Forging technique of Wuhu iron painting

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: forging skills of Wuhu iron painting

Applicant: Wuhu City, Anhui Province

Item No.: 389

Project No.: VIII - 39

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Anhui Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Wuhu City, Anhui Province

Protection unit: Wuhu iron Painting Association

Brief introduction to forging techniques of Wuhu iron painting:

Applicant: Wuhu City, Anhui Province

Wuhu has developed iron smelting industry since ancient times, and has a good reputation of "iron comes to Wuhu and becomes steel by itself". Wuhu iron painting with hammer as pen, forging iron as painting, uncanny workmanship, natural charm, superb skills. Iron painting began in the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. It has a history of more than 340 years since it was developed by Wuhu iron worker Tang Peng and Wuhu painter Xiao Yuncong. According to the preface to the song of iron painting recorded in the annals of Wuhu County in the Qing Dynasty, "Tang Tianchi is a neighbor of painters, who are scolded by painters. Pengfa indignation, because calcined iron for mountains and rivers Zhang, cold Ting isolated island, interesting like Wuhu iron painting, originated from traditional Chinese painting, has the artistic characteristics of Xin'an School of painting, such as thin and concise, cold and stubborn style, which is completed by hand. It is made of wrought iron by forging, drilling, lifting, pressing, welding, filing and chiseling. Wuhu iron painting not only has the charm of traditional Chinese painting, but also has the three-dimensional beauty of sculpture. It also shows the flexibility and extensibility of steel. It is a unique style of art.

Wuhu iron painting has successively participated in the Paris World Expo in France and the Budapest plastic arts exhibition in Hungary, and has been exhibited in more than 20 countries and regions such as Japan, Kuwait, Italy, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong. In 1958, Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi successively enjoyed Wuhu iron paintings in Anhui Provincial Museum, praised their exquisite art skills and proposed to develop them.

From 1959 to 1960, Chu Yanqing, an old artist, and several of his disciples produced large-scale iron paintings "welcome pine", "Meishan reservoir" and iron calligraphy "Qinyuan spring snow", which were displayed in the Great Hall of the people.

Wuhu iron painting has been handed down and developed for more than 300 years. In addition to making traditional small scale landscapes, painted lamps and screens, it has also created new varieties such as three-dimensional iron painting, bonsai iron painting, porcelain plate iron painting and gilded iron painting. It has formed five series of more than 200 varieties, including seat screen, mural, calligraphy, decorative furnishings and gifts. It is unique in the art world with its unique style and charm.

However, the interests of today's market economy continue to affect the quality of iron painting, coupled with the emergence of both traditional Chinese painting and literary accomplishment of iron painting artists, Wuhu iron painting is facing the dilemma of art deformation and lost, which needs the support and assistance of the state.