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Essays
Propagating the Reputation of Ink and Brush ––
A Fitting Mission for the Crystal Museum
Changqiang Chi
Deputy president, college of arts, Zhejiang University
Images, artifacts, texts, and language are the primary channels for mankind to pass on civilization,
while Chinese calligraphy and paintings are considered important signs of the aesthetic approach in
every age. Furthermore, the circulation and appreciation of ancient books, paintings, and art in their
historical context is significant for heritage and promotion.
Prior to the Song Dynasty, eastern and western painting was considered the reincarnation of
nature and the reflection of the artist’s mental image. Western artists focuses on the expression of the
silhouette, while eastern artists stresses the shaping of the contour, which has much to do with the
tools they use. In fact, the writing brush used in Chinese calligraphy books and painting embodies the
true state of mind of an eastern artist, with the idea that "the brush being soft so that all is created"
of the writing brush not only creates all manifestations of nature, but also serves as a profound
indication of the writer’s inner world. Furthermore, such a line acts like electrocardiogram that records
the cultivation and realm of man's inner soul. As an overview of the history of Chinese painting, Zhao
Mengfu (趙孟頫) of the Yuan Dynasty set forth the perspective of "tantamount skill of books and
painting" upon the foundation of Xie He (謝赫)'s "skeletal brush contour" and Zhang Yanyuan(張彥
遠)'s "oneness of books and painting" to promote a mutual blending from calligraphy b and painting
to appreciation, and thus the skill demonstration aspect. With the idea of displaying mental images in
Chinese painting, the rendition of mental images has been delicately planted into Chinese painting,
focusing on the delivery of intention and enriching the fun of the aesthetic approach of Chinese painting.
From Yuan and Ming Dynasty , the notions of "bearing lost as of satisfaction" and "sketching intention
rather than form" have helped fully realize the features of intellectuals emphasizing the aesthetic
value of Chinese brush strokes, thus turning it into the form of language as image and establishing an
essential characteristic of eastern painting.
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What is worthy of our attention is the "Resurgence of Stele Study" that occurred in the times
of Qianlong(乾隆) and Jiaqing(嘉慶) of Chin Dynasty. Under the traditional context that painting
skill is calligraphy, the pursuit and realization of epigraphy has thus affected the endowment of
beauty appreciation with regard to painting. In 1942, although the viewpoint of "painting during the
Daoguang(道光) and Xianfeng(咸豐) era after the resurgence" is open to considerable debate, the rise
of incorporating epigraphic sentiments into painting since these two periods, particularly the painting
school of epigraphy led by Wu Changshuo (吳昌碩), has significantly affected the development of
modern Chinese painting. The viewpoint of "painting during the Daoguang (道光) and Xianfeng (咸
豐) era after the resurgence" propagated by Huang Binhong(黃賓虹) largely refers to the study and
practice of those painters as Bao Shichen(包世臣) and He Shaoji (何紹基) as well as the aspects of
changed skill and style that they brought to Chinese painting
Although Chinese painting was impacted by western painting following the "May Fourth Movement",
the idea of beauty-appreciation rendering sentiments of epigraphy into painting remains the task of our
era. In fact, these modern times represent a very special moment in Chinese history, because , on one hand,
painting has taken on sentiments of epigraphy during its evolution, while it is also influenced by western
painting. As a result, Chinese painting displays the features of a changing and sophisticated style and is
considered a period of Chinese art history worthy of considerable concern and study. Therefore, research,
collection, sharing, and appreciation of representative works from the period are vital for continuing Chinese
traditional art, as the obligation and responsibility of people in this generation. In summary, the Crystal
Museum would like to become the "spokesperson of art and lifestyle" in the Chinese world, making such
proclamations as "well-noted paragon of art collection" and "novel benchmark of art appreciation" to
become the stressed tone of our era that we should work after.
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