Page 64 - 2020 November 30 Bonhams Rev. Richard Fabian Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy Hong Kong

ZHOU XIAN (1820-1875)
Who used the courtesy name Cunbo, Xiaoyuan, and sobriquet
Fanhu jushi. Zhou Xian was born in Jiaxing in Zhejiang Province.
His family was reduced to poverty due to his father’s early
passing, prompting young Zhou Xian to become a military official
rather than follow the path to civil service. He rose to the sixth
military rank, but later resigned after quarrelling with a local
governor. He travelled to Suzhou and Shanghai and made a
living there by selling paintings.
Zhou excelled in prose poems, and was particularly proficient in
flower paintings, following the styles of Chen Chun and Li Shan.
He was close friends with Ren Xiong and also painted in Ren’s
manner. Talented in seal carving, Zhou was highly educated
in the epigraphic calligraphy style. He preferred to write in
the running-regular script, and his calligraphy was simple yet
substantial. Yao Xie, Hu Gongshou, Jiang Chunlin, Ren Xun, Ren
Yi, Wu Dacheng, Wu Changshuo, and Zhang Zhiwan were all
close friends with Zhou.

周閒 （1820-1875）
字存伯、小園，號范湖居士，晚清著名詞人、畫家。浙江嘉興
人。父早逝，家道敗落，遂棄科舉，少年從戎，以功賜六品
官。後因事與大吏齟齬，掛冠求去，流寓蘇州、上海，鬻畫自
給。擅畫花卉，風格遠承陳白陽、李復堂，近参任熊。《嘉
興府誌》稱「其畫濃郁密致，似宋人」。善篆刻，富金石派學
養。喜用行楷，氣韵樸厚。與任熊、姚燮、胡公壽為摯友，又
同任薰、任 、吳大澂、吳昌碩等交游密切。傳世有《范湖草堂
遺稿》，錄其道光咸豐年間詞作三百龝闕，其中為任熊作《任處
士傳》廣為流傳。其詞題材廣泛、風格多樣、格調渾厚、用詞
奇絕。同時代著名詞人蔣敦復對其推崇備至，「閱他人詞，用
目力十三四足矣，至范湖詞，光透楮背，復往來墨面數過，才
識盧山真際。」

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