画里画外说芒种
农谚道：“芒种芒种，连收带种”，仲夏时节，日照时间长，雨量充沛，气温明显升高，芒种节气的到来标志着一年农忙的开始，农民们忙着插秧种稻、割麦点豆，祖国大地一派繁忙景象。
对农事的描绘以及对劳动的赞美是艺术永恒的主题。
中国画《过去的时光之收麦者》真实地记录了芒种时节的劳动场面。
画面中，随着墨色渐变的太阳光晕和富有重量感的一把把麦穗，共同营造出劳动者的力量之美。
谢关键的《栽秧酒》中，腊肉、美酒、凉粉、豆腐、咸鸭蛋等摆上桌，这样丰盛的一桌美食是乡里乡亲快乐互助的情感交流。劳动是喜悦的，“劳动号子”的质朴节奏回荡在画面之上。张桢麒的版画《打麦场上》以鸟瞰式的构图展示了农场演出的盛况，高饱和度的色彩，巧妙的黑白对比，使画面产生有节奏的韵律。戴树良的中国画《芒种》布局层次分明，刻画虚实有度，人物脸上喜悦的笑容奠定了画面的情绪基调。赵关键的油画《芒种》是一幅人物肖像作品，画中农民皮肤黝黑、笑容灿烂，朴实的面庞与远景的蓝天、土地相互映衬，趣味十足。芒种一过，百花开始凋零，因此民间多在芒种日举行祭祀花神的仪式，表达对花神的感激之情，盼望来年再次相会，《红楼梦》里便有关于习俗“送花神”的描写。安徽省绩溪县将芒种习俗“安苗”保存得非常完整鲜活。农民甚感欣慰，选择吉日，家家户户用新麦面蒸发包，把面捏成五谷六畜等形状，然后用蔬菜汁染上颜色，作为祭祀供品，祈求五谷丰登、四季平安。芒种时节，万物勃勃生长，农人辛勤稼穑，忙碌、热烈、收获、希望，成为人与自然的主旋律。
Chinese Paintings & the Solar Term Mangzhong
(Grain in Ear)
As the Chinese farming proverb goes, “During Mangzhong in midsummer, reaping and sowing co-occur”.In early June, with plentiful sunshine and abundant rainfall,the solar term Mangzhong, or Grain in Ear, signifies the arrival of busy agricultural season,when the ripening barley and wheat are harvested whereas the rice seedlings are planted.Many art works depict farm scenes as a celebration of labour.The Chinese painting titled In the Old Days – The Wheat Harvesters presents rural labor scene during the solar term Mangzhong.The blended sun halo where tint melts into tint, along with the weighty ears of wheat,demonstrates the beauty and robustness of the labourers.With cured pork, plum wine, bean jelly, tofu and salted duck eggs,the painting Rice-Planting Feast shows the hearty dinner prepared by a rural family for their neighbours who kindly help them during the busy season.The woodblock print In the Field after Harvesting Wheat shows the aerial view of farmers’ cheerful performance which is filled with beatings of work songs.With the high saturation of colour and the fascinating use of contrast between dark and light,the artist managed to create a rhythmic scene.The painting Mangzhong has a well-defined layout, demonstrating a good balance of solid depiction and suggestive emptiness.
The farmers’ beaming smiles set the mood of the painting.
An oil painting, also titled Mangzhong, is a portraitof a swarthy farmer with a radiant smile.The good-natured face, as well as the azure sky and the fertile land in the distance, embody a sense of liveliness.This solar term involves many traditional customs.For instance, as most flowers will have withered by this time,people worship the Flower Goddess during Mangzhong,not only to convey their gratitude to the goddess but also to express good wishes for the next year.Such ceremony was depicted in China's literary masterpiece A Dream of Red Mansions written in the 18th century.Another custom called An Miao (or “seedling protection”) has been practiced in East China’s Anhui Province for hundreds of years.When Mangzhong comes, farmers hold the ceremony after planting the rice seedlings.They make steamed buns of various shapes such as cereals and animals, using the newly harvested wheat.Coloured with vegetable juice, the buns are served as offerings to pray for good harvest in autumn and wellbeing all year round.Mangzhong (or Grain in Ear) is a solar term when everything grows vigorouslyand farmers work assiduously,creating a harmonious tune of harvest and hope between man and nature.
责编：曹梦阳 编辑：岳沛
文字素材来源：《光明日报》2020年6月7日11版
