石渠寶笈初編(養心殿),上冊,頁493-494&*故宮書畫錄(卷八),第四冊,頁165&*朱朗(十六世紀)是江蘇蘇州的畫家。曾經師法文徵明(一四二七—一五五九),因筆法近似,作品常簽署文氏之名,以致存世作品反而鮮少人知曉。本幅選自「明人便面集錦(一)」。在搖曳的柳葉當中,棲息著一隻夏蟬,不遠處,出現了高舉雙臂的螳螂,做勢想要捕捉它。整件作品純用水墨,下筆厚拙,雖不以纖巧取勝,卻別有一番粗疏、自然的趣味。&*Mantis Stalking a Cicada Chu Lang (16th c.) Ming Dynasty Chu Lang, a native of Soochow, was once a student of the famed Wen Cheng-ming (1427-1559). Since Chu’s style follows that of his teacher closely, many of his works came to bear Wen’s forged signature. Hence, little is known about Chu’s style. This leaf from the album “Collected Gems of Ming Fans (I)” shows the drooping branches of a willow tree in summer. High up rests a large cicada. A praying mantis, not far below on a branch, raises its forelegs in a position as if having caught sight of the cicada. Perhaps it is about to pounce. This work in the format of a folding fan was done entirely in ink, and the brushwork is somewhat coarse. What this work lacks in refinement, it certainly makes up in terms of spontaneity and drama.&*朱朗,字子朗,號青溪,蘇州人。師文徵明稱入室。倣文筆畢肖,凡有所作多託徵明名,故世知之者少。某次有人派一童子,持錢幣求朱朗,作一文徵明假畫,童子誤送至文徵明處,說明主人來意。文徵明竟笑而同意,並對友朋說:「我畫眞徵仲聊當假子朗可乎?」一時傳為笑談。 本幅畫柳葉中藏一蟬,螳螂舉臂欲捕蟬,用筆厚拙,不以巧趣取勝,別有粗疏之美感。 本幅選自明人「便面集錦」(一)。 &*Mantis Pursuing a Cicada Chu Lang Ming dynasty (1368-1644) Chu Lang was a native of Soochow. His style name was Tzu-lang, sobriquet Ch’ing-hsi. Chu was a disciple of Wen Cheng-ming, his paintings in the manner of his master closely resemble Wen’s work. Most of his paintings bear forged Wen Cheng-ming’s signatures, consequently, Chu is little known. One day, a man dispatched his boy attendant with money to request a faked Wen’s scroll from Chu. The boy, by mistake, sent the money to Wen. After the boy explained the purpose of his visit, Wen rather unexpectedly agreed on the deal with a smile. Later Wen said to his friends, “May my authentic painting be somehow viewed as a fabricated Tzu-lang’s work?” It had been an amusing topic for a time. This painting depicts a cicada hiding behind willow leaves and a mantis raising its foreleg to catch it. His use of the brush is blunt. Although the painting is not marked by marvellous skillfulness, it yields another type of aesthetic beauty, namely, boldness. This painting is a leaf from the Album of Folding Fan Painting of Ming Dynasty.&*1.王耀庭,〈朱朗螳螂捕蟬〉,收入國立故宮博物院編輯委員會編,《草蟲畫特展圖錄》(臺北:國立故宮博物院,1986年初版),頁73。 2.劉芳如,〈中國古畫裡的草蟲世界 — 「草蟲天地」特展介紹(下)〉,《故宮文物月刊》,第221期(2001年8月),頁98。