宋 Sung dynasty
卷 絹本設色 Handscroll, ink and colors on silk
32cm (H) x 57cm (W)
易元吉(十一世紀後半葉)，湖南長沙人，以畫猿馳名。本圖畫一黃猴攜挾小貓在懷。已走避至另一側的小虎斑貓，猶回頭怒目嘶叫，似欲救其同伴;猴兒凝眸鼓吻，顯得逍遙自得。畫中二小貓，全身毫毛筆筆絲出，再加色暈染;黃花貓斑紋處是以淡赭墨染繪，毛色層次井然分明。猴子的毛髮用同樣手法描繪，但更見豐盈毛絨，多而不亂。畫家技法精巧，於捕捉動物神態，拿捏動物交會反應更是獨到，方能舖陳出如此精彩的畫面。
I Yüan-Chi, a native of what is now Changsha in Hunan, was famed for his paintings of monkeys. This painting depicts a yellow monkey hugging a kitten to its breast, while a small calico kitten that has dodged to one side looks back with angry eyes and yowling mouth, as if intending to rescue its abducted playmate. By contrast, the monkey wears a calm yet mischievous expression, and seems not in the least perturbed. Each hair on the coats of the two kittens is painted by an individual brushstroke, after which color was added to create a blotching effect. The stripes on the calico kitten are painted using light ink, and the different colors of fur are clearly layered. The same technique was also used on the monkey’s coat, which is richer and much more luxuriant, yet tidy and well-organized. The artist possessed exquisite skills that perfectly captured the expressions and interactions of the animals present, creating this vivid work.
