论插图

插图艺术在我国历时已久，成果累累，杰作林立，而又以明代为盛。清代虽也有精品，但为数不多，反而被平庸浅陋之作占去市场，故不能与明代相比。明代插图之所以优秀，是因为受到明代杰出画家的影响，作者有不甘平庸争为上流的创作态度。不但作画者态度严谨，刻工也认真，尤其是新安刻工，在长期为优秀插图画家进行复制加工中，练成高超的刻版技术，使后代很难逾越。谨严努力，杜绝因袭，取法乎上，刻意求工，也许就是我国古代文学作品插图取得成功的唯一经验。

On Illustration

The art of illustration has a long history in our country and great achievements and many masterpieces have been made in this field.In Ming Dynasty the art teached its peak.Most work was common and crude,so illustration in Ming Dynasty was auperior to that in Qng Dynasty.The reason for this cmae from the influence of famous painters in Ming Dynasty and workers then were competing to bethe first class.Not only the painters were careful and precise,but the carves were strict with their work.Especially,Xin'an carvers worked for good illustration painters,and they developed excellent skills of carving printing blacks from their long time work,which is difficult for successors to surpass.Maybe,carefulness and strictness,refusal of old customs,aiming high and striving for perfection are the only secret of achieving success for illustrations in ancient literature works of our country.