Six principles of Chinese painting
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The Six principles of Chinese painting were established by Xie He, a writer, art historian and critic in 6th century China. He is most famous for his "Six points to consider when judging a painting" (绘画六法, Pinyin:Huìhuà Liùfǎ), taken from the preface to his book "The Record of the Classification of Old Painters" (古画品录; Pinyin: Gǔhuà Pǐnlù). Keep in mind that this was written circa 550 A.D. and refers to "old" and "ancient" practices. The six elements that define a painting are:
- "Spirit Resonance," or vitality, and seems to translate to the nervous energy transmitted from the artist into the work. The overall energy of a work of art. Xie He said that without Spirit Resonance, there was no need to look further.
- "Bone Method," or the way of using the brush. This refers not only to texture and brush stroke, but to the close link between handwriting and personality. In his day, the art of calligraphy was inseparable from painting.
- "Correspondence to the Object," or the depicting of form, which would include shape and line.
- "Suitability to Type," or the application of color, including layers, value and tone.
- "Division and Planning," or placing and arrangement, corresponding to composition, space and depth.
- "Transmission by Copying," or the copying of models, not only from life but also the works of antiquity.
Whether meant as critical principles for the buyer of art or as an exhortation to painters, these principles are timeless, and should have more attention paid to them today.
