The Asian Influence In Drawing I-XV, 2002, HTML & text, dimensions variable

Text from From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and Edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985

Brushwork Kuo Jo-hsü (ca. 1080)

Generally in painting, as spirit consonance originates from pleasing the mind, so spiritual character (shen-ts'ai) is produced by applying the brush. The problems of using the brush [properly] may be readily appreciated. Hence Chang Yen-yüan could only commend Wang Hsien-chih's ability to do single-stroke calligraphy and Lu T'an-wei's grasp of single-stroke painting. It was not merely that the writing on a page or the depiction of an object might be executed with a single stroke, but rather that from beginning to end the brush was responsive, that connecting links were interdependent and the flow of energy uninterrupted. Thus, "if the concept is formulated before the brushwork," when brushwork is complete the concept will be within, then "when the painting is finished, the concept will be present," its images will correspond and its spirit be whole. Only when what is within is satisfied in itself will the spirit be tranquil and the concept settled. When the spirit is tranquil and the concept settled, the imagination will not flag, nor the brush labor...

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and Edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 97.

Su Shih (1037-1101) Writing about a painter and one of his paintings:

Bamboos chilled but preeminent,
Trees lean but enduring,
Rocks homely but distinctive,
These are "the three beneficial friends."
Their brilliance makes us befriend them;
Their independence forbids their being constrained.
I think of this man-
Alas, can I ever meet him again?

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and Edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 201.

Wang Ch'in-chen (11th century)

We know, indeed, that spiritual excellence is not easy to describe.
But if one's heart is in accord with the Tao, one can know how to do it.
Ther is surely a single principle in literacture, callibraphy, and painting.
Have we not heard of Wang Wei's "In a former life I must have been a Painting Master.

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and Edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 209.

Chang Tun-li (activbe ca. 1068-ca. 1102)

Although painting's role in the arts is small, its effects of causing people to examine the good and warning against the evil, and of exhorting people to see and hear [such precepts], have benefits. How can it be relegated to the masses of common artisans?

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and Edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 197.

Excerpt from Shan-shui lun

Midpoints [waists] of mountains are cloud-filled,
Walls of rock are spring-filled,
Towers and terraces are tree-filled,
Roads and paths are people-filled.
In stones, one sees three faces,
In paths, one sees two ends,
In trees, one sees the crowning tops,
In water, one sees the wind's footprints.
These are the methods...

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 173.

Excerpt from Shan-shui lun

Midpoints [waists] of mountains are cloud-filled,
Walls of rock are spring-filled,
Towers and terraces are tree-filled,
Roads and paths are people-filled.
In stones, one sees three faces,
In paths, one sees two ends,
In trees, one sees the crowning tops,
In water, one sees the wind's footprints.
These are the methods...

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard- Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 173.

Excerpt from Shan-shui lun

In observing, first notice general characteristics,
Then distinguish lights and darks.
Determine the hierarchy of "guests" and "host,"
And fix the dignified bearing of the clustered peaks.
If too many, they are confused,
If too few, they are lackadaisical.
If not too many nor too few,
One must separate far and near.
Far mountains should not be linked with near mountains,
Far waters should not be linked with near waters.

Attributed to Wang Wei (701-761), Hua-hsüeh pi-chüeh (Secret of the Study of Painting). CKHLLP, pp. 596-597.

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard- Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 173.

Excerpt from Shan-shui lun

Temples and monasteries may rest
In enclosed pockets of mountain midpoints.
Small bridges may be set up
On sloping banks of fissured shores.
Where roads are, there are groves and trees,
Where riverbanks end, there are old ferries,
Where waters are interrupted, there are misty trees,
Where waters are extensive, there are travelers' sails,
Where groves are thick, there are dwelling places.
Old trees near cliffs
have roots broken off and entwined with vines,
Rocky shores near streams
Have inclines strangely shaped and water-furrowed.

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 173.

Excerpt from Shan-shui lun

When one paints groves and trees,
Those afar are sparse and even,
Those nearby are tall and dense,
Those with leaves have delicate and pliant branches,
Those without have rigid and stiff branches.
Pine bark is like fish scales,
Cypress bark enwraps the trunk.
Those growing in soil are long rooted and straight stemmed,
Those growing on rocks are twisted and despondent.
Old trees have numerous joints and are half dead,
Wintry groves are widely spaced and desolate.

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 173.

Yüan Wen (1119-1190),

In painting, forms are easy but the spirit is difficult. Form is a physical structure; spirit is the working of spirit. Those who study painting are frequently capable of capturing the physical structure of almost any human figure, but only a person who is outstanding mentally can reach the working of the spirit and is capable of demonstrating it.

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 230.

Chao Meng-chien (1199 - ca. 1267)

Sketch densely flowers and branches, sketch lightly the twigs.
For scaly and wrinkled old trunks, the ink is slightly drier.
The brush separates in three "kicking strokes" to form the petals.
Pearly iridescence shines over the whole picture, with skillful "pepper dots."

Colophon on a handscroll of bamboo and prunus dated to 1260;, cited in CKHLLP, pp.1049-1050.

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 284-285

Chao Meng-chien (1199 - ca. 1267)

Delineate intricately the "bee's whiskers" and crystallize the "smiling dimples."
Draw firmly a long line to make a "mouse's tail."
When the wind first becomes strong, all are blown to one side.
As if branches were buried in half-disolved snow.

Colophon on a handscroll of bamboo and prunus dated to 1260;, cited in CKHLLP, pp.1049-1050.

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 284-285

With pines and bamboo surrounding them, they make light and dark pattern;
With water ripples appearing on the surface, they seem to float gracefully;
At twilight they cover the bright moon;
Against clear and shallow streams and mountain they extend short bridges;

Colophon on a handscroll of bamboo and prunus dated to 1260; cited in CKHLLP, pp.1049-1050.

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 284-285

inky palermo, helmut federle, raoul de keyser, richard tuttle, gunther forg

Chao Meng-chien (1199 - ca. 1267)

In crowdedness they lean against each other amicably;
In quietness they stand back to back in loneliness.
Even a drop of ink form the brush can from an ink-play;
As you move the brush freely across the scroll, there is no true depiction.

Colophon on a handscroll of bamboo and prunus dated to 1260; cited in CKHLLP, pp.1049-1050.

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 284-285

Yet you are suddenly aware of a finished work--spring in its abundance,
And you might then recall the places you once wandered about in a drizzle.
All in all, this is nothing more than the methods of Yang Wu-chiu and T'ang Cheng-chung.
How can those who follow spend but one morning's effort?

Colophon on a handscroll of bamboo and prunus dated to 1260; cited in CKHLLP, pp.1049-1050.

From Early Chinese Texts on Painting, Compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1985, p. 284-285

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