skills. From the Wei and Jin dynasties, it can be traced back to the official seal script, which spread all over the dynasties. His calligraphy is exquisite in seal script, official script, regular script, calligraphy and cursive script, especially cursive script, which is natural and elegant.
In painting, he is good at landscapes, figures and flowers and birds. His landscape paintings often give people a bold and extraordinary feeling. The most exquisite flowers and birds are lotus flowers, which are elegant and graceful, and the lotus flowers and vivid lotus leaves are amazing. Zhang Daqian spoke highly of his flower-and-bird paintings. He once wrote an inscription on his paintings: "Jiyuan imitates the layout of the Song Dynasty and has a distinctive brushwork. So-called writers such as Wang Ruoshui and Chen have good morale. "
Yan Jiyuan is also very accomplished in seal cutting. Yan Lao's seal cutting method existed in Qin and Han Dynasties, printed from a book, with a flat and varied composition. Zhu is round and elegant, soft with alcohol and full of charm; White printing is the essence of China printing, with rich connotations. His seal cutting works amount to more than 400 pieces, and all different types of paintings and calligraphy use corresponding seals, integrating poetry, calligraphy, painting and printing into a complete masterpiece. Yan Jiyuan and Zhang Daqian are in-laws. Zhang Daqian is two years older than him. In childhood, they were inseparable, playing together and learning calligraphy and painting together. Yan Jiyuan told the author that at that time, they occasionally had pocket money and always met to buy copybooks or picture books together. Because almost everyone likes to copy Badashanren, Shi Tao and other works, in the eyes of outsiders, Zhang Heyan's works have similar styles, the same composition and great momentum, which reflects the inheritance of ancient calligraphy and painting art.
192 1 year, turbulent times are depressing. Yan Jiyuan put down his brush, resolutely left his hometown, went to Chengdu to seek the road to a strong country, and devoted himself directly and thoroughly to the country. The passion of youth is still fresh in my memory. He studied English at Chengdu YMCA, and then he was admitted to Chengdu Institute of Mechanical Engineering. /kloc-in the autumn of 0/928, Yan Jiyuan went to Shanghai to study again, and was fortunate enough to meet Zhang Shanzi and Zhang Daqian. He stayed in Zhangjia, Shanghai for six years, creating and discussing with Daqian brothers and attending art exhibitions together.
1930, Yan Jiyuan participated in the Sino-German Art Exhibition in Berlin by imitating Shi Tao's works "The Lonely Peak of the Voice" and Zhang Daqian's "Lotus", and his fame gradually became apparent. Salvation made Yan Jiyuan finally decide to study abroad. At that time, Yan Lao felt that art could not directly save the country, and the Japanese machinery industry was more advanced than China, so he wanted to learn technology to serve the country. So, from 65438 to 0934, he went to Japan to specialize in mechanical engineering. At the same time, he used his spare time to turn the wanderer's homesickness and ambition to serve the country into works of art. When he took out a landscape painting imitating Shi Tao to participate in the Imperial Japanese Art Exhibition, it caused a sensation in the local area and painted a bright color for studying abroad. 1in the summer of 937, War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out in an all-round way. Yan Jiyuan, eager to serve the country, resolutely asked to return to China, but was repeatedly blocked by the Japanese side. In order to get rid of the entanglement, he finally got away on the grounds of returning to China to hold an exhibition. When the ship arrived in Tianjin, Zhang Daqian, a close friend, was already waiting at the dock. The following year, Yan and Zhang jointly held an anti-Japanese fundraising exhibition with the help of Chongqing Bank of Communications.
Under the ravages of the Japanese invaders, China was devastated, and Yan Jiyuan's heart of "saving the country through science and technology" was nowhere to be displayed, so he had to study fine arts. Once, after traveling to Kunming, the spring city, he created more than 60 sketches, which received rave reviews after being exhibited. He has always insisted on painting with his hands and writing on paper, and finally formed exquisite skills and distinctive personality characteristics, and was praised as "strict style" by his colleagues for his unique classical techniques.
After War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's victory, the whole country was jubilant, and Yan Jiyuan happily held a solo exhibition in Chengdu. At that time, Zhang Daqian lived in Zhaojue Temple, Chengdu, and he was deeply moved by the reunion of his old friends. Yan Jiyuan took out a beautiful flower-and-bird work "Yao Tai Zhuo Yu" and asked for advice. Zhang Daqian took a closer look and praised: "Jiyuan planned the layout of the Song people, and the pen and ink were as clear as jade, and the writer's morale was good." This comment made Yan Lao miss him so far, because it was the last artistic discussion between Zhang Daqian and Zhang Daqian before he became a family, and it was also their farewell. In an instant, 60 years have passed.
1949, after the founding of New China, Yan Jiyuan finally found a job as a technician in Chongqing Branch of China Civil Aviation. 1957, Yan Jiyuan was wrongly classified as a rightist and transferred to a toothbrush factory, and his title was reduced from engineer to technician.
Recalling the past, Yan Lao was very calm: "I am an optimistic person. I won't feel pain when I am poor, and I won't feel particularly happy when I am rich. " We asked Yan Lao the secret of longevity, and Yan Lao smiled: "Nothing special, relying on painting and calligraphy, abstinence and happiness. It is the best secret of longevity! "
Nowadays, Yan Lao, who is over 100 years old, is in good health and reads, writes, draws and prints every day. When the weather is good, he also goes out to collect wind and sketch ... The old man has entered a very high realm: "No shame, just look at the flowers in bloom before the court, and have no intention to stay."
Yan Lao still remembers that in the 1950s, he held an exhibition of paintings and sold more than 30 exquisite works for charity, and all the proceeds were donated to the troops to resist US aggression and aid Korea. He visited Lushan Mountain with Fu Baoshi and others, and completed dozens of paintings, which were later exhibited in the CPPCC Auditorium. Commander-in-Chief Zhu De praised: "There is a Zhang Daqian overseas and a Yan Jiyuan at home"; 1964 Before New Year's Day, at the invitation of Guo Moruo, he created a Chinese painting "Red Sun, Pine and cypress" for the 70th birthday of President Mao Zedong, which was loved by Mao Zedong.
From 65438 to 0979, Yan Jiyuan began to glow with the "second spring" of art. At the invitation of the Ministry of Culture, he went to the Summer Palace in Beijing to paint. 1980 participated in the fine exhibition of sixteen old painters in China in Chongqing. Subsequently, he served as a director of the Provincial Artists Association and other social positions. At the same time, he resumed the habit of sketching in the wild, went south to Guangzhou, went far to Yunnan, climbed Emei, searched for the stone forest, visited the Lijiang River and the Three Gorges, and created countless masterpieces of Danqing. There are more than 300 sketches of Wan Li Map of the Yangtze River alone. From 1978 to 1982, it took him five years to create a 30-meter-long scroll "Hundred Miles Lijiang River", which was regarded as a classic handed down by colleagues in the art world.
Mr. Yan said that inheriting the tradition is to be good at discovering the wonders of the ancients, and it also provides space for modern people to innovate. Artistic innovation should be good at discovery and realized through "learning". To learn from the ancients, the most important thing is to take the ancients as the "enemy", have the courage to surpass the ancients, and never stop innovating. Yan Jiyuan is the oldest painter in modern times. At the age of 99, I went to Yunnan to see Tiger Leaping Gorge and climb Yulong Snow Mountain. 10 1 climb Mount Tai at the age of 102, all for sketching. /kloc-at the age of 0/05, he doesn't need help when walking, except that his hair is a little gray and his ears are a little back, so he can move freely. Until 108, he was still painting and carving. In an interview before Yan Lao died, he revealed his secret of health preservation. Yan Lao has a good memory and knows where to put the book. Every morning, after getting up, Yan Lao must ask the nanny He Simei to comb a bun for him. Yan Lao thought more than ten years ago that "long hair is not easy to catch a cold." It's cold in winter, so I'm afraid of sweating and catching a cold after standing for a long time. Old people often sit by the window and watch with their fingers on their legs.
Yan Lao banned alcohol all his life, replaced tea with coffee, did not stay up late, and took a foot bath before going to bed. "Static and dynamic, thus static; Writing and drawing is practicing qigong. " Yan Lao advocates abstinence. He likes to go to the supermarket and always stops to play with his favorite knife. Nanni said that the old man remained childlike until his later years and liked watching TV programs with animals.
"If he digests well, he can eat more than half a bowl of braised trotters at a meal." He Simei said that the taste of the elderly is heavy, which is just the opposite of many elderly people who like light food. "When he was young, he worked as a chef, and once he tasted it, he knew that the food was good. Sometimes when he is in a good mood, grandpa will cook and cook his own Sichuan-style pork. Old people also prefer tomatoes and tofu. "
Talking about the secret of longevity, Yan Jiyuan spread out his hands: "No, no, I like eating meat and drinking coffee, especially freshly ground coffee. Do you think this is the secret of longevity? I feel like an actor. I will play a bad role when things don't go well. If others say that you are not good, I will play the bad guy. " Yan Lao said that there is no secret to longevity, as long as you have a good attitude.