太白醉写蛮书（国画） 34×34.5厘米 关良

关良是中国近现代画坛上一位大师，他将西方现代派的绘画理念引入中国传统的水墨画之中，创造了别具一格的戏剧人物画。

1917年，年仅17岁的关良随二哥赴日留学，进入“川端研究所”，这便是关良艺术生涯的启蒙。也在那里，他开始系统全面地学习西画艺术理论和各种技法。求学期间，关良接触到了梵高、高更、塞尚、马蒂斯等大师的作品，对西方现代美术的诸多流派十分钟爱。他吸收了“印象派”和“野兽派”的绘画风格，并取其精华，开启了自己在艺术上的探索。

“一个画家不单要认识时代、了解时代，同时还要超越时代；那才是一个伟大的艺术家，而不是平平无奇。”从很早开始，关良就抱着这样的信念。在艺术探索的过程中，他意识到将西方美术理论简单地套用在中国社会的现实写生上还是很浅显的，他需要寻找一种更能凸显民族之美的、更单纯的表达方式。于是上世纪20年代后，在吴昌硕、黄宾虹、潘天寿等名家潜移默化的影响下，关良逐渐回归传统。关良开始频繁地参观国画展览，欣赏名家收藏，临摹古代书画真迹。上世纪30年代，关良又与郭沫若、茅盾、老舍等许多文坛大家交往，不断加深对中国传统文化的认识。在美术与其他艺术的多重推衍下，关良最终寻得了一门与自身绘画相契合的艺术载体——戏曲，从而走出了一条“我之为我，自有我在”的艺术之路。

自上世纪40年代起，关良的戏曲画开始独树一帜。刘海粟认为：“他的人物、风景，不论国画、油画，气韵生动，全是中国派头，传导的是中国人的感情趣味，举重若轻；篇幅虽小，内容宏大，从容不迫。我把它们都看做中国画，中国人画的画。他画的是动作中的人，有思想感情，彼此呼应。少到一个角色，也有一台人气，半点不空，填满了活气，或叫戏的气流。不拘泥，不生造，怎么画都耐看，有回味。” 程十发评价：“关良的戏剧人物画从不拘泥于具体的情节及舞台的服饰细节等，而是抓住特定情景中的精神，以少胜多，以简练的笔墨表现剧中人物的声容气魄。形式上以拙求朴，充溢着一种率真的稚趣。用笔‘钝、滞、涩、重’，无丝毫矫揉的浮华，进入了一种炉火纯青的境界。”

关良作画喜用秃笔，笔法朴实稳健。他笔下的人物往往造型憨态、夸张变形，有着儿童画般的稚拙。其实这些看似技法简单、造型另类的戏曲人物却实是有许多苦功在里面的，细细品味，即有一种大智若愚、大巧若拙的韵味包含其中。关良很重视人物“点睛”与传神的关系。每次画画，他都是等全部画完后才画眼睛，画上之后，人物神态即鲜活起来，是名副其实的“点睛之笔”。关良用简练的笔墨勾画戏曲人物，捕捉人物的神态，正是用传统艺术的方式重新提炼出的东方写意美学。

极简传神是关良作品的一大特色，他仅仅通过身段、手势、腰腿等简练的笔触，就把人物动态刻画得栩栩如生。这得益于关良对中国画笔墨内在精神的和现实生活的深刻理解和把握。以戏剧题材卓然自立的关良，其现实题材是比较罕见的。但他以戏曲人物借古论今，也可视为另一种现实观照。郭沫若就曾评价道：“（关良）挹取画材，虽在艰难困苦生活中，不忘他是一个中国时代画人所应有的使命，他的心情，正如他的水墨戏图《打鼓骂曹》一样的慷慨但又如嘉陵江中激流奔放，从他的作品中，可以见他的人格高，画格更高。他的作品充满了人生感，估定历史价值，绝不是‘帮闲’‘消遣’所能范畴的。”

Taibai Zui writes Manshu (traditional Chinese painting) 34 × 34.5cm Guan Liang is a master of modern Chinese painting. He introduced the painting concept of western modernism into Chinese traditional ink painting and created a unique dramatic figure painting. In 1917, at the age of 17, Guan Liang went to Japan to study with his second brother and entered the "Kawabata Institute", which was the Enlightenment of Guan Liang's artistic career. Also there, he began to systematically and comprehensively study the art theory and various techniques of Western painting. During his study, Guan Liang came into contact with the works of masters such as Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Matisse, and loved many schools of western modern art. He absorbed the painting style of "impressionism" and "Fauvism" and took its essence to open his own exploration in art. "A painter should not only know and understand the times, but also surpass the times; that is a great artist, not ordinary." From very early on, Guan Liang held this belief. In the process of artistic exploration, he realized that it was very simple to simply apply the western art theory to the realistic sketch of Chinese society. He needed to find a more simple way of expression that could highlight the beauty of the nation. Therefore, after the 1920s, under the subtle influence of famous artists such as Wu Changshuo, Huang Binhong and Pan Tianshou, Guan Liang gradually returned to tradition. Guan Liang began to frequently visit traditional Chinese painting exhibitions, appreciate famous collectors and copy authentic ancient calligraphy and painting. In the 1930s, Guan Liang communicated with many literary circles such as Guo Moruo, Mao Dun and Lao She, and constantly deepened his understanding of Chinese traditional culture. Under the multiple derivation of art and other arts, Guan Liang finally found an art carrier - Opera, which is consistent with his own painting, and thus walked out of an artistic road of "I am who I am, I am who I am". Since the 1940s, Guan Liang's Opera painting has become unique. Liu Haisu believes that: "His characters and landscapes, whether traditional Chinese paintings or oil paintings, are vivid and Chinese style. They convey the feelings and interests of the Chinese people. They are weighty and light. Although the length is small, the content is grand and unhurried. I regard them as Chinese paintings and paintings of the Chinese people. He paints people in motion, with thoughts and feelings, echoing each other. There is not only one role, but also a popular TV, which is not empty at all, filling the air of vitality or drama. It's not rigidly attached or made. It looks good and has an aftertaste. " Cheng Shifa commented: "Guan Liang's dramatic figure painting never sticks to the specific plot and stage dress details, but grasps the spirit of the specific scene, wins more with less, and expresses the voice, appearance and spirit of the characters in the play with concise pen and ink. In form, it is simple and simple, full of a kind of simple and childish interest. The pen is' dull, sluggish, astringent and heavy ', and has entered a state of perfection without any correction." Guan Liang likes to paint with a bald pen, and his brushwork is simple and steady. His characters are often simple, exaggerated and deformed, with childlike childishness. In fact, these opera characters who seem to have simple techniques and different shapes actually have a lot of hard work in them. They taste carefully, that is, they have a lasting charm of great wisdom as if they were stupid and great cleverness as if they were clumsy. Guan Liang attaches great importance to the relationship between the "eye point" and vivid. Every time he draws, he waits for all the paintings to be finished before he draws his eyes. After painting, the characters look fresh, which is a real "finishing touch". Guan Liang sketched opera characters with concise pen and ink to capture the look of the characters, which is the Oriental freehand aesthetics refined by the way of traditional art. Simplicity and vividness is a major feature of Guan Liang's works. He dynamically depicts the characters to life only through concise strokes such as body shape, gestures, waist and legs. This is due to Guan Liang's deep understanding and grasp of the spirit and real life of the Chinese brush. Guan Liang, who stands on his own with dramatic themes, has relatively rare realistic themes. However, it can also be regarded as another kind of realistic reflection that he uses opera characters to borrow the past to discuss the present. Guo Moruo once commented: "(Guan Liang) drew painting materials. Although he lived in difficulties and hardships, he did not forget that he was the due mission of a painter in the Chinese era. His mood was like his ink painting beating drums and scolding Cao" The same generosity, but also like the torrent in the Jialing River. From his works, we can see that his personality is high and his painting style is higher. His works are full of a sense of life. Assessing the historical value is by no means within the scope of "leisure" and "entertainment."