Description 牡丹 Peonies
釋文：墨染嬌姿淺澹勻，畫中亦足賞青春。長安醉客靴為祟，去踏沉香停上塵。
款識：大千居士仿天池生法。
鈐印：大千好夢（朱文）、張爰私印（白文）
Signed Da-Qian in Chinese
With two seals of the artist
張大千，乃二十世紀中國水墨畫壇最具代表性的大師，其擅長各種題材，山水、人物、花卉、仕女、翎毛畫無所不精，可以說是近現代畫壇極少見的一位全能畫家。本幅《牡丹圖》即是張大千花卉畫之精品，從畫面右上款識：「大千居士仿天池生法」，可知這是他模仿明代寫意花鳥大師徐渭畫風所繪製的作品。畫面中，只見兩株折枝牡丹花，分別自左下角斜出，右邊一株牡丹花完全盛開綻放，左邊牡丹則是嬌羞的半開，各自展現不同的情態和韻致。張大千在此畫中，不用傳統花鳥「雙鉤填彩」的寫生手法，而以徐渭所擅長墨彩點染的「沒骨」技法畫成：他先用花青和墨，簡潔快速的畫出牡丹的枝椏和葉片，再用筆毫蘸胭脂與白粉層加疊染，畫出牡丹花瓣帶有凹凸效果，並且呈現輕薄半透明的質感，最後再以濃墨勾繪形塑葉脈與花蕊，充份發揮寫意花卉墨與色融合、水份淋漓的鮮活趣味。
本件《牡丹圖》從張大千題款的書風，以及畫上「張爰私印」、「大千好夢」兩方鈐印，可以大致推測此乃大千1930年代初期的創作。另外，從其尺寸、材質與羅芙奧2020春拍的另一件張大千取法李鱓創作的《萱花圖》（羅芙奧2020春拍編號628）相近，並且題款風格與「大千好夢」鈐印一致，因此可以推斷兩幅畫原屬一組，為張大千同一時期創作的花卉佳作。張大千畫花卉起步很早，且天分極高，他早年曾受明末清初陳洪綬、八大山人、清代揚州八怪畫家李鱓及海派華喦畫風之影響，後來改習明代水墨花卉大家陳淳與徐渭二人。大千曾自述：「明季逸筆花卉，予最愛陳道復（陳淳），其高勝處，雖石田翁（沈周）亦當避席，其稍後，當以徐青藤（徐渭）為巨擘。」從張大千的《萱花圖》及《牡丹圖》這二幅畫，不僅可以清楚追溯其習畫源流，亦充份體現大千寫意花卉藝術的超絕水準。
Zhang Da-Qian was renowned as one of the prominent representatives in Chinese ink paintings. He was an all-round artist excelled in Landscapes, Figures, Flower-and-Birds, Ladies and Birds paintings. This work was one of his featured flower paintings with an inscription on the top right, detailing his techniques after Ming Flower-and-Bird artist Xu Wei. In this work, two peonies rise from the bottom left. The one on the right is in full bloom, and the left is half-opened, each in their unique forms. Instead of refined brushwork, this painting was completed with boneless technique. Green colour and ink was used to sketch the form of branches and leaves, followed by a blend of pink and white as petals, enhancing its transparent 3-D effect. Dense ink was used to outline the veins and stamens. The excellent combination of ink and colour forms a vivid depiction of the flowers.
This work was made in the 1930s as determined by the characters of the inscriptions and the two seals. Its size was similar to Orange Daylily sold at Ravenel 2020 Spring Auctions (Lot 628). The similar use of seals and style suggests the two paintings might come in one set and might be drawn in the same period. Zhang Da-Qian started practising flowers genre at an early age with exceptional talent. In this period, he took reference to artists from the late Ming and early Qing period, namely Chen Hong-Shou, Bada Shanren, Yangzhou artist Li Chan and Hua Yan. He changed his style to that of Ming floral painter Chen Chun and Xu Wei in his later years. Zhang Daqian once mentioned that, "Among the floral paintings of the Ming dynasty, I love Chen Chun's best, as his talents of Chen outshine Shen Zhou. Another favourite artist would be Xu Wei." The two works Orange Daylily and Peonies highlight their origin and Zhang Da-Qian's talent in floral paintings.
Dimensions 66 x 42 cm
Artist or Maker ZHANG DA-QIAN (Taiwanese, 1899-1983)
Medium 水墨 設色 紙本 鏡框 Ink and colour on paper, framed
