What is the purpose of this great talent who lives in seclusion in Xiangyang to write such a letter to Zhang Jiuling, the prime minister of the dynasty? The key lies in those two sentences: if he wants to "cross the river", he wants to be an official. He thinks that in such a prosperous age, when everyone is eager to make contributions, he should also have the ambition to help the world and make his own contribution to the country, so he hopes that Zhang Jiuling can introduce himself.
From this, we know that in ancient times, especially after the Six Dynasties, the meaning of the word "crossing" (economy) is not only to reach the other side of the river, but also has a deeper connotation. "Crossing" is also a common painting technique in China's landscape paintings, which reached a mature level in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, which is closely related to the political, economic and cultural changes at that time. Influenced by Reception Theory, the painting in Song Dynasty changed from magnificent green landscape to loose and cold ink landscape. In the Yuan Dynasty, because of the oppression of the owners and foreigners, the literati were extremely depressed, so they wanted to express their yearning for nature and freedom through painting, and to stay away from the secular world of mortals and reach the pure world in their hearts through "crossing".
Ma Yuan was a master of painting in the Southern Song Dynasty, and he was also called "the Four Schools of Southern Song Dynasty" with Li Tang, Liu Songnian and Xia Gui. His representative works are well-known, such as Walking Map, Xiyuan Yatu, Qiu Jiang Fishing Hidden Map and Waiting for the Crossing in Qiu Jiang, which we enjoyed today. Because he likes to make small scenes in the corners of paintings, he has an elegant name called "Ma Jiao". Do you think the lower left corner of this painting is very interesting?
In the picture, the distant mountains are faint, light and far away, as if shrouded in hazy water vapor. In the middle of the close shot is a rugged boulder with sharp edges and strong ink color, which has a cold and hard feeling. This ink color is in sharp contrast with the brightness of the foreground, making the picture clear. On this steep and hard rock, a pine tree grows. Although it is autumn, it is still green. It is located in the center and is obviously the protagonist of the picture.
This is no ordinary pine tree. It grows on rocks. Who knows how many hardships it went through before it took root? It stands alone on the top of the mountain in the wind. Who knows how many setbacks it has suffered? It is not Serina Liu's "pine on the pavilion", but its branches are winding and circling, facing the same "rustling valley blow". However, the wind did not blow it down, and the bare rocks did not wither it. It resisted the wind, frost, rain and snow with the most beautiful posture and the softest posture. Is this just a pine tree?
Some people may think that the talent in the picture is the protagonist? Look, isn't the topic "Qiu Jiang Waiting for the Cross"? In the lower right corner, under the boulder, there are people waiting to cross. The fisherman is holding a long pole, and the boat has landed. People on the shore are walking towards the boat. In front of them is the master, and behind them is the bookboy who carries the burden. They will reach the other side of the river by this leaf boat. Isn't this just in line with the theme of Waiting for Crossing?
We should not be fooled by the artist's illusory painting skills. The man in the picture wants to cross the river, which seems realistic, but in fact it is empty. The place he really wants to go is not the other side of the river, but the "Peach Blossom Garden" in his heart. The Southern Song Dynasty imperial court was partial to the south of the Yangtze River, guarding one side of the remnant water and dragging out an ignoble existence. Those literati are ambitious and take governing the country and leveling the world as their responsibility, but in the face of cruel reality, their ideals are difficult to realize. Since they can't help the world at the same time, they should be immune to it. Therefore, they seek to relax in the mountains and rivers, put their hearts in poetry, wine, painting and calligraphy, and cultivate their temperament in silence. No matter how unhappy the world is, I just want to be myself. The pine tree standing on the boulder is a portrayal of their character. You see, the owner who is about to board the ship in the picture turns his head and looks back at the pine tree. Even if we can't see his expression clearly, we can feel his attachment and respect. Therefore, this pine tree is "waiting to cross" in the eyes of the painter.
This poem is as follows:
The autumn river is broad and light, and the green hills are far away.
When I left, I suddenly turned around and the branches stood proudly on the rocks.