梅蘭芳黑白青衣：Mei Lanfang’s Sepia Qingyi

若眼眸為靈魂之窗  手指則是道盡故事的獨舞者
穹蒼潤澤幻化  從世宗的雨過天青雲破處  徽宗的剔透冰裂玲瓏瓷
靛藍泛紫斑滲透著紋路  如血  如詩  如火  如花
到黑白影像中廣袤如墨的青衣綢緞  瀑布似流暢著水袖的樂音
空洞窗櫺與月華宣紙淺淺隱藏著洩漏不了的秘密
它卻為最美的絳唇  點綴出最美的頌歌

*          *          *          *          *

Mei Lanfang’s Sepia Qingyi

Should eyes be the window to the soul,
fingers are the dancers narrating all stories, all tales.
Ever-evolving hues of the sky:

From a morning sky after the rain, where clouds break,
ice-crazing of porcellaneous translucency,
where light filters through its celadon glaze,
purple veins of permeating sapphire—
Reminiscent of blood, of poetry ablaze, of paradoxically languishing eudaimonia;

To the vastness of qingyi’s silk in black and white,
coruscating like the darkest ink,
a cascade of singing melodies from the dancing water-sleeves—
breathing, conversing, ever-changing, ever-fixed…
Hollow flowers in the windowpanes, moonlight-swept paper drapes,
softly hide the secret never to be told, never to be known.
The secret that embroiders the most beautiful paean
from his most beautiful carnelian lips.

More on Mei Lanfang here...

Qingyi (青衣)：Guimen Dan (閨門旦) is the role of the virtuous lady. It is also known as Qingyi (青衣）or Zhengdan (正旦). Qingyi means 'green robes' in Chinese, although the term traditionally extends to the colour black. This type of dan characters used to wear black robes. Qing Yi are normally mature and sometimes married women. They may be rich or poor, young or of middle age, but they have to be mature women to fall under this category. Qingyi focus more on singing and they have little movement. Opera schools in China tend to have difficulty recruiting students for this kind of role, since it requires a good voice, good looks and a good height. The most famous qingyi of the last century was Mei Lanfang. Examples of Guimen Dan are Du Liniang (杜麗娘) from The Peony Pavilion (牡丹亭) and Wang Baochuan (王寶釧）from Wujiapo（武家坡). *Via: Wikipedia

長恨歌: Song of Everlasting Sorrow

"Now from his breast into his eyes the ache

of longing mounted, and he wept at last,

his dear wife, clear and faithful, in his arms,

longed for as the sunwarmed earth is longed for by a swimmer

spent in rough water where his ship went down

under Poseidon's blows, gale winds and tons of sea.

Few men can keep alive through a big surf

to crawl, clotted with brine, on kindly beaches

in joy, in joy, knowing the abyss behind:

and so she too rejoiced, her gaze upon her husband,

her white arms round him pressed as though forever."

~ from, The Odyssey

Homer

translated by Robert Fitzgerald

My friend Leanne's lovely post on 楊貴妃 Yang Guifei has inspired me to re-read Tang poet Bai Juyi's The Song of Everlasting Sorrow (長恨歌), a poetic narrative of the mournful love story of Tang Emperor Hsuan Tzung 唐玄宗 (Xuanzong) and his beloved imperial consort Yang Yu-Huan 楊玉環 (Yang Guifei), and the emperor's perpetual grief and regret at the eventual loss of his love. Yang Guifei is known as 羞花 (xiu hua - literally meaning "shames flowers"), and considered first of the Four Great Beauties of China. 「西施沉魚, 昭君落雁, 貂嬋閉月, 貴妃羞花。」(Xi Shi sinks fish, Wang Zhaojun drops birds, Diaochan closes the moon, Yang Guifei shames flowers.)

In response to Leanne's beautiful post that I enjoyed reading so much, I wrote a rather long comment (see below, after the poem), which rarely happens even in my own blog! I included it here as I write so little these days - where has the writer in me gone...? (A writer friend used to say to me, "Did you choose to write? Or did writing choose you?") At the moment I suppose I am more of a "micro-blog" and visual/sensory type when it comes to recording my daily inspiration... Nevertheless, thank you, all the peonies of Chang'an...


太真外傳 (唱詞)
故事見唐白居易《長恨歌》。梅蘭芳在1925至1926年間根據《長生殿》傳奇改編為京劇，分為四本。自《入選》至《夢會》凡十餘折，蔚為大觀。此劇音樂由徐蘭沅、王少卿精心設計，創造了不少新的板式與唱腔並編配了許多京崑曲牌。




白居易〈長恨歌〉
{see two versions of the translation in English here & here}

漢皇重色思傾國，御宇多年求不得。
楊家有女初長成，養在深閏人未識。
天生麗質難自棄，一朝選在君王側。
回眸一笑百媚生，六宮粉黛無顏色。
春寒賜浴華清池，溫泉水滑洗凝脂；
待兒扶起嬌無力，始是新承恩澤時。
雲鬢花顏金步搖，芙蓉帳暖度春宵；
春宵苦短日高起，從此君王不早朝。
承歡侍宴無閑暇，春從春遊夜專夜。
後宮佳麗三千人，三千寵愛在一身。
金屋妝成嬌侍夜，玉樓宴罷醉和春。
姊妹弟兄皆列士，可憐光彩生門戶。
遂令天下父母心，不重生男重生女。
驪宮高處入青雲，仙樂風飄處處聞。
緩歌慢舞凝絲竹，盡日君王看不足。
漁陽鼙鼓動地來，驚破霓裳羽衣曲。
九重城闕煙塵生，千乘萬騎西南行。
翠華搖搖行復止，西出都門百餘里；
六軍不發無奈何？宛轉蛾眉馬前死。
花鈿委地無人收，翠翹金雀玉搔頭。
君王掩面救不得，回看血淚相和流。
黃埃散漫風蕭素，雲棧縈紆登劍閣。
峨嵋山下少人行，旌旗無光日色薄。
蜀江水碧蜀山青，聖主朝朝暮暮情。
行宮見月傷心色，夜雨聞鈴腸斷聲。

天旋地轉迥龍馭，到此躊躇不能去。
馬嵬坡下泥土中，不見玉顏空死處。
君臣相顧盡霑衣，東望都門信馬歸。
歸來池苑皆依舊，太液芙蓉未央柳；
芙蓉如面柳如眉，對此如何不淚垂？
春風桃李花開日，秋雨梧桐葉落時。
西宮南內多秋草，落葉滿階紅不掃。
梨園子弟白髮新，椒房阿監青娥老。
夕殿螢飛思悄然，孤燈挑盡未成眠。
遲遲鐘鼓初長夜，耿耿星河欲曙天。
鴛鴦瓦冷霜華重，翡翠衾寒誰與共？
悠悠生死別經年，魂魄不曾來入夢。
臨邛道士鴻都客，能以精誠致魂魄；
為感君王輾轉思，遂教方士殷勤覓。
排空馭氣奔如電，升天入地求之遍；
上窮碧落下黃泉，兩處茫茫皆不見。
忽聞海上有仙山，山在虛無縹緲間。
樓閣玲瓏五雲起，其中綽約多仙子。
中有一人字太真，雪膚花貌參差是。
金闕西廂叩玉扃，轉教小玉報雙成。
聞道漢家天子使，九華帳裡夢魂驚；
攬衣推枕起徘徊，珠箔銀屏迤邐開。
雲鬢半偏新睡覺，花冠不整下堂來。
風吹仙袂飄飄舉，猶似霓裳羽衣舞。
玉容寂寞淚闌干，梨花一枝春帶雨。

含情凝睇謝君王，一別音容兩渺茫。
昭陽殿裡恩愛絕，蓬萊宮中日月長。
回頭下望人寰處，不見長安見塵霧。
唯將舊物表深情，鈿合金釵寄將去。
釵留一股合一扇，釵擘黃金合分鈿。
但教心似金鈿堅，天上人間會相見。
臨別殷勤重寄詞，詞中有誓兩心知，
七月七日長生殿，夜半無人私語時：
在天願作比翼鳥，在地願為連理枝。
天長地久有時盡，此恨綿綿無絕期。

*                    *                    *

The story of Xuanzong and Guifei, as well as Bai Juyi's Song of Unending Sorrow, are said to have inspired the Japanese Heian literary gem - The Tale of Genji (源氏物語 Genji Monogatari).

*                    *                    *

(Here is my comment in response to Leanne's post on 楊貴妃...)

The preservation of Tang dances in Japanese court also interests me very much. In fact Dr. Liu Feng-Xue (founder and artistic director of Neo-Classic Dance Company 新古典舞團, and the first Chinese dance historian/ scholar/ artist/ choreographer to receive a PhD) devotes a large part of her career reconstructing ancient Chinese court music and dance, including getting special permission to study in the royal court of Japan and learning Labannotation from scratch to record the pieces etc. Neo-Classic is premiering Dr. Liu's new work in October, another reconstruction of ancient dance/music - I must be back in Taipei to attend!

I love Dr. Liu's works and have a special affection for Neo-Classic as that was where I learned ballet since 5! I mentioned these in a blog post 唐詩樂舞 Beauty of Tang: Music, Dance and Poetry. (A reader later introduced me to an amazing artist Elyse Ashe Lord. Perhaps you know her work already? If not I highly recommend checking out her paintings...!)

Another gem I adore, Han Tang Yuefu 漢唐樂府, might also interest you - I have almost all their DVDs and CDs. Such beauty... Sigh. I can listen to the music and watch the dances all day long.

I really enjoyed reading the English translations of the Chinese poetry, and must re-read these poems one of these days... I am a lover of Li Bai - when I was a kid it was a drag having to memorise and recite all these classics, but now I realise they do stay with me in my heart (not just poetry, philosophy as well), even though one can no longer recite them! It's fascinating to know that the story of 玄宗 and 楊貴妃 might have influenced 源氏物語, as people tend to associate Tale of Genji to Dream of the Red Mansion, I suppose. I remember when I went to a special exhibition at Kyoto National Museum, I stood in front of a large screen depicting The Tale of Genji, forever. I think I was trying to absorb as much of that quiet yet glorious beauty as I possibly could. A while ago there was a small (yet well-curated) exhibition of noh masks, costumes, manuscripts etc. in Tokyo - it was magical, with quiet gagaku playing in the background at that wonderful little gallery... I miss it.

And the Oedipus Complex (or the reverse) you hinted at the end of this article... How universal and yet how different it is between the East and the West. The stories you mentioned here, and the poems, give me a sense of 無奈, 悵然若失 (I can never seem to find the right words for these in English). These are similar emotions I felt after watching one of my favourite films "In the Mood for Love." A kind of tranquil/peaceful sadness, but perhaps even more heartrending...

I also posted Tamasaburo's Yokihi in my blog post Adieu ma concubine! We do share such similar interests. :) I will search for his Peony Pavilion on YouTube. Do you know Tamasaburo performed Peony Pavilion at the last Hong Kong Arts Festival? Shame I missed it...!! My love for kunqu is even deeper than Peking opera, and Peony Pavilion and Peach Blossom Fan are my favourite.

On a slightly different note, I went to see 北京當代芭蕾舞團 Beijing Dance Theatre's Golden Lotus (adapted from 金瓶梅) at the Hong Kong Arts Festival this year. The choreographer Wang Yuanyuan (王媛媛) also did the full-length ballet drama Raise the Red Lantern, with Zhang Yimou's direction & stage design. Ballet being one of my "core passions," her Raise the Red Lantern is the single best ballet I have ever seen, perhaps as it is very close to my heart (a combination of ballet and Chinese opera - what a dream for me!). Wang Yuanyuan is seriously talented.

Just would like to say again how much I love this post!

Ting-Jen xx

*                    *                    *

I will leave you here with a few lines of beautiful poetry exchanged between Genji and Fujitsubo, also from Leanne's post...

"Through the waving, dancing sleeves could you see a heart
So stormy that it wished but to be still?"

"Of waving Chinese sleeves I cannot speak.
Each step, each motion, touched me to the heart."

亙古的貴妃醉酒臥魚之美 Forever enthralled by the drunken princess...

《貴妃醉酒》的身段一向是我在京劇中很喜愛的折子。之前幸運地找到大師梅蘭芳頗為完整的演出，包括唱腔、銜杯、臥魚、醉步、扇舞等等梅派改良後之美學精髓，很可惜目前只剩下片段。我該去找出DVD好好欣賞... 這裡選的是不同演員詮釋的貴妃醉酒，其中亦有梅派戲劇大師梅蘭芳及其子梅派傳人梅葆玖等精彩演出。貴妃醉酒不愧為京劇中經典之作...



【楊玉環】（唱四平調）

海島冰輪初轉騰，見玉兔，玉兔又早東昇。
那冰輪離海島，乾坤分外明。
皓月當空，恰便似嫦娥離月宮，奴似嫦娥離月宮。
好一似嫦娥下九重，清清冷落在廣寒宮，啊在廣寒宮。
玉石橋斜倚把欄杆靠，鴛鴦來戲水，
金色鯉魚在水面朝，啊在水面朝。
長空雁雁兒飛，雁兒飛哎呀雁兒呀，
雁兒並飛騰聞奴的聲音落花蔭。
這景色撩人欲醉，不覺來到百花亭。

Yang Guifei by Takaku Aigai

一代名伶梅蘭芳於中國抗日時蓄鬍, 拒絕為日軍演出

Photo of Mei Lanfang taken during the Sino-Japanese War

梅蘭芳演譯楊玉環

Mei Lanfang as Yang Guei-Fei in "The Drunken Concubine"

青年時期的梅蘭芳 Young Mei Lanfang

張國榮於霸王別姬片中的角色程蝶衣飾演楊玉環

Leslie Cheung as Yang Guei-Fei in Farewell My Concubine

Forever Enthralled is another film about Peking (Beijing) Opera by the critically acclaimed Chinese director Chen Kaige (best known for Farewell My Concubine). This time the film centres around the life of my Mr. Poetic Oneirism, the legendary Chinese opera artist Mei Lanfang. *Click here for a higher-resolution version, with subtitles in simplified Chinese (unfortunately no English at this time).




齊白石與梅蘭芳的書畫師生情

梅蘭芳先生之所以成為中國京劇史上成就最為輝煌的表演藝術大師，是與他在藝術上的勤學苦練、虛心求教分不開的。他向齊白石學畫，並與齊建立了終生友誼就是一例。

1932年，梅蘭芳來北京演出，齊白石觀看完他的演出，佩服得五體投地。恰巧，梅蘭芳一直想向齊白石學畫，通過熟人向齊白石說了想法。齊白石聽說後，立即安排時間見梅蘭芳。

這年9月的一天，齊白石來到了北京廬草園梅宅。二人握手坐定後，齊白石關切地問到：“聽說你最近習畫很用功，看過你的畫，尤其是最近畫的佛像，比以前進步了。”梅蘭芳不好意思，忙答道：“對于繪畫，我是門外漢，笨人一個，雖然拜過很多老師，但都畫不好。我喜歡您老的草蟲、遊魚、蝦米，就像活的一樣，但比活的更美。今天我誠心請您老一畫，我在旁邊學習學習，看看您的筆下功夫，我這就替您磨墨。”說罷，梅蘭芳起身捧出文房四寶，在書桌上磨起墨來。齊白石像個孩童似的打趣道：“讓你這名角給我磨墨，山人委實不敢當。不過，我給你畫蟲草，你回頭唱一段給我聽，怎麼樣？”

“那現成。”梅蘭芳不假思索道：“一會兒我的琴師來了，我準唱。”待磨好墨後，他又鋪開上乘宣紙。齊白石頷首含笑，挽上衣袖，從筆筒裏挑出兩只畫筆，蘸了一些墨，凝神默想片刻。突然，他俯下筆。須臾間，一個毫發畢現、蠢蠢欲動的小蟲便躍然紙上。齊白石下筆極快且準確，梅蘭芳但見“惜墨如金”的齊白石在畫成魚鳥蟲草後，筆池裏的水始終是清的。

琴師到了，梅蘭芳唱了一段《貴妃醉酒》。又一次，梅蘭芳再三邀請師翁到綴玉軒作畫，想讓師翁親自面教。齊白石欣然前往。見面後，梅蘭芳要求觀看作草蟲圖，齊白石答應了。梅蘭芳連忙磨墨理紙。齊白石畫完兩幅草蟲圖後，作詩一首相贈：

飛塵十丈暗燕京，綴玉軒中氣獨清。難得善才看作畫，殷勤磨就墨三升。

梅蘭芳捧詩吟誦，敬禮謝師。從此兩人建立了深厚的友誼，梅蘭芳尊稱齊白石為“老師”。不久，在一位“大官家”的家宴上，二人同被邀請，赴宴那天，齊白石不慎丟了帖子，他身穿深褐色布袍，雖洗得整潔乾凈，但已發白陳舊。如此裝束在滿屋達官顯貴的綾羅綢緞間，實在不起眼。加上他又一時沒找著相熟之人，只能獨坐一隅。偏偏門子不識相，走上前又盤問了幾句。齊白石大窘，悔不該來。這時梅蘭芳進來見到了孤零零的老人，獨自坐在一邊，忙甩開眾人，快步走上前，恭恭敬敬地喚道：“老師。”然後，親自攙扶著他，走上前排。大家一陣詫異，竊竊私語：“這個怪老頭是誰？”

梅蘭芳將頭一搖，自豪的答道：“這是名畫家齊白石，也是我的老師。”

齊白石認為梅蘭芳在關鍵時刻為他“圓了面子”，因此對梅蘭芳十分感激。回家後，精心畫就了一幅《雪中送炭圖》，配詩一首，送給梅蘭芳。詩雲：

曾見先朝享太平，布衣蔬食動公卿。而今淪落長安市，幸有梅郎識姓名。

梅蘭芳收到畫，讀過詩，感慨良久。提筆給齊白石回了一首詩：

師傳畫藝情誼深，學生怎能忘師恩。世態炎涼雖如此，吾敬我師是本分。 

(此文轉載自新華網, 2007年8月30日)

*Read more about 齊白石 (Qi Bai-Shi) here {in English} and here {in Chinese}. Master Qi is one of my parents' favourite artists, and I shall certainly write a separate blog post on him in the future. Or more appropriately perhaps, on the inspiration his life and his art have given me.

Farewell

I am overwhelmed with indescribable emotions again, after watching this short video clip of the film that "rocked my world" a long time ago... "霸王別姬" (Farewell My Concubine).

I think I fell in love with Leslie Cheung after watching "Farewell My Concubine," another one of my favourite cinematic treasures and probably the first film I felt so strongly about. My love affair with Chinese opera (both Beijing Opera and Kunqu) also started around that time. Since then I constantly dream of Chinese opera, like a stylised and quiet painting depicting exquisite landscapes decorated with tiny delicate jewels, presenting a mixture of its music, singing, movements, costumes, make-up, lyrics, a kaleidoscope of colours and beautiful narratives.

I still remember going to the cinema with my dad when "Farewell My Concubine" was first released - I was 13. I felt as if I was never going to be the same afterwards, and that I was so filled with something inexplicable that I could not allow anything else to enter my psyche for a while. Perhaps one of the definitions of a truly great film is that it gives the viewer a life-transforming, and sometimes out-of-body, experience.

Below is this beautiful video with Leslie Cheung singing the movie theme song, accompanied by some of the most gorgeous, intoxicating, as well as heartbreaking scenes from the film. I really must re-watch this gem one of these days.

張國榮, 著實地傾國傾城...


Ah, looking at Leslie now just makes me want to cry...

張國榮於霸王別姬片中詮釋名旦程蝶衣演繹白蛇傳之白素貞

Bai Su-Zhen of The Legend of the White Serpent, as interpreted by Leslie Cheung in Farewell My Concubine

 

張國榮於霸王別姬片中詮釋名旦程蝶衣演繹牡丹亭之杜麗娘

Du Li-Niang of The Peony Pavilion, as rendered by Leslie Cheung in Farewell My Concubine

You can see the complete film (at the moment) here.

梅蘭芳的遊園驚夢: My Mr. Poetic Oneirism

《遊園驚夢》中，梅蘭芳扮杜麗娘，言慧珠扮春香

《遊園驚夢》上

梅蘭芳在《遊園驚夢》中扮杜麗娘

《遊園驚夢》下

《遊園驚夢》中，梅蘭芳扮杜麗娘，俞振飛扮柳夢梅

More precious & beautiful photos of Mei Lanfang here (he is, after all, my Mr. Poetic Oneirism).

《遊園驚夢》是梅蘭芳學出的昆曲代表劇目。此劇是《牡丹亭》中的一環。劇情是：杜麗娘背父母及塾師與春香至後花園春遊，見斷井頹垣，陡起傷春之感。遊倦歸房，夢中與書生柳夢梅至後園相會，園中花神皆出護翼，二人訂情而別，杜母恰至喚醒麗娘，見其恍惚，囑勿常遊園，麗娘卻心向夢境不已。梅蘭芳在劇中飾杜麗娘。在唱念做工方面都有許多突出的地方，不僅表現出杜麗娘的溫婉、嫻雅貞靜的性格，還把這位深鎖幽閨的少女心靈深處的寂寞、惆悵、徬徨的心情恰如其分地表露出來，演得層次分明，不同凡響。是梅蘭芳下功夫最大，演出場次最多的一出戲。早在1918年演出時，由姜妙香配演柳夢梅，至1933年在上海演出時又得與昆曲名家俞振飛合作，由俞飾柳夢梅，均相得益彰。此後梅與俞合演多年，並博取眾家精華，不斷對此劇進行錘煉和提昇，遂臻化境。堪稱中國戲曲藝苑中的奇葩。1915年12月梅蘭芳應邀在北京電影製片廠，將此劇搬上銀幕，當時領導非常重視。組成優秀攝製組拍攝。仍請梅蘭芳和俞振飛分飾杜麗娘及柳夢梅，梅的弟子言慧珠飾丫環春香。歷時兩月，梅蘭芳和全組工作人員，以極大的熱情，圓滿完成了符合電影藝術和時代思想要求的拍攝任務。

*文字轉載自梅蘭芳紀念館: 戲曲知識

關於梅蘭芳之延伸閱讀... (More about Mei Lanfang...)

Hands

In celebration of my infatuation with hands, I have compiled some photographs which I find infinitely beautiful and mesmerising. As a pianist and lover of Chinese opera, hands are to me the most sensual, mysterious and magical part of a human body. They are also the most “narrative.”

Stephen Deutch: Potter's Hands, Vintage Gravure

Rudolf Koppitz (1884-1936), Hand Studie, ca. 1920, Bromoil print (image via)

my hands

吻。

The tree from whose flower

This perfume comes

Is unknowable.

～Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

A sculpture at the Musée Rodin, Paris, France. (*via)

Pierre Choumoff, The Hand of God in bronze at the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh
La Main de Dieu [by Rodin], c.1915, silver gelatin print (c.1915)

“When the spirit flows from the hands, it is called 'labour.' From nothing, the hands start to create wonderful works of art. The hands are the exit of the spirit. The movement of the hands embodies human longings and human beings are formed by the work of the hands. The hands create forms that never existed before, and this art of creation is uniquely human. That is, human hands carve an image of the individual out of vacant space. Humans recognise the level of their own spirit by looking at what they have created with their hands. That is, the hands enable the spirit to emerge as works of art, and it will reflect what is in your heart. As a result, what is in your heart shows in your work, and the hands will reflect what level you are, sometimes joyfully, sometimes sadly.” 

～Late Master in Japanese embroidery, Iwao Saito

  

“Female hands” Anna Penagini, by Emilio Sommariva, 1935

Takamatsu Jiro, Shadow No. 1413 (*image via)

“From within this giant junkyard where all things are corroding and crumbling, what will capture us, pull us up, flush us out, rescue us from our bloated languidity, will never be these things themselves. It can only and always be found in the faint light of the world to come, in possibility, or probability, indeterminacy, lack, and all the others that only ‘are' in absence.” ～Takamatsu Jiro, 1964

How To Sleep: With forearm tensed, model shows relaxed way of dropping hand, 

by Gjon Mili, New York, 1943

How To Sleep: With forearm tensed model shows tense way of dropping hand, 

by Gjon Mili, New York, 1943

梅蘭芳手指尖上的傾國傾城 {via}

Hand Gestures of the Legendary Peking Opera Master Mei Lanfang 

(Mr. "Poetic Oneirism")

梅蘭芳手指尖上的傾國傾城 {via}

Hand Gestures of the Legendary Peking Opera Master Mei Lanfang 

(Mr. "Poetic Oneirism")

“蘭花指”之擺手式

Hand Gesture "Orchid Fingers" in Chinese Opera

Mei Lanfang's Hand Gestuality in Beijing (Peking) Opera

Book Negs, Casals, by Gjon Mili

Hand of Bassist Red Callender During Filming of Jammin' the Blues, by Gjon Mili

Pianist Clara Haskil's Hands {unknown image source}

Josef Hofmann's Hands in Action, by Gjon Mili, 1940

Film Still from "Late Spring" directed by Ozu Yasujiro

Hand of cellist Gregor Piatigorsky whilst playing Schubert

{film still via YouTube}

Jam Session: Hand of unident, bass player on the strings during jam session at photographer Gjon Mili's studio, by Gjon Mili, New York, 1943

Deborah Turbeville

The Graceful Hands of Ballerina Tilly Losch, by E. O. Hoppe, 1928 {via}

Close-up of woman's graceful hands (old print), by E. O. Hoppe, 

United Kingdom, 1925

Close-up of woman's graceful hands (old print), by E. O. Hoppe, 

United Kingdom, 1925

Sinuous and sensitive hands of artist Blair Leighton, by E. O. Hoppe, 

United Kingdom, 1920

Close-up of a woman's graceful hands with ring and necklace in foreground (old print), by E. O. Hoppe, United Kingdom, 1925

Tango {unknown image source}

Stroboscopic image of the hands of Russian conductor Efram Kurtz whilst conducting, by Gjon Mili

The Baton, by Gjon Mili

中國戲曲之手勢“蘭花指”

Various Hand Gestures of "Orchid Fingers" in Chinese Opera

Hands of Bresson: a visual essay on the tactile world of Robert Bresson created for the Criterion Collection, by kogonada. Music: Schubert, Piano Sonata No. 20, D. 959 (Au Hasard Balthazar).

Nicolas de Largillière (1656 – 1746), Portrait of a Woman, 1696 (detail)

Good Luck to My Friend, via coeXist

Svetlana Zakharova's hands in "La Fille du Pharaon"

The Grand coda from La Fille du Pharaon:

Kim Yu-Na's hands in "Bond Girl," 2009

*Also watch Kim Yu-Na in her stunning long programme Scheherezade (2009 Figure Skating World Championships), a magical firebird on ice.


*All Gjon Mili and E. O. Hoppe images via the LIFE photo archive hosted by Google
**Thank you Photography Influences and Couleurs for introductions to Gjon Mili's How to Sleep photo and E. O. Hoppe's Close-up of woman's graceful hands respectively.