User:Chen Junyu/Graduation Project Seminar/ project proposal/Proposal6

Question

By which way, I could approach the core in my work that Chinese painting always chases for--resonance of the spirit,movement of life.

Context

Here is a story about the great Chinese painter Zhang Sengyou (Chinese: 张僧繇). Quoted from Fritz Van Briessen's The Way of the Brush, originally written by Zhang Yanyuan from Tang Dynasty:

Zhang one day decided to paint a dragon on the wall of his house. He guided his brush with full confidence, and after a while the dragon was finished except for its eyes. Suddenly the master's courage failed him. He simply did not dare to paint those eyes. When, many months later, he at last felt brave enough, he groped for his brush and with swift strokes dashed in eye and pupil. Within an instant the dragon broke into cloud roaring and flew away, leaving a trace of fire and smoke.

In the Asiatic world, belief in the supernatural power of the artist remained alive over greatly prolonged period. And there was no absolute division between magic, religion and philosophy in the east, especially in China. Taoism, as the primitive Chinese philosophy for the Han race, effects the developing of Chinese painting on a fundamental base. It influences the establishment of the material system and the construction of the painting principles.

The generally accepted principle for Chinese painting was written by Hsieh Ho，a writer, art historian and critic in 6th century China, named as The Six Principles of Hsieh Ho. He summarized six sentences to divide the different level of paintings. There are different versions of the interpretation in English of the six principles, and all of them are so contrasting, here I use the translation of Osvald Siren's Early Chinese Painting, which I think it is the closest one to the original version.

The six principles of Chinese painting:

1) Resonance of the spirit; Movement of Life.

2) Bone Manner (i.e. Structural) Use of the Brush.

3) Conform with the objects ( to obtain ) their Likeness.

4) According to the Species, apply the Colours.

5) Plan and Design; Place and Position ( Composition)

6) To transmit Models by Drawing.

In Hsieh Ho's principles, the achievement of resonance of the spirit／movement of life is the standard that if a painting reaches the highest level. The transmition of model by drawing is the requirement for the lowest level of Chinese painting. That is to say, the representational depiction in Chinese painting is not the most important factor, it can be the provement of the painter's technique. Only when a painting transmit the lively spirtual of what the painter wants to express, the authenticity behind the surface，this painting can be judged as one of the best category.