秘殿珠林三編(乾清宮),頁78&*故宮書畫錄(卷八),第四冊,頁101&*故宮書畫圖錄,第十一冊,頁149-150&*華嵒(西元一六八二-一七五六年),福建上杭人。字秋岳,號新羅山人。初寓杭州,後客維揚鬻畫。人物、山水、花鳥、草蟲無一不精。雖與八怪同時,然筆墨卻了無霸悍氣習,在揚州畫家中獨樹一格。 本幅純以墨筆繪南極老人。論者嘗謂,華嵒畫人物脫胎自馬和之的「蘭葉描」,若以「畫壽星」來相印證,人物衣袖在乾渴中猶屢現頓挫,與馬氏存世作品互異,故知華嵒於習古之外,亦有所創新。&* Hua Yen, a native of Fukien, early lived in Hangchow, but later moved to Yangchow and sold paintings for a living. He excelled at painting figures, landscapes, birds-and-flowers, and grass-and-insects. Although contemporary with the Eight Eccentrics of Yangchow, he was able to strike out on his own and establish a unique style. In this work, Hua has depicted the God of Longevity in monochrome ink. Critics often said that Hua’s figure painting derived from the orchid-leaf brushwork of Ma Ho-chih. This work, however, shows that Hua’s style differs from Ma’s extant works in the dry brushwork and pauses to the strokes in the drapery. Thus, besides studying the old masters, Hua Yen also sought innovation.