In traditional China,
calligraphy, painting and poetry were conceived of as the perfect arts. These
three arts were very much interwoven. Scholars were also poets, painters and
philosophers. Self-expression in writing was considered as "painting
thoughts". Both calligraphy and Chinese painting are based on brush
strokes, which explain the preference for black ink over colors in Chinese
painting, as well as the importance given to the quality of line.
Calligraphy
In traditional China,
calligraphy was the most important art and the basis for all the other arts.
Chinese calligraphy at its best is an adventure in movement, resembling a
dance. Its essential beauty lies in the dynamic brush stokes. These, being
alternately fast and slow, broadening and narrowing, breathe life into the
written characters. The handwriting will often reveal the calligrapher's
temperament.
Before the invention of paper, most
Chinese texts had been written on bones, bronze or bamboo. Following the
invention of paper (made out of wood, hemp and cloth) by Cai Lun 蔡伦 (63-121 CE), the main
medium of communication became that of characters written on paper. Writing was
done with a brush, and the solid ink was rubbed with drops of water on a
special stone to achieve the desired intensity of darkness. The paper, brush,
solid ink and stone, used for writing the characters, are called "the four
writing treasures" 文房四宝
. The brush is made of animal hair (sheep, deer, fox, wolf,
mouse or hare), bound into a bamboo pipe. The solid ink stick is made of
compressed soot from the burning of certain woods (especially pine). It is
created in the form of a small block adorned with designs, which themselves are
a work of art.
The use of a brush as a writing tool
has had a strong influence on Chinese culture, utterly changing the writing
style, linking it to painting. After the brush started to be used for writing,
a flowing script, comprised of curving lines, thick and thin, full of life and
grace, replaced the angled script that was found incised on bones and bronze
from the Shang (1600-1046 BCE) and Zhou1046-221)
BCE) dynasties. Thus,
writing characters became the main art in Chinese culture. The customary
direction of writing had been either vertical, from the top down, or
horizontal, from right to left. Today all directions (from left to right, right
to left, from top down and from bottom up) are acceptable, but most customary
is writing horizontally from left to right.
Calligraphy is the basis for the
conception of line and form in Chinese art. Both paintings and architecture
derive their forms and contours from calligraphy. The flowing lines and the
graceful angles of the roofs of Chinese temples are inspired by the brush
strokes of Chinese writing. In calligraphy, as in painting, there is a variety
of styles, ranging from hard graphic forms to the free-flowing lines that
characterize Chan Buddhist painting.
As early as
in the Sui 隋
dynasty (581-618 CE)
calligraphy played an important role in training scholars. It was customary to
give a calligraphic work – a saying or a poem - as a present to friends, in order
to commemorate an event or express gratitude for hospitality. This custom is
still practiced in present-day China.
As an art
that involves movement of the whole body, calligraphy is considered a healthy
exercise. Calligraphic work is done early in the morning, when the man and the
world are renewed and refreshed. The calligrapher will usually stand in front
of a high table, unless he is writing on a large surface, in which case he will
place it on the floor, holding a long brush in his hand. With one hand, he will
rub the solid ink onto the ink stone and with the other, he will write. While
preparing the ink for writing, he will meditate and relax to the utmost.
Painting
Chinese
painting is very close to calligraphy in its nature, principles and
techniques. These two arts complement one another and are considered in China as twin
arts. Both use the same materials – "the four writing treasures". As
a product of the use of the writing brush, painting was the domain of scholars.
It was done on paper or silk, and sometimes used to decorate hand fans. There
were also wall paintings, most of them Buddhist.
The use of a
brush for both writing and painting is the source of the significant difference
between Chinese and Western painting. In Chinese paintings, the outline is
emphasized and the lines flow like those of calligraphy. Originally, a painting
without calligraphy was considered worthless.
The
traditional Chinese paintings usually depict peaceful harmonious environments.
Painters presented colors that are true to nature, not because they aspired to
naturalism, but as a part of the prevalent perception that a painter who does
not paint things correctly, does not understand them. Objects were nonetheless
not expected to be precisely copied. According to Chinese aesthetic perception,
going into too many details deprives the painting of its main qualities -
liveliness and vitality. Through the brush strokes, the painter expresses his
awareness of nature.
As early as the years 265-588 CE that
followed the fall of the Han dynasty, a variety of theories were written about
painting. These attempted to broaden the painting discipline beyond that of a
mere representation of reality. According to one theory, the creation of images
as abstract symbols of natural forms and phenomena is analogical to the
hexagrams from The Book of Changes.
The greatness of Chinese art lies in
the love of nature. This does not mean an excitement over pleasant forms,
colors and atmosphere, but is an expression of the deep sense of awe
experienced upon the merging of man with nature. It is a romantic passion for
nature. The artist feels that he participates in universal life, including the
life of animals such as birds and insects. In every painting that he makes, the
artist tries to convey the entire picture, like a philosopher who tries to
reach the principle or the universal law behind everything. Thus, the painter
introduces the essence of things, as the philosopher Zhuang Zi 庄子
(369? -286 BCE) said:
"The real sage, while looking at the beauty of the world, penetrates the
essence of things".
Chan Buddhist painting derives from
the belief in sudden enlightenment. Painted prolifically and fast,
both in the past and present, and not paying too much attention to
detail, these paintings are meant to represent the essence of the
painted object. Like the Daoist paintings, they comprise objects that
float in the air to express the transient existence of man upon earth, and a
misty landscape to express spirituality. Their paintings often show very small
human figures in a vast landscape. This is meant to present the smallness of
man facing the world, and his lack of control over his fate. The Confucian
paintings, in contrast, reflect interest in form rather than in ideas.
The basic requirements of a good
painting appeared for the first time in the book Documents on Ancient
Chinese Painters 古画品録 , written by Xie
He 谢赫
in the sixth century CE.
The six guiding principles, as described in this book, are as follows:
1. The spiritual essence 气 of the subject should be
harmoniously expressed.
2. The structural elements of the
painting should be emphasized by brush strokes.
3. The painting should be faithful to
reality.
4.
Colors should match the painted objects.
5. The composition of the painting
should be carefully planned.
6. The painter should develop his
abilities through copying paintings of previous master painters.
Later critics and theoreticians
emphasized one principle or another, but all of them stressed the importance of
the first one. With regard to the sixth principle, the Chinese are very
attached to their past and appreciate everything that reminds them of their
tradition in form or content. The traditional Chinese painter is expected to
follow the tradition and dedicate at least part of his time and energy to
copying Old Masters' works. Such copying, comparable to the daily practice of a
pianist, is required to bring the painting technique into perfection, from
which the painter will then create his own personal style.
During the eighth century monochromatic
painting developed alongside the polychromatic. Landscape painting became
prevalent. One theoretician wrote that a painting should include all the five
colors[1].
However, in his view, effects (achieved by means of different brushes or
different degrees of brush moisture, etc.) could be used to replace the
colors themselves.
Documentation of the history of Chinese
art first appeared in China in 845 CE in The History of Famous Painters
through the Dynasties 历代名画记, written by Zhang
Yanyuan 张彦远. Zhang had preceded
Vasari, his Western parallel, by about 700 years. Presenting a moral perception
of painting, the book was based on sources from the Han dynasty on. Zhang
believed that paintings derive from nature rather than from man's will. He saw
painting as a creation of the gods that promotes culture and moral principles.
Referring to portraits painted in the past, he contended that seeing goodness
warns against evil, and seeing evil helps man to aspire to wisdom. Thus,
paintings serve as models for the good people, and as warnings for the evil
ones. Through such educational material moral values can reach perfection and a
high standard of social morality is maintained. This approach abandoned
aesthetic values for the sake of content. Gradually, as the interest in
behavior and morality waned, stressing the importance of nature in evoking
feelings inexpressible in words, increased.
Chinese painters had, in any case, never depicted man in a position
higher than that of nature
Some theoreticians saw in painting an expression of the artist's
feelings towards the painted object, and considered a painting successful if it
evoked in the observer the same emotional reaction that the painter himself had
experienced towards that object.
A Theory on Landscape Painting 林泉高致 was written
in the 11th century by the painter Guo Xi 郭熙 (1001-1090), who painted landscapes on
scrolls. In his book, which plays an important role in studying the history of
Chinese aesthetics, Guo writes that when one plans to paint a landscape, one
should create a harmonious relation between heaven and earth. According to his
theory, there are three levels of dimension: the height of a man, of a tree,
and of a mountain. A mountain is taller than a tree and a tree is taller than a
man. The painter should create a balance between heaven and earth, by leaving
areas for heaven and earth in his painting. Likewise, he should create a
balance between light and shadow and between the revealed and the hidden
elements in the landscape. The purpose of landscape painting is to create a new
ideal landscape, enabling the observers to relax from their everyday
activities.
Mountains were important objects in
traditional Chinese landscape painting, but they would never appear by
themselves. Clouds, water and forests would be added. Guo Xi writes that the
painter creates anew a world of nature through his expertise and variety of
brush strokes. Landscape painting glorifies the Imperial order that was
conceived of as a reflection of the cosmic order. Guo Xi's own landscape
paintings were intended to glorify and please the emperor. The latter was
compared to a high mountain overlooking the hills surrounding it. Guo's
painting technique was unique, using a variety of different brushes and inks to
create three-dimensional forms.
With the influence of Chan Buddhism,
Chinese painting became more mystical in nature, an approach expressed in
patches of hues without outline, using black ink rather than color. Chan
Buddhist artists from the 12th and 13th centuries
expressed their moment of enlightenment through the brush in their paintings; a
monk or a mountain bursting out of the mist, represents this moment. For them,
form by itself was never enough; content and significance were always required
too.
One legend that demonstrates the nature
of Chinese painting narrates that an emperor had ordered a painter to paint him
a peony flower. The painter replied that he would need five years to carry out
the command. After five years, when the emperor reminded the artist of his
command, the latter took a piece of paper and in the space of a few minutes had
painted a beautiful peony for him. Then, he led the surprised emperor to his
studio, which included five rooms full of peony paintings that he had painted
during the five years.
Painting was one of the skills that
Emperor Hui Zong 徽宗 (ruled 1101-1125 CE)
required of his court officials. He himself was a painter, poet, calligrapher,
and skilled and knowledgeable in music and history. Thus, he represented the
ideal politician who was also an artist.
Painters worked under the patronage of
emperors. Portraits painted by them, depicting emperors, empresses, high public
officials and famous generals, adorned the palaces. Temples were naturally adorned with portraits
of Buddha, Bodhisattva and prominent donors.
In ancient China, beside landscape paintings
and portraits, there were paintings intended to expel evil. Paintings of tigers
were hung on doors to drive away devils, and paintings depicting victories over
devils were intended to drive away evil spirits.
Guo Ruoxu 郭若虚, one of the greatest
critics during the Northern Song dynasty, wrote in his Records about the
Visions and Feelings that the Painting Conveys 図画见闻志from 1047 CE, that
paintings derive from the painter's spirit, and that they flow and are revealed
through the tip of the brush. The illusion of things is created mysteriously.
It can excite people and evoke greatness in their souls.
An approach that conveys both Daoistic
and Confucian ideas found its expression after the fall of the Song dynasty
(after 1279) in the works of painters who were called
"scholar-painters" 文人画. These artists, whose
approach was based on Confucian values, became the mainstream of the Chinese
art world. They believed that a painting that is created by an educated person
reflects sincerity. In their view, an ideal painting should be created
spontaneously, just as acts from heaven take place spontaneously. This approach
is close to "non-doing" 无为 , a central idea in
Dao, and to Chan Buddhism, according to which meditation empties the mind. The
spirit is cleansed and concentrated, and thus becomes clear. Then, when the
spirit is clear, there is no involvement. He who acts sincerely, without
effort, does the right thing without intellectual effort. Like the actions of a
true Confucian, painting must be motivated by a true purpose or have no
rational purpose at all. In any event, the aspiration for appreciation by
others is definitely considered as improper. The scholar-painter painted in
order to be occupied between learning activities, and to release accumulated energy.
Likewise, he expressed his understanding of others as a reflection of his own
nature, feelings and thoughts.
During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 CE)
the brush stroke technique was the main criterion for judging a painting. The
subjects of the paintings were neither original nor considered important.
Originality was apparent in the special treatment of the subject. In the
scholars' paintings, whether a landscape, a cow, a flower or a human figure, it
was the brush technique that was the most important element.
Artists especially liked painting on
scrolls, which were destined to be kept rolled up in a box and to be unfolded
slowly, so that the observer would follow the journey through the depicted
mountains and rivers. This type of painting usually presented panoramic
landscapes.
Chinese art reflects an aspiration to
express eternality and infinite spaces. According to traditional writings on
art, the Chinese painter would never paint directly from nature. He would
absorb the landscape while looking directly at nature, then return to his
studio and create his own interpretation through form, color and line.
Western visitors to China
did not always know how to appreciate Chinese painting. Marco Polo (1254-1324),
the Venetian explorer who traveled to China, was amazed by its culture,
but had nothing to say about the Chinese master painters. In contrast, Matheo
Ricci (1552-1610), who reached China
in 1601 as the first Catholic missionary to the emperor's court, praised the
Chinese painters for their natural talent. He remarked that it was impossible
to compare them to the European painters because they did not know how to paint
in oil colors or to use scientific perspective. These critics of Chinese
painting failed to understand that the Chinese painters had their own way of
expression, not inferior to that of the Europeans.
As opposed to Western painters, who
usually painted in one-point perspective, Chinese traditional painters painted
in multi-point perspective. Many paintings are painted on a long horizontal or
vertical scroll, with the presented landscape depicted from the many points of
view facing it. By presenting a panoramic view of a winding path in the
mountains, a teahouse, or human figures, the painter not only creates an
illusion of a real landscape, but also invites the observer to follow him on
his journey.
The range of colors in Chinese painting
is also different from the Western one, in the limited use of color. The
Chinese saying that "black is ten colors", emphasizes the superior
importance of the brush stroke technique that breathes life into the
composition.
In traditional China each
painting expressed a personal philosophy even when inspired by a certain place
or memory. Unlike Western painters, the Chinese were not occupied with personal
events, however, but presented a kind of generalization that expressed their
philosophy.
In Chinese paintings there is always a
feeling of space, even when the painting is very small. This approach derives
from Daoism, which preached emptiness, and adopted water, which expands and
fills spaces, as its symbol. This is why water is a central element in many
paintings
Chinese painting, being inspired by
nature, is characterized by movement and rhythm. Just as nature is dynamic, so
too is the painting. Rhythm is seen as the essence of art, which represents the
essence of life. There are no static things in the paintings; rivers, clouds,
leaves, men and women, and above all – animals, are presented in their
unpredictable movements. Some scholars believe that the movement of clouds
inspired the creation of the image of the dragon - a creature in an infinite
movement that dwells in an infinite space.
Description of the multi-disciplinary
nature of painting found its expression in the writings of the painter Shi Tao 石涛(1641-1707), a family
member of a Ming dynasty emperor, who became a Buddhist monk. In 18 concise
essays, he presents a unique methodological theory of painting. Several
chapters set out practical advice for painting landscapes, but most of them are
philosophical, combining cosmological, historical and technical ideas,
reflecting mainly the Daoism of Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi.
According to Dao, a single brush stroke
can depict the existence beyond the boundaries of the universe. A brush stroke
connects man with the cosmos because it is hidden in man's spirit and is
revealed as a result of religious enlightenment. The approach that presents an
association between the first depicted line and supreme awareness derives from
Chan Buddhism.
From the 18th century on,
the influence of Chinese art on European art became apparent, although
Europeans mistakenly approached Chinese painting according to European
standards of technique and composition, rather than according to Chinese
standards.
During the 20th century, after the
fall of the Qing dynasty (1911), there was growing pressure by the West on China to accept
Western ideas. Many painters decided to study abroad, first in Japan and later
also in Europe, especially in Paris. Upon their return to China they
brought with them “novelties”, including strong colors, European brush
techniques, perspective and abstract trends. Some painters completely abandoned
the Chinese style, while others saw European art as a threat to their tradition
and continued to paint in the Chinese style as if nothing else existed. There
were also those who created a combination of the Chinese and European styles.
Before the establishment of the Chinese
Republic in 1911 the
Chinese had been familiar with European painting, but had also been highly
confident concerning their own art.
Abstract painting was not new to the Chinese,
who had already prefigured it in their calligraphy. However, in their art,
abstract painting was not customary, and figurative forms have always been
featured in their paintings.
The establishment of the People's
Republic of China
in 1949 heralded an important change in Chinese art and culture. Under the
leadership of Mao Zedong, paintings became imbued with political content; but
following his death in 1976, Chinese art has tended to be less political.
Decorative Arts
Whereas painters belonged to the upper
class of scholars, craftsmen belonged to the lower classes of traditional
Chinese society. These artisans were apparently divided into groups according
to the materials that they used. There were wood craftsmen, jade craftsmen,
potters, etc. Each estate had its own artisans. Unlike painting, after the
establishment of the Chinese
Republic in 1911 the
decorative arts became less influenced by the West and most of the styles
remained traditional Chinese. With the establishment of the People's Republic
of China,
however, the decorative began to be imbued with the political.
Under the leadership of Mao Zedong many
folk arts such as weaving, basketwork and woodcut, which had not gained
artistic recognition in Imperial times, became significant.
Sculpture
In China, since ancient times,
sculptures had been used for religious purposes, to escort the dead on their
way to the afterlife, or to protect against demons and evil spirits. Pairs of
sculpted lions or hybrid animals were used as guardians flanking the entrances
of the emperors' palaces, or as guardians of tombs, arranged in an avenue
leading to the tomb.
As early as about 5,000 or 6,000 years ago Chinese people began using
large three-legged pots (some were four-legged) made of clay for ritual
purposes, some of them reaching 1.30 m in height. These vessels were adorned
with reliefs, and in some cases were designed in animal shape such as an
elephant or rhinoceros. There were also pots with handles shaped like dragons.
The most significant
Chinese sculptural work is of course that of the terracotta warriors 兵马俑that were discovered
near Xian 西安 in 1974. Emperor Qin Shi
Huang Di ( 秦始皇帝 ) (259-210 BCE; seized
power in 246 BCE) started the construction of his mausoleum when he was only 13
years old. More than 8,000 sculpted soldiers and knights accompanied him after
his death. Each of the terracotta soldiers, in natural size and with individual
facial expressions, had its uniform designed according to rank and unit. They
include archers, riders and knights arrayed in battle position, holding bows,
arrows and swords.
In the domain of Buddhist sculpture the
Chinese artists were influenced by the Indians. Indian sculpture itself was
influenced by Persian, Hellenistic and Roman art. During the fifth and sixth
centuries CE, Chinese Buddhist sculpture developed its own unique character.
The proportions of the Chinese sculpted Buddha changed. His figure became
elongated. An elongated face with a delicate smile replaced the square-shaped
face that had been influenced by Indian Buddhist sculpture. The form of the
body almost completely disappeared behind the rhythmic folds of the robe.
Unlike the great artists of classical
Greece, who aspired to create an ideal beauty and based their art on the
conception that man is the center of the world, Buddhist artists in China and
India presented in their sculpture a Buddha who was conceived of as alienated
from human emotions and earthly passions. As superhuman, universal and ageless,
his body is not emphasized. His nature is represented by his meditation
position and faint suggestion of an internal smile. His image,
detached from humans, is sublime. He has left the earthly world and dwells
eternally in nirvana.
During the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE),
which is considered the most artistically creative in Chinese history, China became
open to foreign influence and the form of the sculpted Buddha became more
human, delicate and graceful.
In the domain
of architecture, China
discarded the Indian approach. The materials used in both cultures differ
significantly, as does the perception of space. While India built in bricks,
China
built in wood. The traditional Indian architect was a stonemason while the
Chinese architect was a master carpenter. Whereas the Indian temple is dim
inside and adorned with abundant sculptures and reliefs, the Chinese temple is
basically full of light,
an elegant roof supported by a forest of columns, sometimes linked together by
decoratively painted partitions suspended by the columns above the ground and
not reaching the roof.
The first Buddhist places of worship in
China
were apparently located in the houses of rich patrons. As time passed, temples
and monasteries were built. These temples retained the appearance of a palace
or an adorned house comprising a series of internal courtyards connected to
each other by pavilions and galleries.
There were some early attempts to
imitate the Indian stupa (a dome-shaped building), but China already
had its own tall buildings – pagoda-shaped wooden towers that were more suited
to the Chinese landscape. Pagoda in Chinese is 八角塔 , literally: eight-angled tower. Even when the
Chinese temples were built of brick or stone, they retained the exterior shape
of the pagoda.
Although the Chinese people had been
familiar with the arch and dome for about 2,000 years, their application was
limited to the construction of bridges, gates and tombs. They encountered the
concave roof during the Tang dynasty, when China was expanding southward, to South-East Asia. By the end of the Tang dynasty the
concave roof had reached northern China. Later, when the Chinese
people began using modern materials, they wanted to retain this spectacular
characteristic of their architecture, and attempted to apply it to their brick
and concrete buildings.
When Chinese ancient architecture is
discussed today, the main period referred to is that of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644),
not only due to the flowering of the arts in that period, but also because very
few buildings and monuments have remained from the periods preceding it. The
emperors of the Ming dynasty were great builders who built temples and cities
anew, and beautified them.
The most impressive and important
architectural work in China
is the Great Wall, which extends about 6,700 kilometers across northern China –
encompassing its deserts, fields, mountains and plateaus. Originally, the Great
Wall was built during the Spring and Autumn (770 - 476 BCE) and Warring States
(475-221 BCE) periods, to protect the Chinese empire against Mongolian invasion
from the north. In fact, the Great Wall had already started as separate
segments on the borders of various Chinese states, and had remained as such
until Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di, after uniting China, connected them together to
create one great wall.
Music
According to Chinese tradition, Nu Wa
女娲 (from the third
millennium BCE), the wife and sister of the legendary Emperor Fu Xi, invented
religious music. Another version has it that she invented the flute.
The ancient Chinese believed that music
has a strong influence on a person's emotions. While the music attributed to
the ancient legendary sages was believed to help through replacing aggression
with positive emotions leading to the Way, the wrong kind of music was believed
to cause destructive behavior. Due to this ability to strongly influence
emotions, music is seen as an important tool in education. Good music brings
balance to society, while bad music upsets this balance.
The Chinese people have a several versions of
stories describing the appearance of the first primordial sound. The Legend of
the Yellow Bell 黄钟
has it that the Yellow
Emperor 黄帝 (from the third millennium BCE) sent his minister,
who was a mathematician and master musician, to the western mountains, where he
was to make a flute. The bamboo flute that he made was nine Chinese inches[2] in length
and its sound was associated with the ripple of the Yellow
River. This sound is considered as the basic sound called
"the yellow bell", and is conceived of as representing the divine
principle of universal harmony. From the times of the Yellow Emperor on,
emperors would invite astrologers, mathematicians and musicians to calculate a
new length for the yellow bell flute in order to achieve the best spiritual and
mathematical basis.
According to Chinese tradition, nature
is perceived as one great organism with a harmonious life rhythm. Each and
every one of its components, including humans and sounds, can affect this
harmony. In the Book of Rites (17, 19) it is written that the most
exalted music exists between earth and heaven. The sounds of music were
perceived as reflecting the rhythms of the universe and echoing with the cosmic
qi.
The ancient Chinese saw every work of
music as having a significance beyond that of entertainment and even beyond
religious ritual. Each composition has its own influence on individuals,
peoples and cultures. Chinese philosophers considered that music expresses
eternal truths and can improve a person's character. Thus, it is not surprising
that the same character 乐 is used to signify both "music" 乐 and
"happiness" 乐. For thousands of years
the Chinese culture was dominated by the conception according to which music at
its highest level constitutes a means for relaxing passion and stress, rather
than a means for entertainment. The purpose of music is to purify the mind.
Under its influence, the eyesight and hearing sharpen, the blood and energies
become balanced, habits and customs improve and absolute peace prevails.
It was said about Confucius that in
every place he visited around China
he could assess the government according to the quality of the local music.
Music was considered good if it expressed harmony between heaven and earth.
Noisy music testified to the people's suppression.
Recently, archaeologists have
discovered that simple flutes were in use in China as early as 8000 years ago.
Remnants of such flutes, made out of bones and still playable, are very similar
to the modern flutes in the placement of their holes.
*
字曰：人而不仁如礼何，人而不仁如乐何
The
master said, "He, who has no human values, what has he to do with rites?
He who has no human values, what has he to do with music? "
Analects,
III, 3.
*
不象不是戏，太象不是艺
[If
it] does not resemble [reality] it is not a drama; [if it] is too similar [to
reality] it is not art
The significance of this idiom is close to that said by Picasso:
Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.
*
能书不择笔
A
skilled calligrapher is not [particularly punctilious when] choosing a brush
An
expert can do a good job even if the conditions are not ideal.
*
大匠无弃材
Literally: A great craftsman does not throw away raw material.
Another meaning:
A great leader derives the best from his subordinates.
*
画龙点睛
Literally: To paint the dragon's pupil.
To add the finishing touch that is the most important in painting
or in any other matter.
This is based on the following story:
Once there
was a famous artist named Zhang Sengyao 张僧繇who painted four dragons
on the walls of the Buddhist temple Jin Ling An Le 金陵安乐. He deliberately did not
paint the dragons' pupils. When asked why, he answered, "If I will add
their pupils, they will fly". The questioner, not believing, asked him to
complete the painting. The moment the painter added the pupils to one of the
dragons, there was sudden thunder and lightning. The dragon awoke and flew into
the sky, and the other dragons, whose pupils were not painted, remained in
their place.
*
. 三分匠人，七分主人
Literally:
Thirty percent [of the work] the craftsman, seventy percent the patron.
Thirty
percent is ascribed to the artisan and seventy - to the patron.
*
书无百日功
In
calligraphy, it is impossible to achieve perfection in a hundred days
*
工多出巧艺
Much
work produces a masterpiece
In
English they say:
Practice makes perfect
*
梨园
Literally:
Pear garden.
The phrase "pear garden" was
used to allude to the world of Chinese opera. It derives from the following
story that appears in the New Tang
History 新唐书:
The Emperor Li Longji 李隆基 (685-762 CE) of the Tang
dynasty, who loved music, played several musical instruments and composed
music. He chose 300 young men and women from his palace and settled them in the
pear garden in the capital city of Chang'an
长安 (present-day Xian 西安). The emperor himself
taught them to sing and play, and that is why they were called "the pear
garden of the emperor".
*
人怕上床；字怕上墙
[As] man is afraid of [lying] on [his death]
bed, characters are afraid [to appear] on the wall [so that their mistakes will
be visible]
Calligraphers
use this phrase out of modesty.
[1]
In traditional Chinese culture, the five colors were black, greenish blue, red,
white and yellow
[2] One Chinese inch 寸 is traditionally the
distance between the wrist and pulse. Today it equals ⅓ of a decimeter.
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