中国新兴木刻运动本来就是诞生于革命斗争的需要，由无产阶级文化运动的旗手鲁迅先生发起组织而兴起于上海的。从小喜欢美术，想学画当画家的朱宣咸先生，因进步活动而与木刻结缘似乎是人生的必然。他一生无师自通的第一幅木刻作品《难忘的一夜》就是真实地记录自己1946年参加学生运动的遭遇。后来，朱宣咸先生参加了中华全国木刻协会举办的“木刻之友”的活动，到上海后结识了郑野夫、杨可扬、邵克萍、麦杆、余白墅、赵延年等多位新兴木刻运动的前辈，木刻从此成为他的进步活动的武器。亦如朱宣咸先生所称，“当时我确实把刻刀当作倾述自己心声的最好工具，在我的刀尖上流出的是我心中的血，是我心中的恨”。他的确是把木刻当作武器和工具来使用的，当然，这是一种带着深沉感情的武器。从1946年到1949年，朱宣咸先生创作的这种发表于上海各报刊的进步木刻数量极大，内容也十分广泛。从反对战争，同情民众，反对反动统治到向往光明，渴求自由，涉及到社会生活的方方面面。从现今能找到的收入《朱宣咸木刻版画集》中的23幅此期作品来看，仍然能从多个角度反映出社会的黑暗与反动。如《战火》、《为了孩子、为了生存》、《失去自由的人们》、《愤怒的火焰在铁窗口燃烧》等。从这些投枪匕首似的作品中，我们也仿佛看到了一个关切人世渴望战斗铲出不平的热血青年活生生的身影。而作于1947年的《滴滴都是血和泪》则相当典型地反映了这种木刻艺术中所包孕着深沉的个人感情。
　　随解放大军西进四川的朱宣咸先生后来定居重庆，1949年以前的革命激情转化为对欣欣向荣的新社会的热情讴歌。如果说，此前画家鲜明的爱憎之情是以投枪匕首般的仇恨去揭露、去鞭挞，充满着一种政治的激情的话，那么，在对新中国新生活的表现之中，朱宣咸先生给我们展示出一组充满诗情画意的历史画卷。这里有反映农业生产的《山乡夏夜》、《秋郊傍晚》，反映钢铁工业的《炼钢炉前》，有“除四害”运动的《打苍蝇》，有农村卫生工作的《乡间医生》，甚至还有与政治学习相关的《夜读》……，一如此期的画家们一样，新中国建立以后的重大政治、经济、思想方面的活动在朱宣咸先生的笔下都留有鲜明的轨迹。对二十世纪五、六、七十年代的画家们来说，真实地反映当时的现实，反映当时频繁的政治运动是自然的，也是正常的。但纵观朱宣咸先生的画作，有一点或许是他与众不同之处，即他的此类政治性题材的作品在他的整个作品中并未占据主要的比重，而且，就是政治性倾向十分明显的作品，在朱宣咸先生的笔下，也被处理得诗意盎然，充满感人的情愫。以人们画过很多的重庆“红岩”为例，这个八路军办事处的所在之地被画家处理在一片金黄的向日葵的簇拥之中，加之蝴蝶亦款款翩迁于蓝天白云下的花丛中，在1961年创作的《红岩初夏》的这种抒情性处理，显示出画家不同时流的匠心处理，亦显示了他对艺术的真正理解。
　　在那个对政治性题材极为热衷的时代，朱宣咸先生似乎对纯粹的抒情性题材更感兴趣，他的大多数作品都 沉浸在对自然美的体味与依恋之中。如1958年的《山乡夏夜》的宁馨与静谧，1960年《榕湖滴翠》浓荫密布的惬意与闲适，而《山乡春早》（1961年）的清新，《秋郊傍晚》（1962年）夕照归鸦的恬然，抒情味十足。其实，那本来是个“大跃进”、“大办钢铁”、“人民公社”的火红得近乎疯狂的年代，又是“三年灾害”的灾难的时代，但朱宣咸先生那从小对美的追求，对艺术自身的痴迷，却在此时显现出他的不同时流的、颇为鲜明的艺术个性。这种对自然美的向往，在二十世纪八十、九十年代来，更得到无所拘束的发挥，《江南仲夏----我的家乡》、《江畔早晨》、《嘉陵夕照》、《春满山村》、《巴山秋月》等近期之作，都充满着一种浓郁的诗情。
　　朱宣咸先生木刻的抒情性，又因其中的中国画意味而加强。其实，朱先生从小想当的本来是国画家。他从小习国画，即使在利用铿锵有力的黑白木刻去批判现实的时候，他仍然没有放下手中画花鸟的画笔。1949年新中国成立之后，这种对中国画的爱好一直伴随着木刻的活动而进行，所以，朱宣咸先生的木刻作品中，总有着分明的中国画的意味。我们可以在《春到巴山》的黑白版画上看到山水画皴法的丰富感受，亦可在《嘉陵江上》看到水墨山水的独特意趣，在《山乡春早》里，有着水墨的疏淡，而《春播》的简洁与空灵，更有着水墨小品的淡雅与隽永。的确，中国画似的思维给他的木刻带来了新的特色。除了水印木刻那种水意盎然、浸润淋漓的效果外，画面的简洁，分章布白的安排，线条的独特表现及线与面的结合等等，使朱宣咸先生的版面作品逐渐地摆脱了二十世纪四十年代时那种纯粹欧洲版画的借鉴，而逐步形成了中国版画自身的特色。
　　值得指出的是，除了早期纯粹黑白版画效果外，二十世纪五十年代以后直到今天，朱宣咸先生的版画多以套色为主，色彩在他的版画作品中一直是重要的表现语言。或许是这位抒情诗人般的画家一直钟情于自然美，钟情于自然通过色彩所呈现出的独特魅力的缘故。的确，他对充满生机绿色的偏好，对《嘉陵夕照》的橙红，对《江畔早晨》朝阳橙黄的运用，以及对深蓝色月夜的表现，都是非色彩而不能表现的美。
　　朱宣咸先生历经半个多世纪的艺术创作走的是一条由革命斗士而到抒情诗人，由投枪匕首而到纯美艺术之路。而这点，又恰恰和20世纪我国艺术发展之路同步。从这个角度去研究朱宣咸先生的艺术作品，或许也正是其艺术时代价值之所在。

（国家级美术专业核心期刊《美术观察》1999年第一期）
（作者系著名美术史论家,中国美术家协会理论委员会委员,四川师范大学艺术学院院长,兼四川大学教授,四川美术学院教授,硕士研究生导师。）

From Lashing Spear to Pure Fine Art
----Discussion on the Woodcuts by ZHU Xuanxian
By LIN Mu
(Famous arts history critic,
Theory Committee Member, China Artists' Association,
Dean of Art College, Sichuan Normal University,
Professor of Sichuan University,
Professor & Master Advisor of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute)

The New Woodcut Culture Campaign, initiated by the proletariate culture movement bannerman LUXun in Shanghai, was actually born for the need of revolutionary struggle. Mr. ZHU Xuanxian had an enthusiasm on art from his Childhood, eager to learn drawing and be a painter. Due to progressive movement, it was natural for Mr. Zhu to devote into woodcut. His first untaught woodcut works An Unforgettable Night described his misery of participating in the student movement in 1946. Later, Mr. Zhu Xuanxian joined the activity of “woodcut friends” held by National Woodcut Association of China, in Shanghai, made acquaintance with many New Woodcut Culture Campaign pioneers such as Zheng Yefu, Yang Keyang, Shao Keping, Maigan, Yu Baishu, and Zhao Yannian. Therefrom, woodcut became his weapon in the progressive movement. In his own words, “At that time, I really regarded graver as the best tool for expressing my heart, what the knifepoint revealed is the blood and hatred in my heart.” He really used woodcut as weapon and tool. Of course, this is a weapon with deep emotion. From 1946 to 1949, a large number of this progressive woodcut pictures were published in various newspapers and periodicals, the contents were colorful, from opposing wars, giving sympathy on people, protesting the reactionary rule to yearning for brightness and aspiring to freedom. In the 23 existing works of that period collected in Collection of Woodcuts by Zhu Xuanxian, the social darkness and reaction are expressed in many points of view, such as War, For Children & for Subsistence, The Freedom-deprived People, Burning Flame at the Prison Bars, etc. From these progressive works, seemingly, we see a live young figure that concerns the world and are eager that the battle can wipe out the disaffection, while Spotting Bloods and Tears, curved in 1947, typically reflected personal emotion subsumed in the woodcut art.

Later, Mr. Zhu Xuanxian, who was marching into Sichuan with liberation army, settled in Chongqing. He turned the revolutionary enthusiasm before the Great Liberation in 1949 into passionate praise for the new prosperous society. If the vivid love and hatred of Mr. Zhu before this period was to expose and lash the retroacting authority in progressive way, then in the representation for new China and new life, Mr. Zhu Xuanxian presented a series of poetic history paintings. Summer Night in the Mountain Area and Dusk of Autumn in the Suburb expressed the agricultural production; Steel-Making portrayed the steel workers; Swatting Flies was the mirror of “Overthrow the Four Pests” Movement, The Doctors in Countryside depicted the country sanitary work; what’s more, Reading at Night was reflecting political study, and so on. Like the painters in that period, Mr. Zhu Xuanxian’s paintings retained lively traces of important political, economic and ideaistic activities after the foundation of PRC. For the painters in 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, it was natural and normal to truly reflect the reality and frequent political movements at that time. However, comprehensively viewing Mr. Zhu Xuanxian’s paintings, one unique characteristic is that political works were not dominating among all his works, and that, the obviously politicalized works by Mr. Zhu Xuanxian was handled with poetry and affection. Taking “Hongyan” of Chongqing as an example, which was painted by many artists, in Hongyan in Early Summer created in 1961, Mr. Zhu Xuanxian arranged the Eighth Route Army agency in golden sunflowers, with butterflies flying among blossoms under blue sky. This lyric dealing expressed the painter’s ingenuity breaking through the mainstream and his real understanding to the art as well.

In the times of extreme zealousness for political subject, Mr. Zhu Xuanxian seemingly became more interested in pure lyric subjects; most of his works expressed the appreciation and love to the beauty of nature, such as calmness and quietness in Summer Night in the Mountain Area (in 1958), pleasantness and leisure of thick leafy shade in Banyan-Tree Lake in Dripping Green (in 1960), freshness in Early Spring in the Mountain Area (in 1961) and calmness of returning crows in afterglow in Dusk of Autumn in the Suburb (1962). Lyricism was sufficiently expressed in these paintings. In fact, that was a period when “Great Leap Forward”, “Great Steelmaking Campaign”, and “People’s Commune” were popular to the extent of craziness, and then came the disastrous period of “Three Natural Disasters Years”, however, the pursuit for beauty and fascination for art originated from his childhood, at that moment, revealed his vivid artistic character breaking through the mainstream. His yearning for natural beauty was brought into play thoroughly in 1980s and 1990s. And a rich poetry was shown in his recent works, such as My Hometown-Midsummer on the South of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, The Morning of the River Bank, Sunset on Jialing River, Mountain Village Beamed with Spring, An Autumn Moonlight Night in the Bashan Mountains, etc.

The lyricism of woodcut by Mr. Zhu Xuanxian was strengthened by Chinese painting meanings contained in woodcut paintings. In fact, Mr. Zhu’s dream in his childhood was to become a master of traditional Chinese paintings. He had been learning Chinese paintings since his childhood. Even if he criticized the reality by forceful black-white woodcut, he never gave up his brush to draw traditional flower and bird paintings. After the foundation of PRC in 1949, his love to traditional Chinese paintings went along with the woodcut activities, so the well-defined meaning of traditional Chinese paintings always existed in Mr. Zhu Xuanxian’s woodcut works. We can get rich feeling of wrinkling method of landscape painting in the black-white woodcut Herald of Spring in the Bashan Mountains, unique interest of landscape wash paintings in Jialing River Bank, thin and mild coloring of wash painting in Early Spring in the Mountain Area. Furthermore, the brevity and spaciousness in Spring Sowing largely displayed the quiet, elegant, and meaningful characteristic of wash painting. It is true that the traditional Chinese painting concept endowed freshness in his woodcuts. Apart from the watery and dripping effect of watercolor woodcut, ingenious handlings such as brevity of picture, object & blank arrangement, unique lines, combination of line and face, etc. made Mr. Zhu Xuanxian’s woodcut works gradually get rid of the pure European print painting style in 1940s, and form a Chinese style with its own character.

What is worth pointing out is that woodcuts by Mr. Zhu Xuanxian gave priority to multicolor; color in his woodcut works was always the important expressing language from 1950s to today except the pure black-white woodcuts in his early works. Maybe it is because this lyricist-like painter was in deep love with natural beauty and the unique charm of nature presented by color. Indeed, his favorite to the vigorous green, use of titian color in Sunset on Jialing River, the orange rising sun in The Morning of the River Bank and representation for the dark blue moon night, all of these are the beauty which can not be displayed other than colors.

Artistic creation career of Mr. ZHU Xuanxian was started from a revolutionary fighter to a lyricist over a half century, and from lashing spear to pure fine art, which shared the same development process of art of China in the 20th century. It is actually the times value of art to study Mr. Zhu Xuanxian’s art works from this point.

In Chongqingi City, China, 1998

　　公元八世纪上半叶的盛唐时期起，中国花鸟画便以它特有的方式，特有的艺术语言来反映现实生活，揭示人们的精神世界，抒发人们对自然美真挚而纯洁的感情。随着时间的推移，花鸟画家以不断在作品中创造新的意境和新的形式，适应着发展变化的社会生活、人们的思想意识和审美要求。
　　在今天，在重庆，老画家朱宣咸以他一大批浑厚天成、古朴苍劲、妙趣横生的花鸟画击动着观赏者的心扉。朱宣咸花鸟画的显著特点是取材广、造型美、重神气。长期的对社会、人生遭际的体验和几十年的艺术实践，形成了他以情入画，以势夺人的艺术个性。他善于用有限的画面表达寥廓而隽永的意趣，用洗炼笔墨捕捉大自然美好和有生命力的东西。特别是他的近期作品，更显得笔姿墨纵，精神抖擞，心与造化相通了。
　　和陶渊明爱菊一样，朱宣咸十分喜梅。这固然基于梅的自然形态的逸美，但他更多的是直抒胸臆、缘物寄情。例如他画《墨梅图》老干逆笔而上，虬枝俯冲，形成枝干穿插的矛盾冲突，其大写意的笔腾墨舞，不仅浓枯得间，而且渲晕润泽，淋漓尽致，真有蛇龙失其天娇之概。寒冬的白梅常被历代骚人墨客赋予傲雪之身，而朱宣咸笔下的《白梅》枝干柔中有刚，犹如一团雄雄烈火即将融化整个冰雪世界。《红梅》在章法上同较明显的用满幅布局，象箭一样的老干新枝和含苞待放的花蕾喻示着蓬勃向上的新生力量，画家大面积的使用了朱砂和大红，使整个画面在强烈的墨色对比中相映生辉，产生色泽璀璨的效果，有郁然沛然直干苍穹之感。朱宣咸常画一些耐寒的花卉林木，寄托自己的生活理想，体现其刚毅的意志，表达他向往的那种思想美德。如树干苍劲、松针如铁、顶风冒寒、挺然屹立的《劲松图》，亭亭玉立、宁静优美、金坚玉洁见精神的《水仙》，风吹雨打宁折不屈、有极强生命力的《竹》及兰、桃、菊等等，不仅气韵生动，气势博大，涵盖面广，且制作严毅精纯，一丝不苟。大画取势，小品求趣是朱宣咸的悉心追求。《芦花戏雀》代表了他小品画的水平。在一片泼墨挥写的芦花上，一只小雀飞来，但芦花迎风摇不止，好象故意不让它伫下。画家把芦花的风动感和小雀欲伫而不能伫的窘态通过传神之笔活脱脱勾划了出来，看后令人忍俊不禁，回味无穷。
　　为了使作品深厚，朱宣咸博览群书，广泛借鉴，悉心研究吴昌硕等前辈画家的作品，反复临写石鼓文和汉唐碑帖，使笔墨----这个中国画区别其它画种的富于个性化的艺术语言和造型手段，在朱宣咸的腕底发挥得既深沉又豪放，故站在他的画前有一种逼人气势扑面而来的壮美之感。
（重庆日报 1992.01.04）
（作者系著名国画家,重庆市美术家协会副主席,重庆画院院长,重庆国画院院长)

Paint His Feelings, and Shock the Appreciator with Vigor
----Appreciating ZHU Xuanxian's Chinese paintings
By ZHOU Shunkai
(Famous Chinese painting master,
Vice Chairmain of Chongqing Artists' Association,
President of Chongqing Academy of Chinese Paintings,
President of Chongqing Academy of Paintings)

Since the Prosperous Era of Tang Dynasty in the first half of the eighth century AD, Chinese flower and bird painting has been reflecting the reality, disclosing human’s spiritual life and expressing human’s true and pure love for the beauty of nature with its unique style and distinctive art language. As time goes by, flower and bird painters keep innovative in conceptions and art forms during creation, along with the development of social life and advancement of people’s thoughts, so to meet the ever-changing aesthetic needs.

In present Chongqing, appreciators’ minds are still stricken by the master painter’s numbers of classic flower and bird paintings, which deliver a sense of natural majesty, classic simplicity and amusing humor. Zhu Xuanxian’s flower and bird paintings are characterized by rich subjects, beautiful formation and the emphasis on verve and strength. His long-term social and life experiences and art practices of decades shaped the distinctive art character of painting his feelings and shocking the appreciator with vigor. He was good at expressing broad and meaningful interests in limited frames and grasping beautiful and lively natural blessings in simple and strong brushstrokes. His latest works enjoy free and easy style thoroughly, particularly delivering energetic feeling as well as marvelous channeling between human mind and nature.

Zhu Xuanxian was fond of wintersweet just as Tao Yuanming loved chrysanthemum. It is natural, since the wintersweet boasts stretching elegance, though he was especially expressing his thoughts and feelings through shaping the flower in painting. In his Wintersweet in Black, the old trunk was painted upward, while the vigorous branches were painted downward, forming conflicts between the trunk and branches; What’s more, the rising and dancing freehand appropriately exhibits the prospering and withering, the shading and radiating, the bright and vivid, thus an exact feeling of powerful dragon losing its favor comes to our mind. Chilly white snow was endowed with proud image by writers and painters of every era, while the limbs in White Snow by Zhu Xuanxian is depicted with powerfulness hiding in gentleness, giving us an image of blazing fire melting snowy world. And a full arrangement is adopted in the Red Snow, in which vigorous force is displayed in old trunk and new branches and expecting buds. In the painting, the painter largely used vermilion and scarlet color, bringing a bright effect in contrast to the black color in the whole painting, and a sense of flourishing and copious limbs rising into sky suddenly strikes the appreciator. Zhu Xuanxian always painted flowers and trees tolerable to bitter coldness, so to express his life ideality, show his strong will, exhibit thoughts and morality which he yearned for. In his work Vigorous Pine, we see strong figure, sharp pine needle, comprehend the adversity endurance and towering spirit of pine, while in Narcissus, we sense slim beauty, serene elegance and high perseverance of the flower, then in Bamboo, we view the plant’s noble manner that to break off other than to bend, and its vitality to survive, and many other works featuring estimable spirit of orchid, peach and coreopsis, sharing lively verve and strong vigor, are covering comprehensive subjects and created with preciseness and pureness and the most earnest attitude. That big work features power while little sketch passes on interesting conception was devoted pursuit of Zhu Xuanxian. Sparrow Playing with Bulrush Flower represents his attainment in little sketch. In the wash painting, a sparrow flies to a bulrush flower, while the flower is shaking with wind, seemly to turn down the little creature. The painter sketched the movement of bulrush flower in wind and subtle embarrassment of the little bird, making the viewer can not help laughing while enjoy an enduring taste.

In order to create deep and profound works, Zhu Xuanxian read extensively and learned from comprehensive artists. He devoted himself to studying the works of some precedent painters like Wu Changshuo, and repeatedly copied stone-drum-carved characters (the earliest stone-carved characters in China) and rubbings from stone inscription of Han and Tang Dynasties. All of these efforts made the brushstroke, the distinctive art language and shaping style of Chinese paintings as differences from other paintings, be utilized profoundly and boldly in his hands. Therefore, a magnificent feeling emerges with forceful vigor when standing in front of his paintings.

In Chongqng City, China, 1991

　　力群（著名版画家，美术评论家，中国美术家协会顾问）：朱宣咸的木刻版画过去我看过，其中包括《夜》（1959年）等，这些是中国版画的精品。 朱宣咸解放前在上海的作品是白区新兴木刻版画在西南地区的代表。
　　 彦涵（中国版画家协会名誉主席）：朱宣咸的木刻版画很富有学习、研究的独到之处。
　　 王伯敏（著名美术史论家，中国美术学院博士生导师）：朱宣咸1947年的作品《今天是儿童节？！》反映那个时代是何其深刻。解放后的《入迷》（1962年）令人激动，太有味了。花鸟之作，别有风致，当以《南风》（1990年）、《苍松》（1992年）等一路为最佳。
李可染（著名中国画画家，中国美术家协会副主席）：以情如画,大画取势，小品求趣也是朱宣咸作品的悉心追求和体现出的特征。
　　孙其峰（著名中国画画家，中国美术家协会顾问）：看了《朱宣咸花鸟画选辑》我觉得他的国画很有自己风格。精与好是艺术品最重要的标准，光新不行，必须新加好，才能不被社会历史淘汰；新是一时的，今天新明天就旧，但好不会变，好的会永远好下去。“选辑”中的《枇杷》（1992年）我就认为好，丰茂可喜，有气魄，耐看，画面虽有限，但看起来如像置身枇杷林中，这是艺术以少胜多的作用。此外还有《南风》、《雨后》、《苍松》等也都各有妙处。
　　 杨可扬（中国美术家协会、中国版画家协会顾问）：《江南仲夏----我的家乡》是朱宣咸的新作，一派南方的田园秀丽景色，写实中带有点装饰，很有版画味道，尤其满版碧绿的色调中，露出几处白色，使画面顿觉舒适透气。这种恰到好处露白处理，在他《榕湖滴翠》（1960年）、《山乡好》（1961年）等作品中也都有极好的表现。
赵延年（中国版画家协会顾问，中国美术学院版画系主任、教授）：以不同的色调，表现不同画面的内容意境，这是朱宣咸套色木刻的特色，对此我很感兴趣。
　　邵克萍（著名版画家）：朱宣咸的《夜》真是一支优美的小夜曲，引人进入宁静温馨的意境。还有他的《山乡春早》（1961年）、《夜读》（1975年）、《巴山秋月》（1995年）和《江南仲夏》（1995年）等都是好作品。
　　马克（人民日报高级编辑，美术评论家）：朱宣咸的《夜》是一幅歌颂新人新事的小夜曲；清风明月，格调新颖，意境深远。
　　晁楣（中国版画家协会副主席，黑龙江省美协主席）：朱宣咸老师是我国版画界的前辈，二十世纪四十年代我在南京上学时，就看过他的作品。半个多世纪以来，在繁忙的工作之余，一直坚持版画创作，令人敬佩。
赵宗藻（中国版画家协会副主席，中国美术学院教授）：《朱宣咸木刻版画集》让我如此集中的看到他这么多作品，是首次，也感到意外。我很喜欢他早期刻的一些小木刻。读了他自己写的“我从事木刻版画创作的前前后后”一文和杨可扬同志的“前言”，才明了，他在长期胜任繁重新闻出版美术编辑和美术行政组织工作的条件下，犹能坚持创作实践作出成绩，这种高度敬业不倦的精神让人深感敬佩！
　　李忠翔（中国版画家协会副主席，云南省美协副主席）： 我还是中学生的时候，就读到过朱宣咸老师的版画、漫画。如《夜》那件作品，至今给我留下难忘的印象。
　　郑爽（中国版画家协会副主席，广东省美协副主席）：从《朱宣咸木刻版画集》中，看到了一个老版画家所走过的道路，特别是早期的小黑白木刻，时代感非常强。
　　李允经（北京鲁迅博物馆研究员）：朱宣咸的版画、国画。就我个人喜好来说，似乎更爱他的水墨画。那真是水墨淋漓，笔意老辣，浓淡有致，构图严谨。观其作品，真能唤起人们对于生活的无限热爱。比如《丰收景象》（1996年）真是生气勃勃，倾注了画家对生活的一片深情；《风潇潇》（1995年）中的麻雀，那是朱宣咸独创的“朱氏画法”，把握准确，夸张而不失形情，如此生动，如此可爱，真是少见；此外，《知秋》（1982年）也是神来之笔，鸭子造型，何其简练生动，全图布局，何其洒脱自如。
　　Dr. Anne Farrer (大英博物馆东方部主任，博士， Department of Oriental Antiquities, The British Museum）：Dear Mr. Zhu Xuanxian, I was very interested to see your woodcuts. As you may know, the British Museum is making a collection of twentieth century Chinese prints....On my next visit to Chongqing I would very much like to visit you and collect examples of your work for our collection.
（重庆国画院院刊 2000.10.18）

Artist Peers' Appraisal

LI Qun (Famous print painting master, arts critic, Advisor of China Artists' Association): I've seen woodcuts paintings by Zhu Xuanxian, like Night (in 1959), which are all excellent works of China print painting. His works at Shanghai before the Great Liberation in 1949 were representative works of Baiqu (Kuomintang ruled area during the second inner war period of China) New Woodcut Culture Campaign in southwest region.
YAN Han (Honor Chairmain of China Print Painting Artists' Association): Originality of woodcuts paintings by Zhu Xuanxian is for us to learn from and study.
WANG Bomin(Famous arts history critic, Doctor Advisor of China Academy of Arts): Zhu Xuanxian's work Today is Children's Day?! in 1947 was profound reflection of that era. The work Enchanted (in 1962) after the Great Liberation was so exciting, full of relish. The works featuring flower and bird presents another flavor, among which the best ones are work series such as Lychee in Southern (in 1990) and Grey and Vigorous (in 1992) etc.
LI Keran (Famous artist of traditional Chinese painting, Vice-Chair of China Artists Association): paint what he feels, big work features power while little sketch passes on interesting conception, which are embodiment of Zhu Xuanxian's devoted pursuit in arts.
SUN Qifeng (Famous artist of traditional Chinese painting, Advisor of China Artists Association): After read through Selected Collection Chinese Paintings of Flower and Bird, I found that Zhu enjoyed unique style in traditional Chinese painting. Specialty and fineness is important criteria for arts estimation, only innovation is not enough, art work is to be both innovative and fine so that to endure society and history; newness is temporary, fresh invention of today will be tomorrow's cornball, but fineness is forever. Among the Collection, I find Loquat (in 1992) is quite good, its prosperity is pleasant, shows vigor, the longer you see it the better you will find it is, the limited frame seem to lead you to real loquat forest, which is the wonder effect of arts that with a few key parts to take your breath away. What's more, the works Lychee in Southern, After Rain, Grey and Vigorous, etc. boast excellence respectively.
ZHAO Yannian (Advisor of China Woodcut Artists Association, Dean and Professor of Woodcut Painting Department of China Academy of Arts): By way of different color tones, distinctive artistic conceptions are expressed, which is the trait of color woodcuts works by Zhu Xuanxian, I'm very interested in this.
SHAO Keping (Famous woodcut artist): We may compare Zhu Xuanxian's work Night to melodious serenade, which bring us serenity and comfort. Moreover, his Early Spring in the Mountain Area (in 1961), Reading at Night (in 1975), An Autumn Moonlight Night in the Bashan Mountains (in 1995), Midsummer on the South of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River (in 1995) etc. are all fine works.
MA Ke (Senior Editor of People's Daily, fine art critic): Zhu Xuanjian's work Night is just like a serenade singing the praises of new personality and novelty; soft wind and clean moonlight, exhibit novelty and profound conception.
CHAO Mei (Vice-Chair of China Woodcut Artists Association, Chair of Heilongjiang Artists Association): Mr. Zhu Xuanjian is the predecessor of China woodcut circle, during my school year at Nanjing in 1940s', I saw his works. For the past half century, he has been committed in woodcut painting in spite of busy work, I'm respectful to him.
ZHAO Zongzao (Vice-Chair of China Woodcut Artists Association, Professor of China Academy of Arts): On viewing the Collection of Woodcuts by Zhu Xuanxian, for the first time I've seen so many of his works, it's a big surprise. I'm really fond of his little woodcuts in early stage. After reading about Up and Down of My Woodcut Career written by Zhu himself and Preface by Yang Keyang, I've understood that, Zhu has been working as art editor of news publishing and busy at administrative and organizing work of arts, even though, he still produced so many outstanding works, I'm esteeming his high spirit contributed to art career.
ZHENG Shuang (Vice-Chair of China Woodcut Artists Association, Vice-Chair of Guangdong Artists Association): I've read about the footsteps of an old reputable woodcut painting master through the Collection of Woodcuts by Zhu Xuanxian, in which the little woodcuts in black-white of the early stage specially deliver a strong sense of era.
LI Zhongxiang (Vice-Chair of China Woodcut Artists Association, Vice-Chair of Yunnan Artists Association): As a high school student, I've got to know about woodcut paintings and caricatures of Mr. Zhu Xuanxian. Especially the Night impressed me so deeply that I'll never forget.
LI Yunjing (Researcher of Beijing LU Xun Museum): I know about woodcut painting and traditional Chinese painting of Zhu Xuanxian, from my fondness, however, I prefer his wash painting, which features strong power, perfect skill and deep conception, colors are just right while composition is precise. Viewing his works, your passion for life is to be inspired easily. The Golden Crop (also Sweet Corn) (in 1996) shows the painter's affection to life from the exuberant vitality in the painting; the Rustling Wind (in 1995) features unique Painting Style of Zhu, exaggerating while appropriately portraying sparrow's live shape and verve, the loveliness and cuteness is rare; again, the Smell of Autumn (in 1982) is also a classic, with simple lines to create a seemly live duck, the overall layout is free and easy.
Dr. Anne Farrer (Department of Oriental Antiquities, The British Museum)：Dear Mr. Zhu Xuanxian, I was very interested to see your woodcuts. As you may know, the British Museum is making a collection of twentieth century Chinese prints....On my next visit to Chongqing I would very much like to visit you and collect examples of your work for our collection.

　　有个时间，木刻版画在中国曾被贬为不登大雅大雅之堂的"雕虫小技"。可是，在这同时却有许多人深深地迷上了它，而且终身不能忘情，朱宣咸同志就是其中的一个。朱宣咸是1949年解放前参加中华全国木刻协会举办的第二期木刻函授班学习的学生。其实他在这之前，已在浙东台州的家乡，凭着对木刻艺术的粗略认识，无师自通的开始刻起木刻来了，即在画集前面的几幅作于1946至1947年的小木刻，就是至今还保存下来的他最初木刻版画中的一小部分。1948年在上海参加木函班后，除了勤奋的学习木刻外，还积极参与中华全国木刻协会举办的各种活动而成为当时木刻队伍里的一个积极分子。
　　1949年5月上海解放，他报名参加解放大西南的队伍，随军南下到了重庆，并从此在重庆定居下来。几十年来，朱宣咸同志总是无条件地服从革命工作的需要，叫干什么就认认真真地干什么，虽说一直没有离开过美术工作的范围，但是搞版画创作的机会却并不太多，几乎成了一个业余作者，有时甚至几年不摸一下木刻刀了。从画集中作品的创作年份上，可以清楚地看到这种跳跃的痕迹；但是同时，也可以看到，只要一有机会，他总是紧紧抓住版画创作不放的。特别是画集的最后几幅，竟是五十年代，六十年代，七十年代的小色稿，在时隔数十年后，仍满怀对版画的深情而坚持完成的版画新作。这就是我在开头所说的对版画艺术终身不能忘情的具体体现。
朱宣咸同志在1949年解放前三、四年中创作的一些黑白木刻，也有显得粗糙的地方，这正是新兴木刻早期的普遍现象。但是，可以看得出来，这里的大部分作品都是有感而作的，有的还是他亲身所受的折磨；这又是早期版画贴近生活而具有的共同倾向。因此，在粗糙中却透露着当时社会的种种苦难景象和那个时代特有的印迹。所以把它编印出来，倒也是一份真实的生活见证。
　　朱宣咸同志在版画创作上，虽然时作时辍，但却很有想法，也很有追求。比如，作于1958年《打苍蝇》和1959年的《夜》，两者的意境情趣就截然不同，一个稚气可爱，一个静谧可亲；一个活泼奔放，一个温柔细腻，但都透出了浓浓的生活气息。又如，作于1961年的《山乡春早》和1963年的《书声朗朗》，两者反差极强，效果各异；一个具体细微，一个简练概括；一个春郊备耕繁忙，一个校园复习紧张，各各赋予诗情画意而耐人寻味。其他如《红岩初夏》、《嘉陵江上》、《秋郊傍晚》、《入迷》等等，或素雅，或饱满，或空灵，又都各异其趣。在朱宣咸版画创作数量不是太多的情况下，这种追求和探索的精神，是难能可贵的。
　　新近完成的旧稿新作《江南仲夏----我的家乡》，一派南方的田园秀丽景色，写实中带点装饰，很有版画味道；尤其是在满版碧绿的色调中，露出几处白色，使画面顿觉舒适透气。这种恰到好处露白的处理，在《榕湖滴翠》、《山乡好》等作品中也有极好的表现。这功夫当得力于他中国画创作实践中"惜墨如金"的经验在版画创作上成功的运用。
　　朱宣咸同志的这个集子，似乎有一种对版画创作表示告别的意思，以后准备集中精力多画些中国画。一个人上了年纪，在体力减退的情况下，搞版画确是够累人的。因此，有这个打算是完全可以理解的；但是也不要太绝对，我倒希望他今后能把中国画创作中所掌握的笔墨神韵，融汇到版画创作中去，同时又把版画的独特风味，反过来去丰富充实中国画的表现；在不同画种的相互济助补充中，取得创作上新的更大的成就。
祝画集早日问世。
1993年9月于上海
（作者系著名版画家,中国美术家协会顾问,中国版画家协会顾问,上海美术家协会荣誉主席）

Selected Extract from Preface of the Collection of Woodcuts by ZHU Xuanxian
By YANG Keyang
(Famous print painting master,
Advisor of China Artists' Association,
Advisor of China Print Painting Artists' Association,
Honor Chairmain of Shanghai Artists' Association)

......Some black and white woodcuts that ZHU Xuanxian created before 1949 seem to be unavoidably a bit rough, which is the prevalent phenominon for The New Woodcut Culture Campaign(newly-arising woodcuts) in the early stage. However, it can clearly be seen that most of these works created with his thoughts and feelings, and some of them are reflections of his own experienced sufferings, which again, is the common tendency the early woodcuts had of being true to life. Hence, the roughness reveals a variety of miserable scenes in that society and characteristic marks of the that time. So the publication of the collection might serve as a real witness of life.Zhu Xuanxian worked on and off in the creation of woodcuts, but he had a lot of ideas and was very enthusiastic in this pursuit. For example, the artistic conception, temperament and interest of both Swatting Flies in 1958 and Night in 1959 are completely different. One is childish but lovely, lively and untrammeled , the other quiet and kindly, tender and exquisite, both of which depict strong flavour of life. Still, both Early Spring in the Mountain Area in 1961 and Reading Aloud in 1963 are in sharp contrast and their effects are respectively different. One is concrete, meticulous and presents a picture of busy Preparations for spring ploughing in the suburb, while the other is concise, epitomized and gives a picture of attentive lesson review on the campus. Each of them is endowed with poetic and picturesque meanings which give one much food for thought. Some others like The Hong Yan in Early Summer, Jialing River Bank, Dusk of Autumn in the Suburb and Enchanted, etc . are of all different interest, being gaudy, or simple but elegant, or plump, or vast and intelligent. In the circumstances of small quantity of woodcuts created by Zhu Xuanxian, the spirit of his pursuit and exploration is commendable. The newly-accomplished woodcut, My Hometown- -Mid-summer on the South of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, presents a beautiful and idylic southern landscape with a little ornaments in realistic painting , full of taste of woodcut. Especially, a few dots of white colour amid the whole dark green plate marks the tableau suddenly feel comfortable and ventilative. The appropriate handling of white-colour touch is also best shown in The Banyan-tree Lake in Dripping Green and The Mountain Area is Fine. This skill owes much to the successful application of his experience of valuing ink as gold in the practice of creating traditional Chinese paintings to the creation of woodcuts.
......

In Shanghai City, China, September, 1993

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