Flowers on a VineHanging scroll, ink and color on paper, inscribed by the artist and signed Wu Changshi, with two artist's seals, Wu Changshi, and Wu Jun Zhi yin. 59 x 15 3/4in (150 x 40.1cm) 吳昌碩 凌霄花 設色紙本 立軸Provenance/來源:Far East Fine Arts, San Francisco, California, 24 October 1986加州舊金山遠東藝術中心，1986年10月24日Published/出版:Toda, Teisuke and Hiromitsu Ogawa comp. Comprehensive Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Paintings, Third Series, Volume 1: American and Canadian Collections, University of Tokyo Press, 2013, A50-082, p. 208戶田禎佑、小川裕充，《中國繪畫總合圖錄》三編，第一卷，東京大學出版會，東京，2013年，A50-082，頁208 Little, Stephen, and J. May Lee Barrett. New Songs on Ancient Tunes: 19th-20th Century Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy from the Richard Fabian Collection, Honolulu: Honolulu Academy of Arts, 2007, pp. 310-311Little, Stephen, J. May Lee Barrett,《古調新歌：費立哲神父珍藏十九及二十世紀中國書畫》，檀香山藝術博物館，夏威夷，2007年，頁310-311 Isamu Noguchi/Qi Baishi/Beijing 1930, New York, 2013, no 59, p. 63《野口勇/齊白石/20世紀30年代北京》，紐約，2013年，圖錄編號59，頁63Exhibited/展覽:New Songs on Ancient Tunes, Honolulu Art Academy, Honolulu, Hawaii, August 30-October 28, 2007《古調新歌：費立哲神父珍藏十九及二十世紀中國書畫》，檀香山藝術博物館，夏威夷，2007年8月30日至10月28日It is in Wu Changshuo's own words that his greatest achievement in life is 'to paint with calligraphic techniques'. This painting of Chinese trumpet vines is indeed a great example of his calligraphic techniques in painting. The bold vines traversing the images are like vigorous calligraphic strokes in Seal Script. Within a diagonal composition, the young shoots and new flowers at the bottom left are painted with light ink and bright color, contrasting the old stems and think leaves done in dark ink at the upper right, bringing a lively rhythm to the image.吳昌碩曾自言："平生得力之處在於能以作書之法作畫。"此凌霄花圖正是其以書法入畫之寫照。花藤蒼勁縱橫，可見篆書筆法。畫面採用對角構圖，左下以淡墨鮮色寫嫩枝新花，右上則用重筆濃密表現老幹密葉，互為呼應，疏密有致。