石渠寶笈三編(延春閣),第四冊,頁1717&*故宮書畫錄(卷四),第二冊,頁155&*故宮書畫圖錄,第十八冊,頁87-92&* 夏昶(西元一三八八-一四七○年),江蘇崑山人,初姓朱,後復姓夏,字仲昭,號自在居士、玉峰。永樂時登進士,英宗正統中期官至太常寺少卿。工楷書,擅畫墨竹,師承王紱(一三六二-一四一六)而有變化,名重域外,時有「夏卿一個竹,西涼十錠金」之譽,稍後略變師法而自創其格。 畫水濱坡石,襯以竹葉,畫葉用「个」、「介」相疊,以墨色濃淡分出前後,畫竹之枝節用筆勁利遒健,竿瘦而葉肥,與王紱有相通處。 &*Bamboo Hsia Ch’ang (1388-1470) Ming Dynasty Hsia Ch’ang (original surname Chu, style name Chung-chao, and sobriquets Tzu-tsai chü-shih and Yü-feng) was a native of K’un-shan, Kiangsu. Receiving his chin-shih civil service degree in 1415, he went on to serve as Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices in the Cheng’t’ung era (1436-1449). He was versed in standard script calligraphy, but he excelled at painting bamboo in monochrome ink. Adapting the style of Wang Fu (1362-1416), Hsia became so famous for his bamboo in monochrome ink that it was said; “A single bamboo by Hsia fetches ten ingots of gold.” Hsia Ch’ang developed the styles of previous painters to create his own. In this painting, stones along a bank are shaded by bamboo leaves rendered in triangular patterns using light and dark ink to differentiate those in front and back. The joints of the bamboo appear tough and resilient, while the stalks are thin and leaves lush. Hsia’s style here reveals much of Wang Fu’s.