Wang Wei As The Source Of Flowing Water(Fons Et Origo)

Wang Wei(701-761),the outstanding Tang dynasty literati painter,inspired the notion "there is painting in poetry,and poetry in painting".Wang Wei's artistic contribution also infused elements of the Chan school with literati ideas of taste to enrich the freehand lyricism in Chinese painting.In his discussion of "Northern and Southern schools",Ming dynasty literati-painter,Dong Qichang regarded Wang Wei as the earliest patriarch of the "Southern school".According to historical records,Wang Wei was adept at painting landscapes and figures,yet his original works were already scarce in the Qing dynasty.Currently,Wang Wei's extent written works are also limited,and there remains widespread skepticism regarding their authenticity.This has brought about much difficulty in studying and understanding Wang Wei's painting theories and practice.Fortunately,there are many historical accounts written by later generations concerning Wang Wei's paintings,especially by Su Shi of the Song dynasty and Dong Qichang of the Ming dynasty.These accounts provide considerable descriptions and evaluations of Wang Wei's oeuvre.The works of Su Shi and Dong Qichang,in general,also show Wang Wei's influence.This undoubtedly helps us to better understand Wang Wei.Su Shi and Dong Qichang were both literati painters,and their romantic idealizations of art history,and literary language,paint a vast picture of the past.Thus,their accounts are naturally beneficial to later generations seeking to gain a deeper understanding of Wang Wei,and to trace the origin and evolution of literati painting.Wang Wei represents an epoch-making figure in the history of Chinese painting and art.He transformed the mainstream of painting that once focused on characterizing and illustrating the classics by ushering in a kind of painting that allowed the practitioner to describe scenes which better expressed his own spirituality.He broke free of older models of painting,using Xuan-dan(unaffected,subtle washes)and Po-mo(broken ink)methods in his landscape painting,showcasing an aesthetic standard that paid particular attention to nuanced monochrome ink,and shifted the focus of painting from simply depicting forms to that of a spiritual act,which gave art infinite life.Wang Wei,himself,integrated Confucian,Daoist and Buddhist ideals in both his life and work,and manifested essential spiritual qualities,which still serve as the holistic core and lifeblood of Chinese painting today.Moreover his painting harnessed an unremitting poesis giving way to rich imagery;this is also the very fountainhead of his artistic life.Wang's earnest depth and formalized unaffected subtly all became elements in his painting,scholarship and spiritual search.These elements also opened up a new realm in the development of landscape painting.Thus,this study is concerned with Wang Wei's special contribution to the historical development of “literati painting”,as well as his influence on later generations,especially of the Song and Ming dynasties.This study will use Su Shi and Dong Qichang as key examples.In its earliest notion,the concept of literati painting was first put forward by Su Shi,who belonged to the intelligentsia of the time,and was later solidified by Dong Qichang.Su Shi and Dong Qichang both utilized the idea of Wang Wei as a figure to epitomize the concept of the literati painter.In doing so,both of these figures further inherited such ideals and,in their respective eras,allowed the concept of the literati painter to flourish.Via the influence of Su Shi and Dong Qichang who both admired Wang Wei,the embodiment of Wang Wei's artistic ideals and sense of cultivation,likewise,became the highest standards of Chinese aesthetics.This is also the reason why Wang Wei is considered the so-called patriarch of literati painting.In light of the above,this study will consider how the special artistic qualities and ideals defined by Wang Wei constitute the basic elements of literati painting,namely: ideas of self-expression,transcendence,clarity of mind and character,ideas of poetic and literary painting,and the aesthetic ideals of tranquility,solitude,elegance and wellness.This will also help us the define the underlining essence of Chinese painting overall.This study aims to use textual research,as well as,field-word-visiting specific museums and locations of Wang Wei-to give a greater perspective on Wang Wei's art historical ideal and contribution from the vantage point of artistic praxis.This study will investigate the language of Wang Wei's brushwork,the artistic realm of his work and well as its aesthetic tendencies.By considering the discourses of Su Shi and Dong Qichang,we will further examine the influence of Wang Wei on later generations of art history,as well as why he is regarded as the pioneer of literati painting.The study will also pay attention to Wang Wei's historical time period as well as his social circumstances,to reflect on how these factors might have influenced his artistic trajectory in the aim to provide a more clear picture of his image.Finally this study will consider how Wang Wei's contribution might serve as the origins of certain current notions of Chinese painting and also an ideal for its future.