《疏荷沙鸟图页》，南宋，马兴祖，绢本设色，图页，纵25厘米，横25.6厘米，北京故宫博物院藏

图中所绘残败的荷叶表明了时当秋日，荷塘的一角，一枝枯瘦的莲蓬横出画面，鹡鸰栖止于莲梗上，侧首注视着上方的一只小蜂，其凝神专注的神态刻画得惟妙惟肖。莲梗两端的鹡鸰与莲蓬巧妙地平衡了画面，而鹡鸰目向小蜂的视线则带动观者的视线落于画面上方，这种布局使画面显得既稳定又生动。此图格调典雅，用笔精致，画风细腻，荷叶枯黄的斑点和细小的筋脉均描绘得一丝不苟。

图中画残荷一叶，一枝萎缩的莲蓬横出，伸着长长的荷茎，蓬穴中嵌镶着鼓鼓的祖母绿色的莲籽，还有那干枯的圆荷叶，只剩下叶筋与网络，分明是莲籽成熟收获季节的到来。突然间飞来一只沙鸟，栖停在于枯的荷梗上，沙鸟日视上方，扭首，双日紧盯着一只小虫，惊动了在那儿歇息的黄蜂远飞而去。 

对幅有清乾隆御题诗一首：“叶败花残枝亦枯，何来沙鸟立斯须。伊人意寓南迁代，以写其瞻爰止乌。”

裱边旧题签：“马兴祖疏荷沙鸟。”无款印。钤“八徵耄念之宝”朱文、“自强不息”白文。中缝印有“八徵耄念之宝”、“太上皇帝之宝”朱文二印。

创作背景

此图旧题为马兴祖所作。马兴祖是马远的祖父，绍兴画院待诏，工花鸟杂画。高宗赵构很看重他，每得卷轴名迹，必请他辨识鉴定，可见他是一位很有艺术修养的画家。虽则没有更多的材料证实此图确是他的作品，但也不能完全排除此图就不是他的创作。 从画技上看，此幅是宋人高手之画作。 

   此图构图简明而技法成熟。全画画风工整，刻画入微，色彩清秀，生动传神。从画景来看，虽是画枯荷一枝，但画家把莲蓬的勾画如此真实，满蓬果实粒粒丰盈；荷梗用双线勾勒，又细又长，与花蒂的连接处，有干枯后成须状的花托；败荷象征着果实的成熟，圆荷的叶筋与网络由双勾线过渡到细线的画法，如此精细构作，河鸟的画法，以晕染为主，再用细笔尖丝出长尾与羽翮，鸟的神态生动，全在这扭首回顾的形态上，还有细长腿趾紧紧地抓住荷梗。黄蜂飞到了画幅高处中心位置，昂首翘尾张翅的惊恐状，点画十分仔细，此画为宋代花鸟画中的写实佳作。

 Ma Xingzu, Song Dynasty. He Zhong (now Yongji, Shanxi Province) people, cardia (according to the history of painting will be important, round painting treasure for cardia, refer to Ma Yuanzhao) Shaoxing (1131-1162) between flower and bird workers, figures, landscapes, miscellaneous paintings. Especially good identification, Gao Zong each won the scroll of fame, multi-lingual identification. There are Hu batting pictures and Hu snowhunting pictures handed down. The Academy of Painting is waiting for a decree on the Summary of Painting History, Painting Treasure, Qinghe Painting and Calligraphy Harbour and the Painting Records of Southern Song Academy.

Picture Page of Sandbird in Shuhe County, Southern Song Dynasty, Ma Xingzu, Silk Text Coloring, Picture Page, 25 cm in length and 25.6 cm in breadth, Beijing Palace Museum Collection

The deformed lotus leaf in the picture shows that in autumn, in the corner of the lotus pond, a thin lotus canopy crosses the picture. The duck perches on the lotus stalk and looks sideways at a wasp above. Its attentive expression is vividly depicted. The bird and lotus Peng at both ends of the lotus stem balance the picture skillfully, while the bird's eye to the wasp drives the viewer's eye to fall above the picture. This layout makes the picture both stable and vivid. This picture is elegant in style, exquisite in brush, delicate in style, and meticulous in depicting the yellow spots and tiny veins of lotus leaves.

Pictured here is a residual lotus leaf, a shrunken lotus canopy stretching out, with long lotus stems, and the holes of the canopy inlaid with drumming grandmother green lotus seeds, as well as the dried round lotus leaves, leaving only the tendons and network, which is clearly the arrival of the mature harvest season of lotus seeds. Suddenly a sandbird flew up and rested on the withered lotus stalk. The sandbird looked over the sun, twisted its head, and stared at a bug for two days. It startled the wasp that rested there and flew away.

There is a poem inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty: "Leaves and flowers are withered and branches are withered, so is the sandbird Lisxu. The Yiren resided in the South and moved to the south to write about their prospects for the end of Wu.

"Ma Xingzu Shu Lotus Sandbird" is an old inscription on the edge of the paper. No money stamp. Zhu Wen and Bai Wen, the treasure of Eight Zheng Qi Niannian in Jun Dynasty. In the middle seam, there are two seals of Zhu Wen, the treasure of Eight Zhengnian and the treasure of Emperor Tai Shang.

Creative Background

The old title of this picture was written by Ma Xingzu. Ma Xingzu is Ma Yuan's grandfather. Shaoxing Painting Academy waits for an edict. He paints flowers and birds. Gao Zong Zhao Gu attaches great importance to him. Every time he gets a scroll, he must be identified and appraised. It can be seen that he is an artistic painter. Although there is no more material to prove that this picture is indeed his work, it can not be completely ruled out that this picture is not his creation. From the perspective of painting techniques, this painting is a masterpiece of Song people.

The composition is concise and the technique is mature. The whole painting is neat, delicate, vivid and vivid. From the point of view, although it is a painting of withered lotus, the painter paints the picture of lotus bud so true, full of fruits and grains; lotus pedicels are delineated with double lines, thin and long, and the connection with flower pedicels, there is a dried-up flower receptacle; lotus failure symbolizes the maturity of fruit, the leaf tendons and network of round Lotus transit from double lines to fine lines, so delicately constructed, River birds are painted with dizziness. Dyeing is the main method, and then long tails and feathers are produced with fine pointed filaments. The bird's expression is vivid. In this retrospect, there are slender legs and toes holding the peduncle tightly. The wasp flew to the center of the painting, raised its head, raised its tail and spread its wings in horror. The painting was very carefully dotted. It was a realistic masterpiece in the flower and bird paintings of the Song Dynasty.