The origin of finger painting can only be traced to the following record in "Records of Famous Paintings of the Past Dynasties" written by Zhang Yanyuan of the Tang Dynasty: "During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, in a Bihong, the official Jingzhao Shaoyin was Zuo Shuzi. A famous contemporary artist who is good at painting ancient pine trees. Du Fu once made a "Double Pine Picture" for him." "When Bi Shuzi saw that Zhang Hong was only using a bare pen or touching plain silk with his hands. He asked what he had received, and Hong replied: 'Foreign master's creation, he got the source of his heart'. So Bi Hong put down his pen."
After the story about Zhang Hong touching plain silk with his hand, which made Bi Hong feel defeated, people thought it was Zhang Hong who pioneered finger painting. Fang Xun of the Qing Dynasty wrote in "Mountain Quiet Residence on Painting": "Finger painting began with Zhang Hong, who either used a brush back or later touched silk." This proof is based on the records of "Records of Famous Paintings of the Past Dynasties", and affirmed.
However, during the thousand years from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, not only were there no traces of finger painting by famous ancient painters, but also the term finger painting and comments about finger painting, and even Zhang Hong’s works were not found. It can't be tested. After such a long period of history, it was not until the Kangxi period of the early Qing Dynasty that a large number of finger paintings by Gao Qipei came out, and there were no clues about finger painting.
The most detailed history of the Gao family can be found in "The Theory of Finger Painting" written by Gao Bing of Liaoyang. Gao Bing is Gao Qipei's great-grandson. He often saw Qie Yuan's (i.e. Gao Qipei's) "Tui Peng Picture Album" and scenes of finger painting. Therefore, "Finger Painting Theory" is the clearest record of the creation process of finger painting. Gao Bingchou (Gao Bing) has this passage in "The Theory of Finger Painting": "Ke Qingong (Gao Qipei's posthumous title) was studying painting at the age of eight and kept touching manuscripts. After accumulating them for more than ten years, he had two 簏s and dreamed of an old man. When I arrived at the earthen chamber, there were paintings all over the walls. The interior of the chamber was empty and could not be imitated. There was only a bowl of water, and I used my fingers to dip it into it. , I often recall the method of using water in the earthen chamber, because I dipped my fingers in ink and believed in its roughness, which made it clear and clear. "Dreams come true by themselves." The twelve pages of the "Tui Peng Picture Album" of middle-aged paintings are self-titled on the Dao Ban, a painting by Bo Shi Huichou, and this is the first masterpiece. "
Also. According to the "Finger Painting Song" written by Gan Yunyuan of the Qing Dynasty, which was written by his uncle Huaiyuan Shidiao, "the author Gao Gong (Qipei) was the author of the creation of Guochao paintings." It is obvious that Gao Qipei (Picture on the right) (Work "Zhong Kui") (Picture on the lower left) is the founder of finger painting. Yin Gan Huaiyuan was a disciple of the Gao family.
Gao Gang, Gao Qipei's son, also wrote in an inscription, "Spiritual ghosts have magical powers, and their creations are unique in ancient and modern times." His descendant, Sun Gaohua, also wrote a postscript on the same painting: "Since ancient times, paintings have not been able to refer to the author, but they have been since my father Ke Gong."
Moreover, Li Shizhuo, the nephew of Gao Qipei, wrote in the "Sui Dynasty Picture" that "the finger dipped in ink originated from the uncle's family of Shaosi Kou and Qieyuan, and there is no one in ancient times."
Looking at the idle seal that Gao Qipei often used, "the brush was discarded because it had marks", it is obvious that this is the basis for finger painting. On the painting "Riding Alone, Seeing the Picture", he wrote, "If you put ink with your finger, every time it is halfway between the armor and the flesh, it will form the eyelashes of its own accord. It can be done by flying hair, but if you want to do it, you can't do it." . Since then, Gao Qipei has become an unconventional and unique authority, which is well deserved. Due to his diligence, he created a large number of finger paintings throughout his life, which were highly praised by everyone and became popular all over the country, thereby creating a unique new school of painting in the early Qing painting world. Gao Qipei's historical achievements made him the founder of the Chinese finger painting sect.
From the creation of finger painting to modern times, in the past three hundred years, as the Chinese nation has been in a series of anti-invasion, anti-colonialism, anti-feudal oppression and other independence movements, it has suffered from the double interference of internal and external troubles. Under the circumstances, the national economy and people's livelihood, revolutionary literature and art are in turmoil, and the finger painting is a faint ember, dying. No one will notice or consider the value of this "little trick". As a result, finger painters became rare and rare. For example, in the late Qing Dynasty, although there were more than a hundred famous people, the spread of their works was much less than in the founding period. Some people say: Although Qi Baishi has no direct relationship with Gao's works, it does not mean that there is no indirect influence. It is said that during the Qianjia period, the painter Wang Keshan followed Gao's example. We know that Shishan once studied under the Wang family. Looking at it this way, isn't the inheritance relationship between them quite obvious? Mr. Pan Tianshou (work "Frog Stone"), who has an outstanding reputation in the art world of our country, is also good at finger painting and has very profound attainments. In Pan's "Tingtiange Painting Talk Essays", you can see Pan's very exquisite and large number of monographs on finger painting, which is a relatively influential treatise.
Then Qian Song, a famous painter in Jinling, also published a book "Selected Finger Paintings After Eighty". One of the "Brief Discussions", although not many words, is enough to prove that finger painting has inspired Mr. Qian since he was a child, and it is obvious.