Traditional Chinese Figure Painting Expressionless State

The expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings is the product of special Chinese cultural quality, aesthetic characteristic and traditional cultural ethos.During the development of traditional Chinese figure paintings, under the effects from both artists'creativity and historical context its main figure puts up an inhospitable and indifferent expression in discrepancy with the artistic environment of the painting, which is known as the lack of expression, that is, the expressionless state. The figure paintings with this kind of art characteristic run through the long development of traditional Chinese figure paintings. There are three reasons for the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings. First, philosophical thinking of different schools in Early Qin, as figure paintings'theoretical foundation, influences its painting quality. The thoughts of benevolence and concealment from Confucius and Mencius bring up the connotation of expression. Taoistic Peripateticism establishes the indifference of figure paintings. Moreover, this kind of indifference goes to acme under the influence from Buddhism and metaphysics'way of thinking. Second, the folk-custom of"honorable burial and long funeral"and Zen thought enrich the cultural origins of the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings. Ethnic cultural psychology with Buddhism, Taoism and Jinnee as the main content and esquire thoughts with the core of Zen constitute a very important cultural origin of traditional Chinese figure paintings. Third, scholars'mind with the state of mean and worry and their realistic spirit are the principal factors of the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings. The content and thought of paintings always relate to the life experience and thinking process of the author or the figure in the painting. Chinese scholars'ambivalent attitude towards politics deeply brands their artistic creativity. When their surging ideals conflict with the setback in reality, they turn to the vague and implicit feeling expressions in the paintings'creation.The expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings was born under the joint influence of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. It has become an important way for artists to reflect the reality, express themselves and seek ideals. It also has great humanistic value and research significance to Chinese figure paintings as well as Chinese art itself. To begin with, the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings congeals the unique artistic principles and aesthetic standards of Chinese figure paintings, namely, exceeding and aloofness. Under the influence of"trance"and"aloofness"of Zen notions, the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings surpasses both human facial expressions and objective nature, and reaches the so-called state of"uniformity of heaven and human". Moreover, the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings further develops the artistic creative view and life view of artists, that is, aloof outlook on world and life. Such a view is best expressed in the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings. Again, the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings firms and validates the soul-purify function of Chinese paintings, which is a description of social function of traditional Chinese figure paintings. Among the paintings with expressionless figures there are plenty of works representing Zen, Buddha and Divinity, which actually are the product of high state of spirit. These images go beyond the human beings'common feelings and vicissitudes of life, and jump out of metempsychosis and five elements. It is very pleasant to talk and communicate with them for the individual puzzled with the conventional affairs.Compared with western figure paintings, the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings is related to the whole art history. It is remolded artificial peace and represents intense personal ideas of the artists.Meanwhile, the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings exert great influence over contemporary Chinese figure paintings. Although the expressionless artistic connotation has changed from expressing how turbulent hearts are constrained and concealed in traditional figure paintings to expressing calmness and peace under the advocacy and influence of the harmonious society, the creative history and context of the expressionless state of traditional Chinese figure paintings have already deeply permeated into the artistic practice of contemporary Chinese figure paintings and tried to guide its healthy development.