小娟的《红楼梦》图无论在创意、构思和构图方面都注重于气局流走，疏密有致，一以空灵自如为追求。其着眼点，并不在具体地描摹原著的环境场景，而是以刻画人物，抒情写意为主。因此画中的空白布势，气息平和，变化多姿，绝无壅塞沉闷之感，却令人赏心悦目，兴会其间。如在人物的组合上，既有绣像式的特写，又有多数屏连的团体结构。人物在空间中的位置，转侧顾盼，开合自然。如“群芳开夜宴”、“重建桃花社”等回，人物聚合，团团围布，甚有声势。又并不画具体的“夜宴”排坐序列，却画“先不上座，且忙着卸妆宽衣”，落笔轻松，遐想意外。在蓼溆一带倚栏“四美钓游鱼”一段(八十一回)，看似满构图，却于柳荫荷塘间清风徐来。而十七回大观园试才题匾额，最妙的是画蕉竹楼台，山石环抱，在小亭之中，宝玉被贾政及各清客相公团团围定，宝玉却“四顾一望”，徐徐念出“绕堤柳借三蒿翠，隔岸花分一脉香”的一联佳句来。画中构图甚满，但悬泉溪流却水气暗通，宝玉所吟的“绕堤”、“隔岸”诗境却全在画面之外，但也如见柳翠，如闻花香，诱人处全在于“隔”，非常含蓄，显示出画家极高的艺术修养。

　　小娟的画是充满现代感的写意人物新创。非常有意味的是，在所有为《红楼梦》绘图创作的作者之中，只有马小娟是女画家。我以为也许是小娟更能深切意会曹雪芹的人物精神。雪芹的妙笔曾拈出“女儿是水做的骨肉”。只要看她的点睛妙术，那些女儿的眼睛是用淡淡的水墨精心染写出来的，因此总有水灵灵般横波顾盼之美。自改琦以来，为《红楼梦》绘图作画的又大多为上海人，这又是颇为发人深思的，其中渊源深厚，大有契机所在吧。我以多年研究海上画派目光所及，不妨愿说，近代自海上画派成立一个半世纪以来，马小娟是尤富有现代创意、开拓精神和人缘的女画家。

 Preface for paintings by Man Xiaojuan for A Dream of Red Mansions

　　These paintings are well spaced in composition and conception. Ma Xiaojuan put stress on figures and their feelings instead of realistic scenes. And therefore, compositions of paintings are mild, gentle and colorful, pleasing to both the eye and the mind. For example, in the combination of figures, there are the features of embroidered portrait as well as the structures of the whole. Figures are arranged naturally and easily on their positions in the space, such as in pictures “Beautiful girls holding evening banquet”, “To reestablish Peach-blossom Poetry Society”, etc. Her paintings have more than meets the eye and provide much food for thought. Picture “Four beauties fishing” for Chapter eighty-one seems a full picture but shows that a cool breeze is blowing gently. paintings for Chapter seventeen: there are bamboo pavilions among the hills and stones; Baoyu is standing, surrounded completely by guests, and reading aloud: “Willows on dyke are green enough while flowers on the other side of the river are rich in fragrance.” The picture is fully arranged but the water in the brook is very limpid; there are no “dyke” and no scene “on the other side of the river” in the picture but you seem to see green willows and to smell fragrance of flowers. Ma Xiaojuan drew these illustrations with a veiled style, being of high artistic accomplishment.

　　Her painting works are full of the sense of modern times. It is meaningful that Ma Xiaojuan is an only female painter among other painters who draw illustrations for “A Dream in Red Mansions”. I think, as a female painter, maybe Xiaojuan would better realized the spirit of figures created by Cao Xueqin. Cao Xueqin said “flesh and blood of girls are made from water”. The tender and beautiful eyes of girls are drawn with light ink, being the touch that brings the picture to life. It set people thinking that most painters who drew illustrations for “A Dream in Red Mansions” are from Shanghai. Owing to the study of painting style of Shanghai for many years, I should say that Ma Xiaojuan is a modern and popular female painter with the style of Shanghai which has been established for one and a half centuries.

作者：丁羲元