朱砂覆彩，诗颂千秋 ——《美术里的中国》立体式呈现万山红遍的南国深秋

红，铺张开来，无边无际。山，自在生长，挺立如碑。霎时间，万山红遍，层林尽染。

这是我国国画大师李可染创作的中国山水。宣纸上耀眼的红，来自1963年秋广东从化那片横跨北回归线的杉树林。中央广播电视总台纪录片《美术里的中国》复活经典画作的真实情境，立体式呈现华南深秋美景，让大家沉浸式感受画家眼中的壮美之红。

《万山红遍》是李可染在二十世纪六十年代艺术创作高峰时期的系列国画作品。1962至1964年间，他曾七作《万山红遍》，成为中国现代绘画史上的佳话。当中第二幅《万山红遍·层林尽染》创作于1963年，取毛泽东诗词《沁园春·长沙》中“看万山红遍，层林尽染”之意。这一年，李可染遍访祖国大山大河，用朱砂尽染山川大地，方寸间，写出了谁主沉浮的豪情万丈。这幅画也开启了中国绘画史上色彩表现的新阶段与新境界。

李可染作品《万山红遍·层林尽染》

《万山红遍·层林尽染》采用“顶天立地”的构图方式，将巍峨的山峰占据画面中心，凸显群山的撼人气势。为了表现“遍”的意境，李可染大胆创新——以墨为底，再使用大面积红色朱砂覆彩。墨色反复积叠出山体的层次；积墨之上，深深浅浅的红不断点染、交织，令秋林似浮雕般立体。同时，为了打破大块红色可能带来的沉闷与压抑，画家在左侧的层叠山峦间，点缀了流水与树木。白色的飞瀑、溪流与掩映的瓦屋，使画面气息通透，流露出摄人心魄的灵气。前景中低矮的树林如同剪影一般，将光色巧妙结合，尽显诗情画意。最后，李可染又把“万山红遍，层林尽染”这两句诗作为题跋书写在画作右上方，成为整幅作品的点睛之笔。

李可染作品《万山红遍·层林尽染》局部

区别于传统山水画，《万山红遍·层林尽染》在题材、构图、笔墨、意境等方面均取得了创造性的突破，将我国山水画提升到了理想化、富有象征意义的境界，充分体现出这位艺术家所追求的创作理念——可贵者胆、所要者魂。

二十世纪五十年代，中国画的痛点来自传统山水花鸟如何适应社会变革。为了让国画重获生命力，李可染找到了突破口，即“为祖国河山立传”。真山真水丰富了画家的笔触，他在之后的十余年里进行了数十次户外写生，走遍全国各地寻找心中的灵感源泉。

国画家李可染

这段时期，李可染的作品既蕴含中国传统国画大师所涵养的笔墨格调，又富有西方油画中强调光影、色彩的绘画特点。这种奇妙融合让他成为了中国山水画变革的开拓者。笔墨当随时代，如今距李可染创作《万山红遍》已过去近六十载，但大师的美术创作观念永远不会过时。

Red is probably the most favorite color in the heart of Chinese people. In Chinese culture, red usually means something vigorous, enthusiastic, inspiring or auspicious. It's also a common color in classical paintings.

The famous painting "Ten-thousand Mountains Bathed in Red" is a representative series work in the case. Created by Chinese artist Li Keran, the artwork opened a new chapter in the use of red color in the Chinese landscape paintings. The documentary series "Fine Arts in China" produced by China Media Group revives the real situation of classic painting, vividly presenting the stunning late autumn scenery of south China and immersing spectators in its magnificent red foliage.

"Ten-thousand Mountains Bathed in Red," shown in the video, is the second of seven landscape paintings -- all showing different scenery under one title -- which Li Keran created between 1962 and 1964. This body of work, inspired by a poem written by Chairman Mao Zedong, depicts an autumn scene featuring mountains, forests, waterfalls, streams and people's homes. In 1963, after visiting many scenic spots around China, the artist chose to use the vermillion pigment for his masterpiece, portraying the towering aspirations of the country.

The scene depicted in the painting is a larch forest in Guangdong. In the picture, the mountain stands like a proud monument in the midst of varying hues of red, while the rich crimson permeating the dense woods offers an apt backdrop for all the creatures striving freely under the heavens. Meanwhile, a clear mountain stream meanders across the land, flowing and burbling in a graceful arc around the human dwellings.

In traditional landscape works, the natural world was imbued with either a sense of ease and clarity or marked by an imposing grandeur and gravity. This work, however, used meticulously layered ink wash paint to show the volume of the mountains. The application of shifting textures then sculpted the autumnal forests like a bas-relief. In addition, the painter reproduced the poetic art world of southern China with the contrasting red and black -- the overpowering red soon etching itself into the minds of viewers.

Drawing directly from the natural world was the ambitious goal of Li Keran in his bid to renew Chinese painting. Over many years he explored a fresh sense of spirit and soul to underpin China's art tradition in this new era. In the 1950s, China's traditional fine arts were riding high, as its many practitioners tried to adapt and improve on these time-honored techniques. Li ranked among these pioneering artists, as he saw painting scenes from real life as a gateway to the transformation of China's fine arts. He believed the artist must venture deeply into the natural world and merge their character with that of their era.

The painting master once wrote: "I follow no traditional formulas, but I am faithful in tradition." The magnificent landscapes inspired his brushstrokes and revealed to him the limitations of traditional techniques. During this transitional period, Li's works presented a distinct combination of the styles of Chinese old masters and other modern approaches he learned. The merged syntax of Chinese and Western fine arts offered an exciting path for him in his efforts to blaze a new trail for China's landscape painting.

As some fine arts pundits noted, the success of "Ten-thousand Mountains Bathed in Red" resides not only in its original use of the color red, but also in its impressive formal beauty. Equally if not more important, it embodies a spiritual depth and vastness. That's how the image seems to immerse viewers in these towering peaks bathed in flaming red foliage.

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