Maitreya, Eighteen Arhats, Bodhidharma

Author: Huang Xi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: In today's era of reform and opening up, artists have a vast space to express their creative thoughts and forms. Meanwhile, the general audience also has ample freedom to choose their aesthetic preferences. While some people are avidly discussing modern art, a significant portion of the public also shows strong interest in traditional Chinese figure painting. The figure paintings in this series of books employ traditional brushwork and modeling techniques, emphasizing lines, realism, and expressive power. I believe that after viewing these figure paintings, readers will certainly be deeply captivated by the authentic charm of traditional art.
Figure painting is an important component of Chinese painting, with a long history spanning thousands of years. Over the course of endless years, it has gradually evolved into a rich and noble tradition. This tradition is not only reflected in form and technique but also in subject matter. One of the most beloved themes among the people is the depiction of deities and Buddhist figures. Taoism and Buddhism have been practiced in China for over two thousand years, yet the folk reverence for these figures far extends beyond religious boundaries. People's admiration and worship of deities and Buddhist figures stem more from their noble qualities—purity, kindness, bravery in the face of injustice, the ability to dispel evil and uphold justice, and generosity.
As a result, painters did not depict deities and Buddhist figures in ethereal realms but rather portrayed them as ordinary people found in everyday life. This approach made these figures more relatable to the common folk, who found them even more and authentic. Another category of subject matter is the celebrated figures from China's thousands of years of history. These include virtuous and enlightened emperors, generals, and ministers, as well as heroic national figures and erudite scholars. These pivotal figures in China's historical development are also idols and role models in the hearts of the people. Their stories are often depicted in figure paintings and passed down through generations.
The third category consists of once-common folk customs and daily life scenes, such as fishing, woodcutting, farming, and reading, as well as playing the qin, go, calligraphy, and painting, or picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence and hoeing the moonlit field. These aspects of life, now gradually fading in modern society, were historically only accessible to the people during "peaceful and prosperous" times. The enduring appeal of these paintings reflects a sense of satisfaction and indulgence in the current society's stability and harmony.