What is the spiritual core of Chinese painting?

The core value of Chinese painting is the ultimate embodiment of cultural value. Chinese painting theory also believes that art and Tao have an original relationship. It is said that "art is Tao and Tao is art", and "painting is also art", so painting is Tao. In other words, Tao is the philosophical core of Chinese painting. It embodies the unique essence of Chinese painting and is also the internal basis for the formal beauty of Chinese painting. If you cannot understand this, it will be difficult to truly penetrate into the spiritual core of Chinese painting, and it will be difficult to truly appreciate the sublimity of Chinese painting. And these are only possible for literary and artistic elites. Chinese painting is a metaphysical art that is the accumulation of China's excellent traditional culture; "expressing feelings through objects, expressing feelings through scenes, and expressing aspirations through objects" is the foundation, and images are secondary. Therefore, high-quality Chinese paintings must have the "Chinese cultural characteristics of poetry, calligraphy and painting" “One is indispensable! Anyone who is familiar with the history of Chinese art knows that, first of all, "painting and poetry are all things that scholars wrote about their temperament" (Qing Dynasty Shen Zongqian said), which means that in ancient my country, painting was mostly an art done by scholars. Scholars refer to scholars, that is, intellectuals with high literary and artistic accomplishments.

The development of Chinese painting has a clear context and orderly inheritance:

1. The ancient period

As early as more than 7,000 years ago, the awakening of the ancient times began in the form of patterns. way to record it. The Neolithic Hemudu culture has used line carvings to express the connotation of conceptual culture. The origin of settled farming civilization not only allows people to recognize the beauty of tools, but also allows people to recognize the physical beauty of tools. Art is not only an imagination that conquers nature, but also a symbol of imagination that conquers nature. Ancient times and nature have been interacting in an artistic way from the beginning. The discovery of logic and the appreciation of art have deduced people's eyes, making a Chinese pattern of the unity of nature and man from confusion to clarity. Since the Yangshao culture, the relationship between man and nature has become symbolic. ------The relationship between man and nature, and the relationship between man and society, are constantly deepened and developed with the appreciation of art. Most of the works are created for religious and witchcraft purposes, not for aesthetic and appreciation needs. The Chinese ancestors worshiped nature, blood and fire, and used ocher-red hematite powder, diluted and mixed with animal fat to produce "Chinese red"; red is the favorite color of the Chinese nation, and has even become a cultural totem of the Chinese people. and spiritual conversion.

1 Chinese ancestors worshiped nature, blood and fire. They used ocher-red hematite powder, diluted and mixed with animal fat to produce "Chinese red"; red is the favorite color of the Chinese nation. , and even become the cultural totem and spiritual refuge of the Chinese people.

2. Take Gu Kaizhi's "Nv Shi Zhi Tu" and Liang Yuan Emperor Xiao Yi's "Zong Gong Tu" as examples: From then on, the style of "Chinese painting inscriptions and postscripts" that integrated calligraphy and painting was created.

2 Take Gu Kaizhi's "Picture of Admonitions of Female History" and Emperor Liang Yuan Xiao Yi's "Picture of Official Tribute" as examples: From then on, the style of "Chinese painting inscriptions and postscripts" that integrated calligraphy and painting was created.

3. Chinese landscape painting is at least 1,000 years earlier than Western landscape painting. The graphic meaning it presents is actually a history of Chinese thought. Wang Wei, who is revered by later generations as the ancestor of literati painting ("the ancestor of the Southern Sect"), created the bud of "the combination of poetry and painting - the poetic and pictorial meaning of Chinese painting". ("Mengxi Bi Tan" tells such a story: It is said that Wang Wei, a poet and painter of the Tang Dynasty, was very excited when he received the "Picture of Pressing Music" given by a guest. Wang Wei said that this was the first part of the third painting of "The Song of Colorful Clothes and Feather Clothes". The guests didn't believe it, so they invited musicians to play that dance piece, and they were convinced. Therefore, the picture can only depict a moment of performance, that is, "only one stroke" rather than the performance of a dance piece. Xu Ning, a poet of the 19th century, wrote in a poem about painting: "One stretch of water is lonely and green with mist, and two cliffs are filled with Cui Cui and white clouds. The painting makes people cry and the ape bursts into tears. It is difficult to make three sounds to get out of the tree." The first two lines of the poem are about painting. In the middle shot, the last two sentences are the poet's exclamation: The painter racked his brains, but in the end he could not paint the "three sounds" of a continuous ape cry, because he could only paint one sound, and the sad and moving three sounds of the ape are the expression on the picture. It goes without saying that the shortcomings of this painting are... However, poetry (ci, fu) can express time, space, environment, music, dance, etc., as well as the joy, anger, sorrow, joy and all things in the world. etc. - all-encompassing; it also just makes up for the shortcomings of painting.

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3 Wang Wei, who is revered by later generations as the ancestor of literati painting ("the ancestor of the Southern Sect"), created the bud of "the combination of poetry and painting - the poetic and pictorial meaning of Chinese painting".

4. Zhao Ji, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, created the "first poetic painting" work: the fundamental difference between literati paintings and craftsman paintings is that literati painters are knowledgeable and have a profound foundation of China's excellent traditional culture - poetry, calligraphy, painting, seals Perfect combination. Zhao Ji's "Hibiscus and Golden Pheasant" depicts the golden pheasant flying on the branches of sparse hibiscus flowers. He turns his neck and looks back, looking up at a pair of lingering colorful butterflies dancing gracefully. A poem is inscribed on the painting: "Autumn is strong and frost is strong, and the Eguan golden-feathered chicken is in full bloom." Knowing all the five virtues, peace and tranquility are better than those of a bird. (The interpretation is: the beautiful scenery in autumn "dilutes" the cold, and the beautiful golden-feathered rooster stands on the branch; the behavior of a gentleman is like the five Confucian virtues: "gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, and concession"; then the world A comfortable and relaxed life should be better than the carefree days of a hawk!)" Its poetic and picturesque flavor overflows the picture, making people endlessly daydreaming; the objects are beautiful in appearance and the expression is lifelike. The look of the golden pheasant, the bright colors of the feathers all over the body, and the song are full of beauty. Wonderful and vivid. The pitching and slanting of the hibiscus leaves are subtle and subtle. Each leaf has its own posture, and the texture of lightness and height is intriguing. A few chrysanthemums are inserted diagonally in the picture, adding to the beauty of the painting. The intricate composition enhances the atmosphere of golden autumn and highlights the high and low position of the whole picture, creating a momentum throughout the picture. The hibiscus thorns are pointed upward, making the viewer focus on the flying butterflies with skillful brushwork and double hook design. The meticulousness of colors and the natural division of space are enough to represent the level of the Northern Song Dynasty Xuanhejian's style paintings. Zhao Ji's aesthetic thoughts focused on poetic connotations, meticulous observation of things, and expressive and vivid realistic expressions. It is clearly shown here that the key to distinguishing the elegance and craftsmanship of gongbi painting lies in the internal cultivation of mind, the dynamic rhythm of the brushstrokes and the poetic composition; looking at "Hibiscus and Golden Pheasants", it is indeed the case: what Zhao Ji did, Elegant, rich and poetic, all of them are excellent. Note: "凫鹥" - 釫 and gull, generally refers to water birds.

4 The creation of "the first poetic painting" by Zhao Ji, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty: literati paintings and craftsmen. The fundamental difference in painting is that literati painters are knowledgeable and profound, and have a perfect combination of poetry, calligraphy, painting and sealing.

Fifth, Yuan Dynasty painting further developed on the basis of inheriting the painting traditions of the Tang, Five Dynasties and Song Dynasties. , the symbol is the prevalence of "literati painting". The literary nature of painting and the emphasis on pen and ink surpassed all previous dynasties. The interest of calligraphy was further extended to the expression and appreciation of painting. Poetry, calligraphy and painting were further combined to embody Another creative development of Chinese painting. Among them, the outstanding ones are the "Wuxing Eight Masters" (/General/Blog/2020-4-8/1856591.aspx) who "focus on poetry and painting" and the "Yuan Si" who "focus on poetry and painting." "Home" (/post/44/1/1/175715457.html)

5 Illustrated overview of the paintings of Liao, Jin, Western Xia and Yuan Dynasties·Zhao Mengfu

6. Ming Dynasty painting inherits the essence of Song and Yuan Dynasties With the evolution and development, especially with the gradual stabilization of social, political and economic, the art of painting has emerged with the emergence of regional masters and schools, showing a situation of numerous schools, systems, flourishing and comprehensive development of various painting disciplines. The influence of the four Yuan schools still existed in the early period, and in the early period, they mainly imitated the "courtyard style" of the Song Dynasty; after the middle period, represented by the Wu family, they returned to the literati painting school that inherited the ink painting method of the Yuan Dynasty and occupied the mainstream of the painting world. /p>

6. Tang Bohu, a talented man from the south of the Yangtze River in the Ming Dynasty? "The Lonely Bird in the Falling Clouds" Ming·Tang Yin

7. The Qing Dynasty was the last feudal dynasty in China, from 1644 to 1911, lasting 286 years . The painting art of the Qing Dynasty continued the trend since the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Literati paintings increasingly occupied the mainstream of the painting world, and the creation of landscape paintings and ink freehand paintings became popular. Under the influence of the idea of ??literati painting, more painters spent their energy on pursuing the interest of pen and ink, resulting in more diverse forms and more factions. Under the influence of Dong Qichang's "Northern and Southern Sects", the number of schools and fierce competition in the Qing Dynasty painting circle was unprecedented. The development of painting in the Qing Dynasty can be roughly divided into three periods: early, middle and late.

In the early days, the "Four Kings" painting school occupied a dominant position in the painting world, while in the south of the Yangtze River there were innovative schools represented by the "Four Monks" and the "Eight Schools of Jinling"; in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, due to the prosperity of the social economy and the emperor's emphasis on calligraphy and painting, court painting However, in Yangzhou, the literati painting school represented by the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou emerged, which advocated innovation; (Chinese painting is the accumulation of China's excellent traditional culture, which is embodied in "Poetry and painting are the soul of Chinese painting"! ) Especially after the Song Dynasty, Chinese painting has gradually developed into a comprehensive art. For example, more emphasis has been placed on the combination of painting with poetry, calligraphy, inscriptions, seals, etc., and more emphasis has been placed on the combination of painting with Confucianism, Lao-Zhuangism, and Zen Buddhism. , Zen philosophy, etc., and these are also directly reflected in the paintings of the ancients.

7 The "Poetic and Painting" Qing Shi Tao and Li Wei

8? The poetic and painting works of modern and contemporary Chinese paintings - the works of Qi Baishi and Gu Shaohua

Mr. Pan Tianshou In his article "Talk about the Style of Traditional Chinese Painting", he clearly stated that "Chinese painting integrates poetry, calligraphy, painting and printing, which greatly increases the artistic breadth and depth of Chinese painting and is closely related to Chinese painting." Like traditional drama, it has become a comprehensive art, which is something that Western painting does not have." Chinese painting has also begun to place more emphasis on a series of thinking activities and mental states such as "feeling things", "feeling excitement", "spiritual thinking" and "emptiness and tranquility", as well as "establishing one's body", "nurturing one's energy" and "accumulating learning", etc. It meets the many requirements of moral knowledge and literary and artistic cultivation, instead of just focusing on and staying on the basic composition of works such as composition, pen and ink, color, etc. In modern terms, it is the so-called "ontological creation". As everyone knows, these seemingly more professional and detailed concepts and formulations have actually intentionally or unintentionally avoided and stripped away the inherent connection between Chinese painting and traditional culture, and have superficially and misinterpreted the essential characteristics and spirit of Chinese painting. connotation. Nietzsche said that the art world is composed of two spirits: one is "dream", the state of dream is countless images (such as sculpture); the other is "drunk", the state of drunkenness is incomparable passion (such as music). Zong Baihua, a master of modern aesthetics and poet, pointed out: "Literature and art can stand side by side with morality and philosophy. Its foundation is deeply rooted in the technological stage of the times and the social and political consciousness. It must have an earthy flavor and must be The flesh and blood of the times, even if its head reaches into the lofty sky of spiritual light, indicates the true meaning of life and the mystery of the universe." (Zong Baihua, master of aesthetics)

Chinese culture has both explored. The ultimate truth of the inner world, and also explore the ever-changing world of the outer world. Therefore, we do not reject the purely internal expansion of Buddhism, nor do we reject science and technology. We can tolerate everything. Therefore, we will not die from the collapse of continuous inward exploration, nor will we die from the madness of continuous outward expansion, so we live the longest. Five thousand years of civilization has become a mystery to Westerners. It is harmonious with the inside and outside, not partial to the inside or the outside, which is called "middle". This is the "middle" of traditional Chinese medicine, the "middle" of China. There are three schools of thought: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Buddhism represents inward exploration, Confucianism represents outward exploration, and Taoism is the connection between the two. This is the core secret of how we can experience temporary decline and then revive again, again and again. The essence of Chinese painting is to use scenes to express emotions and objects to express aspirations. Therefore, "expressing aspirations and expressing feelings" is the center of Chinese painting expression; Chinese painting places great emphasis on artistic conception. I agree with Mr. Cheng Dali’s summary of the two major functions of Chinese painting: 1. The art of cultivating the mind and self-cultivation; 2. The power of understanding the world and enlightening the Tao; but: he put forward a threshold requirement to the public that the public must first transform themselves, rather than Transforming Chinese painting, Chinese painting, whether the creator or the appreciator, can make people enter a state of tranquility, emptiness, and inner spirituality, that is, a state of "quietness"; of course, it is far away from war, does not show blood or irritability, Also rarely shows anxiety. It pursues tranquility and distance, harmonizes heaven and man, and achieves perfection through introspection. Appreciators and creators must upgrade themselves to be cultured, state-conscious, and ethical people before they can enter Chinese painting.

Therefore, Gu Shaohua believes that Chinese calligraphy and painting are the carrier of China’s excellent traditional culture, that is, the accumulation of traditional culture.

Therefore, when appreciating Chinese paintings, one needs to appreciate them from the following three aspects, rather than looking at the "all-inclusive" view of Western paintings; 1. Appreciating the "essence of Chinese culture - poetry, songs and poems" from the excellent traditional Chinese culture; Artistically, appreciate the beauty of fonts, lines, power, and the beauty of expressive personality. 3. The essence of Chinese painting - "borrowing scenes to express emotions and objects to express aspirations" is an art that borrows objects to express the author's thoughts and emotions, and is the artistic embodiment of "the unity of things and myself".

Pictures can only depict a moment of performance activity, that is, "can only draw one sound" rather than the performance process of a dance music. Xu Ning, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote in a poem about painting: "One stretch of water is lonely and green with mist, and two cliffs are filled with Cui Cui and white clouds. The painting makes people cry to the point of crying apes, and it is difficult to raise trees even if they want to sing three times." The first two lines of the poem are: In the scene in the painting, the last two sentences are the poet's exclamation: The painter tried his best, but in the end he could not paint the "three sounds" of a continuous ape cry, because he could only paint one sound, and the sad and moving three sounds of the ape are the only thing on the picture. What cannot be expressed is the disadvantage of this painting... However, poetry (ci, fu) can express time, space, environment, music, dance, etc., as well as the joy, anger, sorrow, joy, and depiction of all things in the world - all-inclusive; it also just makes up for the shortcomings of painting. But poetry is implicit and not as intuitive and easy to understand as painting. It has always been said that poetry, calligraphy and painting have the same origin. The highest state of the three is "poetry and painting"; they all write about the heart, write thoughts and express emotions. Therefore, fundamentally speaking, the three are connected.