Biography

Dai Xi was a native of Qiantang (钱塘) near the cultural center of Hangzhou, although he spent many years in Guangzhou. In 1832 he joined officialdom, becoming a member of the Hanlin Academy. He later became Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, although absenting himself later for illness.

During the Taiping Rebellion Hangzhou was occupied by the rebels in 1860. Dai joined in the defense of the city and later committed suicide there by drowning himself in a pond. Dai was subsequently given the posthumous title or 'Cultured and Moderate'. Dai Xi painted in the manner of the great academic master Wang Hui of the previous century, although Dai Xi was said to have exceeded the master in artistic elegance. His work is similar to that of his contemporary Tang Yifen; together they were referred to as . Dai's works are usually landscapes. His works include a generous mixture of genre subjects such as plants and humans.

In 1920 and 1934, published collections of his paintings appeared in China. Dai was also an avid coin collector, publishing a three-volume (卷) work on the subject, (古泉丛话).

生平

道光十二年（1832年）進士，咸豐年間任職翰林院，官至兵部右侍郎。太平天國事起，在籍辦團練，退休後主講崇文書院，太平軍入杭州，乃賦絕命詞，投池死。

藝術成就

其山水師法王翬虞山派，也接近於婁東派，山水「多用擦筆，山石以幹墨作皴，然後以濕筆渲染」，筆致峻削雄健，但略顯呆板。亦善畫竹石小品及花卉。與方薰、奚岡、湯貽汾齊名，並稱「方奚湯戴」。

作品

有《山水長卷》、《重巒密樹圖》傳世。

著有《畫絮》、《粵雅集》。

影視形象

網絡劇《古董局中局之鑑墨尋瓷》中的戴熙由沈保平飾演。

延伸閱讀