任伯年 Ren Bonian

任伯年 (1840-1895/1896)，初名潤，後改頤，字伯年，號小樓，生於1840年，浙江山陰人。他的父親任淞雲 (19世紀) 是民間肖像畫工，因此任伯年自小得到父親的教授。1861年父親於太平天國戰亂中離世後，他獨自靠繪畫謀生。1865年任伯年在寧波跟隨任薰 (1835-1893) 學畫，又於1868年隨任薰到蘇州，後來再移居上海。任伯年擅畫人物、肖像及花鳥，亦間畫山水。他的人物畫題材廣泛，包括歷史、神話故事、民間生活寫照等。他的畫風早年深受任薰、任熊 (1823-1857)、陳洪綬 (1598-1652)影響，花鳥則學北宋名家；中年以後學習朱耷 (1626-1705)、石濤 (1642- c. 1707) 的筆意。另外，任伯年曾在上海徐家匯土山灣圖畫館學西畫、鉛筆素描等技法，因此形成了中西融合的畫風。他尤其擅於用水用粉，作品色調豐富。任氏有子女四人，長女任霞 (?-1920)、長子任堇 (1881-1936) 均承繼家學，擅於書畫。

出處：
龔產興《任伯年研究》。天津：天津人民美術出版社，1982年，頁1-2。
《海上畫派》。天津：天津人民美術出版社，2002年，頁4。
丁羲元《任伯年：年譜．論文．珍存．作品》。上海：上海書畫，1989。
 “Art in Late-Nineteenth-Century Shanghai,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, vol. 58, no.3 (2001): 12-13.
Lai Yu-chih, “Remapping Borders: Ren Bonian's Frontier Paintings and Urban Life in 1880s Shanghai,” The Art Bulletin, vol. 86, no. 3 (Sep., 2004): 552.
Roberta May-Hwa Wue, “Making the Artist: Ren Bonian (1840-1895) and Portraits of the Shanghai Art World” (PhD diss., New York University, 2001).
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Ren Bonian (1840-1895/1896), originally named Run, later changed to Yi, zi Bonian, sobriquet Xiaolou, was born in 1840 in Shanyin, Zhejiang province. His father Ren Songyun (19th century) was a portraitist and Ren Bonian was instructed by him at a young age. After the death of his father during the Taiping Rebellion, he earned a living as a painter. In 1865, Ren Bonian studied painting from Ren Xun (1835-1893) in Ningbo, then followed him to Suzhou in 1868. Later he settled in Shanghai. Ren Bonian excelled in painting figures, portraits and flowers and birds, occasionally painting landscapes. His subject matter in figure painting was broad, including history, mythological stories and scenes of everyday life. Early on, his painting style was deeply influenced by Ren Xun, Ren Xiong (1823-1857) and Chen Hongshou (1598-1652). His paintings of flowers and birds were modeled on Northern Song masters. From his middle age, he studied Zhu Da (1626-1705) and Shi Tao’s (1642-?) brush-ideas. In addition, Ren Bonian also learnt Western painting and pencil sketching at the Library of Tushanwan in Xujiahui, Shanghai, leading to his integration of Western and Chinese painting elements. Ren particularly excelled in using water and powder in painting and is known for his rich use of color. He had four sons and daughters. His eldest daughter Re Xia (?-1920) and eldest son Ren Jin (1881-1936) were also skilled in calligraphy and painting.

References:
 “Art in Late-Nineteenth-Century Shanghai,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, vol. 58, no.3 (2001): 12-13.
Gong Canxing, Ren Bonian yanjiu (Research on Ren Bonian) (Tianjin: Tianjin renmin meishu chubanshe, 1982), 1-2.
Ding Xiyuan, Ren Bonian: Nianpu, Lunwen, zhencun, zuopin (Shanghai: Shanghai shuhua, 1989)
Haishang huapai (Tianjin: Tianjin renmin meishu chubanshe, 2002), 4.
Lai Yu-chih, “Remapping Borders: Ren Bonian's Frontier Paintings and Urban Life in 1880s Shanghai,” The Art Bulletin, vol. 86, no. 3 (Sep., 2004): 552.
Roberta May-Hwa Wue, “Making the Artist: Ren Bonian (1840-1895) and Portraits of the Shanghai Art World” (PhD diss., New York University, 2001).