Appreciation of Ancient Costume Character Paintings Series. Xie Zhi'ao

Author: Xie Zhigao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: A series of appreciations of the ancient costume figure paintings by Xie Zhigao, a contemporary Chinese master painter. The collection includes 20 of his ancient costume figure paintings for everyone to admire. The Chinese nation has a long history, marked by ups and downs, dynastic changes, and over thousands of years, many heroes, outstanding figures, and scholars have emerged, like stars in the vast sky shining brightly. They have been revered, celebrated, sung, and remembered by later generations. Today, the ancient costume figure paintings depicted by modern painters are a way for contemporary people to express their artistic interpretation of the past, using the stories and figures of ancient times to convey their emotions: either to promote their spirit, to convey their ideals, to praise their virtues, or to admire their talents. However, for Chinese painters, especially those who specialize in freehand ink wash painting, ancient costume figures often appear in small-scale paintings, becoming a common theme for learning tradition, refining form and brushwork. They do not necessarily carry significant thematic ideas, with more lightness than seriousness, more joy than moralizing, and when emotions are sincere, they draw freely, pouring out their inspiration, pursuing vivid figures, natural and flowing brushwork, the inheritance of traditional language, the exploration of artistic forms, the pursuit of aesthetic taste, and the revelation of personal emotions.
I have been engaged in Chinese figure painting for decades. In addition to dedicating myself to modern figure painting, I also paint ancient costume figures, which serve as a ( means, a, a balance) and supplement to my serious thematic works. I believe that the rhythm of this artistic practice, its ebb and flow, and the balance of this pace align with the logic and principles of artistic practice and creation.
Since the theme of ancient costume figure paintings is generally light in content and small in scale, they mostly fall into the category of small-scale paintings. According to my habit, I often skip the sketching process, without preliminary drafts, just forming a rough outline in my mind before laying out the paper and drawing freely. I focus on the "writing" aspect of calligraphy. With no mental burden, my brushwork becomes relaxed and unrestrained, light and lively. Over time, I seem to have improved my skills in modeling, composition, and brushwork.
In recent years, I have unintentionally accumulated a considerable number of works. Now, as Xiyuan Publishing House plans to compile and publish them, I have selected some for this collection, and I welcome your criticism and corrections.
Xie Zhigao
October 2003