A Study Of The Influence Of The Traditional Chinese Qi Theory On The Theories Of Traditional Chinese Painting

Chinese art of painting, under the profound influence of the theory of qi, a branch of traditional Chinese philosophy, has formed a variety of painting theories of qi in the long course of its development. The present thesis, based on the discussion of the original meaning of qi, divides the theories of qi in traditional Chinese philosophy into two groups: the theory of objective generation, which holds that all things in the universe (man included) are generated from qi and that the opposition and harmony between yin and yang, the two opposing components of qi, is the general law of the universe, and the theory of subjective cultivation, which maintains that man should conserve his vital powers, cultivate his spirit so as to conform better to the laws of nature and live harmoniously with nature. The thesis then focuses on the analysis of some representative traditional Chinese painting theories such as the Form and Spirit Theory, the Tone Theory, the Yihua Theory, the Spiritual Quality Theory, the Natural Aestheticism Theory and the Cultivation Theory. The author holds that the theories of Form and Spirit, Tone and Yihua are developed mostly under the influence of the theory of objective generation while the theories of Spiritual Quality, Natural Aestheticism and Cultivation are formed mostly under the influence of the theory of subjective cultivation, that despite the differences in emphasis, these painting theories, in depth, all embody the profound understanding and unique perception of the universe of the traditional Chinese philosophical theory of qi, and that painters should, through spirit cultivation, establish a highly harmonious relation with the universe, that is, reach the state of integration with Heaven, which is actually the essence of the Chinese art of painting.