On Chinese Painting Study From The Perspective Of Chinese Philosophy

The gorgeous flower, Chinese painting study, is fostered by Chinese philosophy cultural soil. It also becomes an irresistible surge of life stream supported by Chinese philosophy spirit. As an important part of Chinese traditional culture, Chinese painting study and philosophy spirit are in complete harmony, with the same spiritual connotation and essential pursuit. Their developments, theoretical characters as well as their ideology presentation are quite consistent. Under the influence of Chinese philosophy ideas, Chinese painting study shows us an interesting picture scroll with vast and numerous masterpieces, subtle illustration, as well as infinite and deep meaning. Different from western painting in theoretic system and character, Chinese painting study has its unique style and high aesthetic and cultural values.This article chooses Chinese painting study as its research object. From the view point of Chinese philosophy rather than the limited artistic disciplines, Chinese painting study's artistic spirit, essential characteristics and the way to present the philosophy are analyzed. This article provides certain theoretic and practical meanings for protection, innovation and development of Chinese painting. The internal relationship between Chinese painting study and philosophy is described in the following steps:In Chapter One, the close relationship between the development and basic characteristics of Chinese philosophy and Chinese painting study is shown to us. Not only did they develop together in harmony, Chinese philosophy is the Chinese painting study's inner life and soul. Chinese philosophy came through many stages such as the Hundred Schools in the Pre-Qin Period, the Confucian classics in Qin and Han dynasty, metaphysics in Wei and Jin dynasty, Buddhist study in Sui and Tang dynasty, Neo-Confucianism study in Song and Yuan dynasty, topology study in Qing dynasty etc. however in the process of development, through conflicting with and absorbing each other, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism constituted the main body of Chinese philosophy development and the philosophy background of Chinese painting study's creation and development. With the pursuit of unity of heaven and man as its keystone, Chinese philosophy emphases the extensive exchanges and integrate harmony among heaven, earth, universal stuff and human themselves. With philosophy for life as its core, it stresses human's living spirit and all the lives in our universe. It also regards integrate intuition and minds experiences and realization as its method, how to behave for achieving sages'personality and to ascend the realm of life as its ultimate pursuit. All the above-mentioned factors formed Chinese philosophy's particularity and the fundamental distinction between Chinese and western painting. Consequently, Chinese painting study also has such different development stages as some valuable painting thoughts in Pre-Qin period, Gu kaizhi's "the image and the spirit" theory and Xie he's Six Method thoughts in Six Dynasties. The basic framework of theory has been established during the Two-Song Dynasty. With the development in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasty, the unique theoretic characteristics and system of Chinese painting has come into being, which became a national art bearing our national features and spirits. Chinese paintings are the pictures expressing human's thoughts and minds, and showing universal creature's life spirits as its highest principle. Its ultimate goal is shaping human's ideal personality. Rich aesthetic implication and lofty pursuit of life are displayed in Chinese paintings with brushwork and the use of ink. In the history of world painting, it presents a unique development outlook.Chapter Two mainly displays the life value and thinking ways of unity of heaven and human in Chinese philosophy's influences on the aesthetic orientation, theme and emotion of Chinese painting study. Unity of heaven and human is the basic spirit of Chinese philosophy and the philosophy foundation of Chinese arts. With life as the main purpose and target, unity of heaven and human aims at improving spirit realm to realize the harmony between man and man, man and society, man and nature which is also humans'final appeal. Unity of heaven and man thoughts appeared in the two schools of ancient Chinese philosophy of Confucianism and Taoism, which all regarded life and creation of life as its fundamental idea. The unity thoughts'model is life's pattern. Life spirit is clearly embodied in it, and the life realm among heaven, earth and human is also extended. It is the Chinese nation's unity of heaven and man thought that creates Chinese painting study's unique feature, deep kernel and unity life viewpoint. The viewpoint is directed by unity of heaven and man thought, with rhythmic vitality as its aesthetic theme and unity of theory and practice as its aesthetic sentiment. Under the influence of unity of heaven and man thought, Chinese painting becomes the knowledge probing the deep human spirit. The realization and realm of life are combined to be the inner qualities and ultimate pursuit of Chinese painting study.The artistic conception of Chinese painting study combined by void and solid is analyzed in Chapter Three based on the ideas about being and not being and word meaning opinion of Chinese philosophy. As the core and the ideal art presentation of Chinese painting study, artistic conception's aesthetic generation embodies the wisdom of Chinese philosophy, benefiting from the Chinese philosophy nourishing. The discussions of "being and not being" and "void and solid" have two main results. From the point of Taoism and Zen Buddhism, void is the orientation and empty is the purpose. Void and empty are advocated. Another point is from Confucianism, they started from solid. Word meaning opinion was discussed by Taoism and Confucianism in Pre-Qin period and the metaphysic school in Wei and Jin dynasty. Based on the "being and not being" theory and words meaning opinion, the artistic conception of Chinese painting study formed the principle of exceeding limited to unlimited, blending, void-solid combination and integrated active and stable. The conception has the features of integrity, empty spirit and philosophical quality. Artistic conception is the human's realization of nature, the deep understanding of "shape", and the "virtual" of "reality" The pictures'highest state is the unity of man's inner life and his universal spirit.Chapter Four displays the philosophical foundation of personality theory which advocates subject. To establish moral subject and set up ideal personality is the core of Chinese philosophy culture. Human oriented Chinese philosophy is concerned of human life value, emphasis on people cultivation of moral character, focuses on improving people's spirit realm with strong subject consciousness and moral pursuit ideas. Influenced by stressing subject consciousness thought, Chinese painting study also stresses the importance of subject. Pursuing individual freedom and personality improvement, Chinese painters impersonate the things in flower and bird painting; express their feelings in landscape painting to combine the art with their lives. The personality is described and constructed in the paintings which symbolize life's freedom and independent personality. Corresponding to Confucian and Taoist Buddhism's ideal personality, Chinese painting study also shows two personality orientations, ethical and hermit personality. Ideal personality is the ultimate pursuit for improvement of Chinese painting study.In Chapter Five, the harmonic and changing draw and ink theory is explained. Upholding harmony and changing is the great wisdom in Chinese philosophy, which is used in the painting field and creates the unique beauty of black ink. The harmony between ink testimonies and norms, draw and ink, ink and object is required. Therefore, the harmony oriented aesthetic idea is shown. Meanwhile, painting with rhythmic vitality is the highest aesthetic principle. When it comes to the ink technique, changing and innovation are requested. Painters are requested to draw with life and spirit, to paint with energy and agility. The life spirit, poetic conception and ideal personality are shown in the draws and paints. So draw and ink is the symbolism of Chinese painting study's spirit, and constructs the important aesthetic characteristics and lofty artistic realm.The Innovation of this Paper:(I) Based on Chinese philosophy, the artistic spirit and essential features of Chinese painting study are analyzed deeply and systematically. Chinese painting study's implication and humanity value and presentation are revealed. Nowadays, the studies of Chinese painting study are based on aesthetics, art and fine arts. Even from the point of Chinese philosophy, it is limited to particular philosophical schools and opinions case studies. The systematic wholesome Chinese painting study's basic features study from Chinese philosophy is initially.(II) The painting theory is studied in multidisciplinary of Chinese philosophy, aesthetics, literature, and art rather than just artistically. This paper is a breakthrough on depth and extent compared with the simple and single disciplinary analyses.(III) With Chinese philosophy as its foundation, Chinese painting study's aesthetic ideal, realm, and personality are researched deeply. Their connection relationship is revealed. The Chinese painting study's interpretation is improved.(IV) From the Chinese philosophy advocating subject consciousness level, the personality pursuing of Chinese painting theories is systematically and penetratingly analyzed and the two personality orientations "ethical personality" and "hermit personality" corresponding to Confucian and Taoism Zen thoughts are pointed out. Previous academics lack the in-depth research, so this paper has certain innovation and significance.Shortages of this Paper:(I) Because of the preliminary research of philosophical analyzing of Chinese painting study and lacking of academic skills and information, some philosophical conceptions and its usage are not quite appropriate while based on Chinese philosophy to analyze the Chinese painting study. When using the unity of theory and practice theory to analyze the aesthetic emotion, plus the painter's practice of unity of heaven and human spirit is illustrated, the arguments are not rigorous with contrived suspicion. Further study and adjusting are needed.(II) The interpretation of Chinese painting study thoughts and the research of its aesthetic and cultural values are needed to be improved. Take draw and ink theory as an example, the harmony and changing upholding rule and regulation are analyzed. But the spiritual implication is not described specifically. In addition, draw and ink in Chinese painting study not only displays harmony and changing upholding philosophical wisdom, but also contain the Taoism and metaphysics spirit.(III) There are many improper arrangements in some chapters. Repeated discussion and material using occur in some chapters. Further improvement and modification are needed.