Painting

Author: Gu Kaizhi (Eastern Jin Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: The theory of painting in ancient China has a long history and is extremely rich in materials. Gu Kaizhi's On Painting, Biographies of the Masters of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and Record of Painting Cloud Mountain Terrace are the earliest extant documents on painting theory. In terms of form, these materials include charts, songs, and couplets; commentaries; inscriptions and prefaces; monographs; individual pieces, series, and classified compendia. In terms of content, The Peiwen Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting is divided into five categories: painting styles, painting techniques, painting studies, painting critiques, and biographies of painters. Yu Shaosong's Compendium of Catalogues of Calligraphy and Painting is divided into ten categories, each with subheadings. First is historical accounts, second is techniques, third is commentaries, fourth is critiques, fifth is inscriptions and prefaces, sixth is catalogues, seventh is miscellaneous notes, eighth is collected works, ninth is spurious works, and tenth is lost works, with the last eight being irrelevant to content. Painting studies and critiques hold significant theoretical value, while painting techniques transmit methods. Catalogues and collected works gather and preserve materials. Today, our research on ancient Chinese painting theory remains very weak. Since painting theory is subordinate to painting, with painting being the primary subject and painting theory a secondary matter, few painters, like Mr. Yu Jianhua, have studied painting theory. Additionally, due to the excessive specialization of academic fields, those who study literature and poetry are often unfamiliar with calligraphy and painting. As a result, literary theory is treated as such, and painting theory as such, with those skilled in language and literature not researching painting theory documents. Although painting theory documents are abundant, painters do not know how to organize them. This book is a selected annotated edition of ancient Chinese painting theory, with the full text selected and not excerpted. Annotations are made to be accurate and concise.