华冠在京活动考

A Study of Hua Guan’s Life and Work in Beijing

画史中对肖像画家华冠的记载多有缺失和舛误,本文从历史档案和传世作品入手,结合清人笔记,对华冠进京时间和民间画师身份进行了考证,并对他的生年予以确认,对其卒年作出推论。在确认肖像画像主身份的基础上,通过考察华冠在京期间的服务对象,勾勒出华冠在京活动的艺术圈子,以及与其相关的肖像雇主群,即以乾隆皇帝之子永瑢为核心的宗室贵族、官僚文人群体,这对于探究当时盛行的文学、艺术之士以权门清客的身份"馆于"贵族、高官之家的生存方式具有典型意义。

There have been fewer documents but many errors as to the historical records of Hua Guan, the portrait painter. This essay explores the time when Hua Guan arrived in Beijing, his identity as a folk artist and the year of his birth by analysis of the documents,his extant works, and the notes by the people of Qing dynasty as well. Confirming the portrait-master(s), the essay draws an outline of Hua Guan’s life and work in the art circle in Beijing, and the related portrait-masters, viz., the group of people from the noble clans and the bureaucratic literati with the core of Yong Rong ( 永瑢) who is Emperor Qianlong’s ( 乾隆) son. The study is of typical significance for the research on their living styles of the literature and art scholars who are accommodated as honored guests in the houses of the aristocrats, senior officials at that time.