Figure Painting of Zong Gui, a Boy and Ghosts by Famous Contemporary Painter Xu Yansun (1898-1961)
徐燕蓀（1898-1961）鍾馗畫
Xu Yansun(1898-1961)
Origional name Cao, style name Yansun, studio name Shuanghong Lou. Xu Yansun is a famous contemporary fine brushwork and figure painter. He was a native of Shenxian County, Hebei Province, but he was born in Beijing. When he was young, he studied law in Chaoyang University. Later he switched to painting by instinct. At the beginning, he learnt painting skills by studying the works of master painters. Later he became a student of famous painters Guan Nianci and Yu Ming. Subsequently, his painting skills was improved greatly. He then concentrated on painting figure paintings and comics. He published many famous comics, mostly traditional stories. He taught in the Traditional Chinese Painting Science Society, Jinghua College of Fine Arts and Beiping School of Arts. Famous painters such as Liu Lingcang, Wang Shuhui, Huang Jun and others were his students. From the '50s, he was engaged in the creation of picture-story book in the People's Fine Arts Publishing House and served as vice-president of Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Studio and member of the Creation Committee of the Chinese Artists' Association.
徐燕蓀（1898-1961）著名工筆人物畫家。
名操，字燕蓀，以字行。別號霜紅樓主。原籍河北深縣，生於北京。早年于朝陽大學研究法律，走入繪畫之途純為天性使然。初畫並無師承，稍長縱觀名跡潛會於心，後師從于人物畫家管念慈（清庭畫院館長）、俞滌煩學習畫人物畫，繪藝大進，並以此為業。曾任教於中國畫學研究會、京華美術學院、北平藝術專科學校，劉淩滄、王叔暉、黃均等為其傳人。50年代起，先在人民美術出版社從事連環畫創作。北京中國畫院於1957年成立時，獲文化部聘任副院長。徐氏亦曾出任中國美協創作委員會委員。
徐燕蓀終生以歷史人物故實為題材進行創作。於人物神貌、衣冠制度、宮室車馬、甲胄弓刀等均能默識，於工筆重彩技巧功力深厚，重視線的運用，筆法順暢自如、得心應手，色彩明麗，造型嚴謹，具優美、沉穩、典雅之風。對於繪畫創作中傳統與現代的關係問題，他自有見解：我們應當從生活中培養創造藝術的能力，但不能忽略了傳統的特具的民族形式，自然也就不能忽略了體現民族風格的技法。
徐氏早年代表作《迴圈圖卷》，長至丈餘，將一系列情節納入一個畫面，顯示出強的筆墨水功力和駕馭古典題材的技巧。胡佩衡在跋語中稱：佈置謹嚴，設色奇古，自成童以迄落魄，由改悔以至成名，繪聲繪色，並皆佳妙，仇尤輩不能專美於前也。40年代，曾每週以白描繪古典故實一幀，刊於《晨報》，皆為可歌可泣之英雄人物，後集結為《霜紅樓畫跡》出版。晚年代表作《兵車行》，以工細舒展的筆墨描繪唐代戍邊士兵出征時與家人依依惜別的情景，深得杜甫車轔轔，馬蕭蕭，行人弓劍各在腰，爺娘妻子走相送，塵埃不見咸陽橋之境，表達了杜詩反對窮兵黷武的主題。
徐氏一生亦創作了不少著名的連環畫作品，代表作品有：《西遊記》、《五百羅漢圖》、《風塵三俠》、《鍾馗》、《西園雅集》、《古城會》、《火燒赤壁》等。徐氏弟子可謂桃李滿天下，例如王叔暉、吳光宇、任率英、劉淩滄等。50年代初期，徐老先生加盟于“人美”，與其弟子王叔暉、任率英等搞連環畫創作，可惜，正值徐老先生創作頂峰時期，卻被錯劃為右派，被迫離開畫壇，於1961年因貧病交加不幸去世。徐氏筆下的人物，如解珍、解寶的勇猛剽悍（《三打祝家莊》）、曹操的奸詐多疑（《火燒赤壁 》）、不畏艱辛千里尋兄的關雲長以及為報私仇怒氣衝天而追殺關公的蔡陽（《古城會》）等人物，無不刻劃的惟妙惟肖，精熟的線描技法，使每幅畫面都令人讚歎不已。
徐氏是傳統派畫家，堅持中國繪畫的基本規範與原則，從傳統自身求得革新與發展。在當代中國美術發展史上佔有重要位置。徐燕蓀雖睥睨同儔，但不乏追隨者，他們對工筆重彩人物畫法，起到了存亡續絕的作用。
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