1930年代于非闇首度提出「南張與北溥」的稱號，推出張大千與溥心畲這兩位畫壇明星，作 為當時南方與北方在國晝成就上的代表與指標性人物。將近八十年過後，本文回顧並分析兩人在畫 論、花鳥、仕女、山水、書法上的代表作，指出兩人在師從對象、學習路徑、個性與書晝風格的發 展上，都有極大的歧異，甚至成為有趣的對比。即便張溥兩人無論畫風與個性處處迥異，但同為二 十世紀的傳統型晝家，他們也受著同樣的歷史制約，晝作中有著某些共同的傾向。
在晝風與書風上，張大千永遠是站在時代浪潮上的先行者，溥心畲則尾隨其後。兩人顛覆了傳 統對「文人」與「職業」晝家的看法與定義，塑造了二十世紀的新面貌。最終代表南方的張大千， 畢生努力的方向在在顯示了時勢造英雄的大勢所趨；而代表北方的溥心畲，則在時代的浪花中糾結 著個人的命運--皇室貴冑的身份使得他與新的時代格格不入，卻因此更造就了他獨一無二的藝術。

The slogan of “Southern Chang and Northern Pu” was promulgated by the artist and art critic Yu Feian in 1935. At the time, Chang Dai-chien, a young painter coming from Sichuan Province, and Pu Xinyu, a descendent from the Qing royal house in Beijing, were two superstars of Chinese traditional painting rising respectively in the South and North of China. Almost eighty years have passed since then, and a comparison of their works is both interesting and significant. This article discusses and analyzes their painting theories, bird-and-flower paintings, paintings of women and Guanyin, landscape paintings, and calligraphic works. The comparison of their works shows a marked contrast in every aspect including their artistic penchant and artistic style; even the artistic schools or traditions they follow are divergent. But at the same time, to be 20th century traditionalist Chinese painters, they shared some common traits. For example, they both were good at architecture painting, which is a genre despised by traditional elite literati painters and left to the hands of the artisans. Architecture painting only established status and earned legitimacy in the 20th century.
In paintings and calligraphic works as well, Chang Dai-chien always tended to set the new trend, while Pu Xinyu just follows the lead. In the end, it is Chang Dai-chien who represents the south, which is more creative, outreaching and responsive to his age. Pu Xinyu who represents the north, on the other hand, owing to his royal member identity, became a misfit in the newly established Republic, withdrawing to the entrenched old tradition and hence forming his own unique retrospective style