故宮書畫錄(卷五),第三冊,頁335&*故宮書畫圖錄,第七冊,頁187-188&* 呂紀(活動於西元一四七七-一四九七年間),浙江鄞縣人。字廷振,號樂愚,一作樂漁。花鳥初學邊文進,後摹唐宋諸名家筆,始臻其妙。弘治(西元一四八八-一五○五年)間被徵值仁智殿,為錦衣衛指揮使。 杏柳迎風搖曳,八哥、山鳥一雙穿梭其間;溪中游魚成群,岸上鴛鴦兩對,正是春暖花開時節,景候怡人。本幅無畫家款印,觀其構景、筆意,頗得呂紀之精神面貌,應是傳承呂氏畫風之作。 &*Flowers and Birds Lü Chi (fl. ca. 1477-1497) Ming Dynasty Lü Chi, style name T’ing-chen, sobriquet Yao-yü, was a native of Yin County, Chekiang. In the genre of flower and bird painting, Lü initially studied the works of the early Ming dynasty pinater, Pien Wen-chin. He later emulated the works of the T’ang (618-907) and the Sung (960-1279) masters. He eventually became one of the greatest painters of birds and flowers of the Ming dynasty. During the Hung-chih era (1488-1505), he was summoned to serve in the Hall of Benevolent Wisdom (Jen-chih Tien) in the imperial court. Lü served as a commander in the Imperial Bodyguard, a military unit that also provided sinecures for court painters. Mynahs and a pair of crows flit about the apricot and willow trees which sway in the wind. A school of fish in the stream swim together, and two pairs of mandarin ducks rest on the bank. It is the season of spring when flowers bloom and the air is filled with warmth. The signature and seals of the artist are not on this painting, but the composition and the brushwork seem to capture Lü Chi’s spirit. However, this painting is probably a work painted in Lü Chi’s style.