马尔智与他的梅伶兰姿

Benjamin March’s Orchid Hand Patterns of Mei Lan-fang is a book that supplements Benjamin March’s original book Orchid Hand Patterns of Mei Lan-fang, and further explores his studies. A variety of March’s writings, including his essays, diaries and appraisals were selected and translated into Chinese, along with photos, drafts, press clippings and other image sources presented throughout the book. To emphasize March’s unique perspectives of studies, as well as to fully introduce Mei’s orchid hand patterns, the appendix of the book shows other 44 pieces of Mei’s orchid hand patterns in line-drawing illustrations. These illustrations were created by me based on the photos in A Glance to Mei Lanfang’s Art, a material published in 1935 where a total of 53 hand patterns were introduced, and in a style with respect to March and Paul McPharlin’s original illustrations.

马尔智与他的梅伶兰姿

梅兰芳(1894—1961)是中国著名京剧表演艺术家，在五十余年的舞台生涯中，不仅演出多部家喻户晓、脍炙人口的剧目，还在唱腔、舞蹈、表演和化妆等方面推陈出新，创造了无与伦比的美的形象。梅兰芳在1920—1930年代间访问日本、美国、苏联，向世界展示了京剧艺术的魅力。

美国人马尔智(1899—1934)，是一位远东艺术作家、策展人、讲师，1923年来中国。他深深地钦慕梅兰芳的京剧艺术，对梅兰芳的舞台表演手姿尤其感兴趣，并于1931年到梅家拜访，拍摄了梅兰芳的手姿，以及他的花园和宾客。1934年马尔智撰写了介绍梅兰芳舞台生涯的短文，并根据拍摄的黑白照片，由保罗·马克菲林勾勒成白描，共计10幅，遂成《梅伶兰姿》一书。

《马尔智与他的梅伶兰姿》一书以《梅伶兰姿》为底本，又增补了马尔智的论文、散文、评述、日记等文字内容，以及照片、手稿、剪报等图像资料，由谢小珮女士翻译成中文。为了突出马尔智独特的研究对象和构思视角，加深读者对梅兰芳京剧艺术魅力的了解和赏味，本书的附录部分比照齐如山1935年所著《梅兰芳艺术一斑》一书中的手姿照片，并遵循马尔智与保罗·马克菲林在《梅伶兰姿》一书中的白描风格和笔意，增补绘制了另外的44帧手姿线描图。

March and His Orchid Hand Patterns of Mei Lan-Fang

Mei Lanfang (1894—1961) is a notable Peking Opera artist in modern Chinese theater. He enjoys an over 50-year career as a highly accomplished singer, dancer and actor. He was also highly innovative in stage design, the musical score and the make-up. Not only did Mei become a celebrity in China, he’s also credited with bringing Peking Opera to countries around the world. In the 1920s and 30s he toured Japan, the US and the Soviet Union, taking theaters by storm as he introduced audiences to Peking Opera at a time of tense international relations between the countries.

Benjamin March (1899—1934) was an art writer, curator and lecturer from the US. He was deeply impressed by Mei Lanfang’s art and especially admires the beauty of his orchid hand patterns in Peking Opera performance. In 1931, March paid a visit to the Mei’s family in China and photographed Mei’s hand patterns, his garden and friends. In 1934, March published the book <Orchid Hand Patterns of Mei Lan-fang>. The book included March’s essay on Mei Lanfang’s art and 10 pieces of wood-engraving illustrations of orchid hand patterns from his photographs created by Paul McPharlin.

<Benjamin March’s Orchid Hand Patterns of Mei Lan-fang> is a book that supplements March’s <Orchid Hand Patterns of Mei Lan-fang> and further explores his studies. A variety of March’s writings, including his essays, diaries and appraisals were selected and translated into Chinese, along with photos, drafts, press clippings and other image sources presented throughout the book. To emphasize March’s unique perspectives of studies, as well as to fully introduce Mei’s orchid hand patterns, the appendix of the book shows other 44 pieces of Mei’s orchid hand patterns in line-drawing illustrations. These illustrations were created by me in a style with respect to March and Paul McPharlin’s original illustrations. They were illustrated based on the photos in <A Glance to Mei Lanfang’s Art>, a communication product published in 1935 before Mei's tour to Soviet Union, where a total of 53 hand patterns were introduced.