Chinese painting

Chinese painting (中国画 Zhōngguó huà) refers to the traditional pictorial art practiced in China for over a thousand years. Its roots lie in a much older, original way of thinking that emphasizes the unity of man and the cosmos, as well as the continuous dynamism within this universe. Beyond the representation of form, Chinese painting seeks to express the soul (the principle of life) and the inner movement of beings.

Generally speaking, Chinese painting consists of one or more poems (诗 shī), calligraphy (书法 shūfǎ), a painted image, and the artist’s seal (印章 yìnzhāng). Several methods can be distinguished:

1. Gongbi painting (工笔 gōngbǐ, lit. “Meticulous Brush” or “Skillful Brush”) is characterized by its finesse and precision in detail.
2. Baimiao painting (白描 báimiáo, lit. “Outline Drawing”) involves drawing only the contours with black ink. It is closely related to Gongbi.
3. Mogu painting (没骨 mògǔ, lit. “Bone-less”) is similar to Gongbi but does not outline the contours.
4. Xieyi painting (写意 xiěyì, lit. “Write the Idea” or “Express the Intention”) features bold strokes and primarily uses the principle of gradation.
5. Shuimo painting (水墨 shuǐmò, lit. “Water and Ink”) is a style of Xieyi, created exclusively with black ink and focusing on gradation.
6. Many other styles exist, often variations of those already mentioned.

The aim of Chinese painting is to create, with great conciseness, an artwork with artistic charm that conveys a sense of infinity. In traditional Chinese thought, the universe consists of breaths (气 qì) of various densities, always in motion and forming the very source of life. Recreating these breaths in an image gives it life and establishes a direct connection between the universe, the painting, and humanity. Thus, painting or contemplating a painting allows one to restore the often-lost unity with the cosmos. In this way, Chinese painting is more of an art of living than a mere aesthetic endeavor. “Rhythm of breaths and movements of life” is an excellent expression to capture the essence of Chinese painting.

The formats used in Chinese painting are highly varied. The most well-known include “the large scroll” (大轴 dàzhóu), “the horizontal format” (横幅 héngfú), and “the fan” (扇面 shànmiàn), among others.

Human figures (人物 rénwù), landscapes (山水 shānshuǐ), flowers and birds (花鸟 huāniǎo), mammals (走兽 zǒushòu), insects and fish (虫鱼 chóngyú), architecture (建筑 jiànzhù), and more are common subjects. Inspiration is drawn directly from nature and also from the works of ancient masters.

Landscapes (山水 shānshuǐ), human figures (人物 rénwù), and flowers and birds (花鸟 huāniǎo) are the three favorite themes of Chinese painters. This involves an in-depth study of plants and flowers across the four seasons, as well as the physiognomy of birds, insects, fish, and mammals. Developing a sense of observation while keeping traditional thought in mind is essential to perceive dynamism through an apparently static landscape.

Key elements in Chinese painting composition include:

1. Overall organization and directions (ascending, descending, emphasized, etc.).
2. Density and clustering (or dispersion). The ancients used this phrase to describe density in a painting: “Sparse enough for a horse to pass through, dense enough that even the wind cannot penetrate.”
3. The void (空 kōng). In traditional Chinese painting, the void holds great importance. It can represent the sky (天 tiān), earth (地 dì), water (水 shuǐ), clouds (云 yún), etc. It provides not only an image within the painting but also propels the viewer into a much larger, even infinite, world by leaving room for imagination. The contemplation starts from the “filled” part of the painting as a springboard to propel into the absolute through the “void.” Chinese poetry is based on the same principle.
4. Even more important are the inscriptions (题字 tízì). These include the title, content (poem, prose, description, story, etc.), the author’s name, and their seal. All must be calligraphed in different styles depending on what the artist wants to express. The choice of inscriptions and their placement determine the painting’s vitality. They complete the work. Without them, Chinese painting is merely a lifeless body.