端木梦锡(1900.11—2000.8)河南南乐人。擅长中国画。1932年毕业于北京私立美术学院。历任成都南虹艺专、武汉第十五中学美术教师。中国书画函授大学武汉分校教授，江汉大学名誉教授。作品有《红梅》、《蜀葵》、《唐梅吐艳》等。
端木梦锡师承丹青高手，与傅抱石、齐白石、张大千等大师交谊甚笃。端木梦锡先生擅长花鸟画，尤以梅花、棕榈、蜀葵、墨竹著称。他继承了宋、元以来国画的优良传统，并独辟新境，自成风格。作品以花鸟咏志，籍景物言情，构图严谨，苍润朴实，清新秀逸，富有生机。
中国花鸟画的发展是在宋代达于成熟的。五代末年的黄筌与徐熙可以看作是使花鸟画成为独立画种的奠基人。但两家风格不同，黄氏所作，钩勒精细，形态逼真，赋彩鲜丽；徐氏所作，笔简形具，略施淡彩，天然野逸；故画史有“黄家富贵，徐熙野逸”之说。两家曾相互攻讦倾轧，宋初黄氏父子被召入画院，其传人发展了适应宫庭贵族审美趣味的院体花鸟画，名家辈出，蔚为大观，占据了主导地位。徐氏一派则被留于院外，发展了与院体花鸟画相区别的文人花鸟画。宋代之后，院体花鸟画历代相承，也有所发展。但总的来说，日趋俗艳、刻板和缺乏生气，再也难以和宋代院画相比了。倒是文人的花鸟画，经宋人元至明清及近代，不断蓬勃地发展起来，作出了新的创造。端木先生早年就学于北京京华艺术专科学校时就研习宋代院体花鸟画，这为他的花鸟画创作打下了严谨坚实的法度的基础。与此同时，他又广泛涉猎与学习历代文人花鸟画，特别是元代的文人花鸟画。这和他的独特的艺术风格的形成很有关系。
元代文人花鸟画承宋代而来，更加注意自由地表现文人的意趣，但又仍然重视规矩法度，所以既比院体花鸟画灵动自然，又不失工整清丽。苏雪林教授在1948年4月所写《敬书端木梦锡画集后》一文中曾经说过：“我觉得端木先生的花鸟是调和中国固有的‘院体画’与‘文人画’而产生的新艺术。”这个说法是中肯的。但宋以后文人花鸟画的发展经历了元代、明清、近代三个阶段，我以为端木先生的花鸟画除继承宋代院画之外，主要是受到元代文人花鸟画的影响。这一点，特别明显地表现在我们下面还要讲到的端木先生梅、竹的画法上。为了表现文人意趣，梅、竹在宋代已是文人画家十分喜爱的题材。如华光长老以画梅名于世，苏东坡、文与可均以画竹著称。但文人画梅、竹，可以说至元代才充分奠定了技法的基础，并形成多种风格，为后来明清的进一步发展作了准备。如李衍、柯九思多人都是元代画竹高手，李衍以及张逊还上承宋代院体画法，特善作双钩竹。山水画家高克恭、倪瓒、吴镇也善画竹。在画梅方面，王冕在继承宋法的基础上，首创枝繁花茂的画法，对梅作全景式的表现，好写大幅，极情尽兴而后止，不满足于宋代文人所喜爱的竹外横斜两三枝。端木先生的花鸟画题材广泛，各体兼能，人谓尤以梅、棕榈、蜀葵著称。依我之见，或当以梅、竹成就为最高。端木先生画梅，直师王冕而自创新格。我们试把他的作品与王冕作一些比较。王冕比之古人已可称刚健，但枝之运笔多以行书笔法出之，喜作柔韧有飘动感之曲线，主干墨色较淡，行笔舒缓。又由于全幅留出大量空白，看去花虽繁而实疏。王冕是生逢乱世的文人、隐士，因此他所追求的是一种超凡脱俗的天然野趣，不过比其他文人之作较有生机。他有题画梅诗云：“吾家洗研池头树，个个华开淡墨痕；不要人夸好颜色，只流清气满乾坤”。端木先生之作则不同，枝以楷书中锋笔法写出，劲爽锐利，如戟剑森森然。写主干，好作老干，中锋侧笔并用，顿挫急速，令人有坚如铁石之感。写花，或以墨笔双钩，或以大红、粉白、靛青点出，不惧其繁而又错落有致。视之如云升霞举，不是“不要人夸好颜色”，而正是要力夸梅花颜色之美。作品的整体效果，令人感到生机勃发，春意满纸，酣畅淋漓。从古人论画梅的说法来看，可谓“繁而劲”，“老而媚”，清而健”三者俱备。收入本画集的多幅梅花，就是他在梅花创作方面有代表隆的精晶。端木先生画竹，如他的画梅一样，也是上追元人而自出新意。如收入本画集的瞄鸡绿竹图》中竹的画法，一看就使我们想到李衍、张逊的双钩竹，但更显生动活泼，不为宋代院体法度所拘。其余墨竹多幅，以及效苏东坡所作殊竹，都是难得的佳作。历来画竹，难在古人所说“腕中有风雨”，“布景致思，不盈咫尺而万里可论”。这就是不仅要画出竹的形态，还要画出竹所在的大自然的风晴雨露和无尽的空间。有些画家画竹，叶叶分明，但平铺纸上，既少风晴雨露之态，也无咫尺纵深之感，这是名家之作有时也难以避免的。端木先生所作，由于用笔飘拂飞动，浓淡相间得宜，疏密变化自然，故虽无画处亦能使人作风和日丽之想。有时复以淡墨淡彩渲染全幅纸面，作风雨之状，以显竹枝挺立的傲岸之情。端木先生画竹，确是有他的特出成就。
中国花鸟画是中国画的一个专科，古来常称之为“写生”。如宋代著名花鸟画家赵昌即自号“写生赵昌”。“写生”之意，是要写出天地阴阳变化所生花鸟草木虫鱼的生意、生机、生气，以“观众目，协和气”，“夺造化而移精神，遐想若登临览物之有得也”(《宣和画谱·叙论》)。这和中国《周易》所说“天地之大德曰生”的哲学、美学思想密切相关。用我们今天的话说，也就是要追求、表现大自然的生命之美。我认为这也正是端木先生在花鸟画创作上毕生追求的根本目标。由于他在解放后生当盛世，所以他的这种追求又已突破过去文人画追求的意境，而和对祖国富强、人民幸福的欢欣歌颂之情融为一体了。端木先生有诗云：“人老宛如花正放，扬鞭四化立新功。”这种爱国、爱党、爱民的深情是令人感佩的。
端木梦锡先生的作品，曾在北京、天津、南京、成都、长沙、桂林、武汉以及前苏联、日本、新加坡、巴黎、布拉格、香港等地展出，在海内画坛产生了较大的影响。
端木梦锡先生1989年获得了《国家一级老有所为精英奖》，并被许多权威性名人辞书录入，端木梦锡先生是我国成就卓著的花鸟画家，在国外也很有声誉。他早年入北京京华艺术专科学校学习，得齐白石等名家指授。抗战中流寓四川，已在画坛崭露头角，为著名画家张大千、傅抱石等人所称赏。他在武汉大学工作达16年之久，在抗战前后极困难的情况下，一方面潜心于绘画教学，另一方面又为改善武大师生的生活和教学条件而尽力，无私奉献。李国平教授曾称赞他“洁身于奉公”，“先公而后私”。抗战胜利，武汉大学从四川山迂回武昌。1948年4月，端木先生在汉口举行个人画展，武汉大学为他出版了《端木梦锡先生画展特刊》，由周鲠生校长题写刊名，著名文学家、文艺评论家苏雪林教授和著名数学家、诗人、书法家李国平教授专门著文加以评论，对他的画品和人品作了很高的评价。解放后，他摆脱了衣食之累和生活无定之苦，全身心投入绘画创作和美术教育事业。他的作品获得了广泛赞誉，特别是80岁以后所作，达到了挥洒自如，炉火纯青的境界。他还先后应日本、新加坡、德国、香港之邀举办个人画展，即席挥毫，为弘扬与传播中国书画艺术作出了贡献。1996年，他将大部分为80岁后所作书画精晶百幅捐赠武汉大学，表现了他对武大的热爱和对教育事业的关心支持。
从1948年武汉大学出版《端木梦锡先生画展特刊》以来到现在，时间已过去了半个世纪。中国发生了翻天覆地的伟大变化，武汉大学也旧貌换新颜，正在朝着新的世纪前进。我们愿以端木先生这本画集的出版来纪念他和武大共同走过的风雨历程，并祝他健康长寿。我们还相信，披览这部画集的读者，将会从中获得一次清新而又强烈的美的享受。

Duanmu Mengxi (1900.11-2000.8) was born in Nanle, Henan Province. Good at Chinese painting. Graduated from Beijing private Academy of Fine Arts in 1932. He has successively served as an art teacher of Chengdu Nanhong Art College and Wuhan No.15 middle school. Professor of Wuhan Branch of China calligraphy and painting correspondence university, Honorary Professor of Jianghan University. His works include "red plum", "marshmallow", "Tang Mei Puyan", etc.

Duanmu Mengxi learned from the master of Danqing and had a good friendship with Fu Baoshi, Qi Baishi, Zhang Daqian and other masters. Mr. Duanmu Mengxi is good at flower and bird painting, especially famous for plum blossom, palm, marshmallow and ink bamboo. He inherited the fine tradition of traditional Chinese painting since Song and Yuan Dynasty, and created a new environment and style. The works chant records with flowers and birds, express feelings with scenery, and the composition is rigorous. They are verdant, simple, fresh, elegant and full of vitality.

The development of Chinese flower and bird painting reached maturity in Song Dynasty. In the end of the Five Dynasties, Huang Chuan and Xu Xi can be regarded as the founders of making flower and bird paintings independent. However, the styles of the two families are different. Huang's works are delicate, lifelike and colorful. Xu's works are simple, with light color and natural wild style. Therefore, there is a saying in the painting history of "Huang's family is rich and Xu's wild style". The two families once criticized each other. At the beginning of Song Dynasty, Huang's father and son were called into the painting academy. Their successors developed the garden style flower and bird painting that adapted to the aesthetic taste of the palace aristocrats. Many famous artists came out, which was a great view and occupied a dominant position. Xu's school was left outside the courtyard and developed the literati flower and bird paintings which were different from those in the courtyard. After the Song Dynasty, the flower and bird paintings in the courtyard have been handed down and developed. But on the whole, it is increasingly gaudy, stereotyped and lack of vitality, which can no longer be compared with the Academy paintings of Song Dynasty. However, the flower and bird paintings of literati developed vigorously and made new creation from Yuan Dynasty to Ming Dynasty and modern times. Mr. Duanmu studied flower and bird painting in Song Dynasty when he was studying in Beijing Jinghua Art College in his early years, which laid a rigorous and solid legal foundation for his flower and bird painting creation. At the same time, he also extensively dabbled in and studied the flower and bird paintings of literati in the past dynasties, especially in the Yuan Dynasty. This is closely related to the formation of his unique artistic style.

The flower and bird paintings of the Yuan Dynasty inherited from the Song Dynasty, paying more attention to the free expression of the interest of the literati, but still paying attention to the rules and regulations, so they are not only more flexible and natural than the flower and bird paintings of the Yuan Dynasty, but also neat and beautiful. Professor Su Xuelin once said in his article "after the collection of dream tin paintings of Duanmu" written in April 1948: "I think Mr. Duanmu's flowers and birds are the new art produced by harmonizing the inherent" courtyard style painting "and" literati painting "of China." This statement is to the point. However, the development of literati flower and bird painting after Song Dynasty has gone through three stages: Yuan Dynasty, Ming and Qing Dynasty and modern times. I think Mr. Duanmu's flower and bird painting is mainly influenced by Yuan dynasty literati flower and bird painting besides inheriting Song Dynasty courtyard painting. This is especially evident in the painting techniques of Mr. Duanmu's plum and bamboo that we will talk about next. In order to express the interest of literati, plum and bamboo were very popular themes of literati painters in Song Dynasty. For example, elder Hua Guang is famous for painting plum, while Su Dongpo, Wen and Ke are famous for painting bamboo. But the literati painting of plum and bamboo, it can be said that it was only in Yuan Dynasty that they fully laid the foundation of techniques and formed a variety of styles, which prepared for the further development of Ming and Qing Dynasties. For example, Li Yan and Ke Jiusi were masters of bamboo painting in the Yuan Dynasty. Li Yan and Zhang Xun were also good at making double hook bamboo. Landscape painters Gao Kegong, Ni Zan and Wu Zhen are also good at painting bamboo. In the aspect of plum painting, Wang Mian, on the basis of inheriting the Song Dynasty's method, pioneered the painting method of luxuriant branches and flowers. He was good at writing large-scale plum paintings and enjoyed them to the full, but was not satisfied with the two or three horizontal slants outside the bamboo favored by the literati in the Song Dynasty. Mr. Duanmu's flower and bird paintings have a wide range of subjects, and they can be seen in all aspects. People say that they are especially famous for plum, palm and hollyhock. In my opinion, the achievements of plum and bamboo should be the highest. Mr. Duanmu drew plum, which was created by Wang Mian. Let's try to compare his works with Wang Mian. Wang Mian is more vigorous than the ancients, but the strokes of the branches are mostly written in running script. He likes to make flexible and dynamic curves. The main ink color is lighter and the strokes are slow. Because of the large amount of blank space left in the whole picture, it can be seen that the flowers are numerous and sparse. Wang Mian is a scholar and hermit living in troubled times, so what he pursues is a kind of extraordinary natural wild interest, but he has more vitality than other scholars' works. He wrote a painting of Mei Shiyun: "my family washes and grinds the trees on the head of the pool, each of which has a light ink mark; don't boast about the color, just flow the clear air to fill the heaven and earth.". Mr. Duanmu's works are different. The branch is written in regular script with a central stroke. It is as vigorous and sharp as a halberd and sword. Write the main body, good for old work, and use the center's side pen at the same time. Writing flowers, or to ink double hook, or to bright red, pink, indigo point out, not afraid of its complex and intricate. It is not "don't boast good color", but just to boast the beauty of plum blossom color. The overall effect of the work makes people feel full of vitality and full of spring. From the view of the ancients on plum painting, it can be described as "complicated and vigorous", "old and charming", and "clear and healthy". Many plum blossoms in this collection are the fine crystals that represent long in his plum blossom creation. Mr. Duanmu's painting of bamboo, like his painting of plum, is also up to catch up with Yuan people and bring forth new ideas. For example, the painting method of bamboo in the "aiming at chicken and green bamboo" collected in this painting collection reminds us of the double hook bamboo of Liyan and Zhangxun, but it is more lively and not restricted by the court system of Song Dynasty.