The Concept Of Scholars' Painting In The Painting Education Of The Northern Song Dynasty And Research On Its Origin

As the only Imperial Painting School in the history of Chinese ancient fine arts education, the Painting School in the Northern Song Dynasty was the professional painting institution subordinated to the Imperial Academy School education system and renowned for its explicit teaching system. Being dissatisfied with art academy, Emperor Huizong set up a Painting School for selecting and training students, hoping to usher in an innovation of Imperial Academy School.The Scholars' Painting, however, was always considered an artistic ideological trend contrary to the painting of the Imperial Art Academy. Based on the social and economical culture background at the time when Painting School came into being, this article elaborates the significant influence that the Scholars' Painting of the Northern Song Dynasty exerted on the establishment of the Painting School. In addition, it proceeds to state that a series of measures such as selecting, educating, testing and appointing have provided a fine experimental place for further development and spreading of the concept of Scholars' Painting.In conclusion, from the theory put forward by Su Dongpuo to the experiment initiated by Emperor Huizong, down to the art form of combining poems and paintings eventually evolved in Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Huizong, the bridge between the Scholars' Painting concept and the Imperial Art Academy Painting, made the two of them interactive and subtly connected, thus contributing all together to the prosperity of the Painting School education.