A Study Of Su Shih’s "The Unity Of Poetry And Painting"

Chinese poetry and Chinese painting,as two different categories in the field of art,complement each other in the development history of Chinese art.The relationship between poetry and painting has also received much attention and discussion since ancient times.Su Shih once explicitly proposed the view that "poetry and painting follow the same laws" in his poetry.However,this is not the only case in point.Su Shih has expressed his views on the existence and connection between poetry and painting more than once in his poems on paintings,postscripts,and letters.These views can be summarized by "the unity of poetry and painting.".On the one hand,Su Shih’s theory of "the unity of poetry and painting" was based on the development of painting and the evolution of the relationship between poetry and painting before the Northern Song Dynasty,especially the emergence of literati painting creation that brought the relationship between poetry and painting closer.On the other hand,there has always been a tendency in Su Shih’s literary and artistic thoughts to attach importance to "emotion" and "virtue",which has influenced the emergence of Su Shih’s theory of "the unity in poetry and painting".Su Shih’s related discussions related to poetry and painting creation and criticism have always emphasized the natural expression of emotion and the noble character of writers.Even if the theory of "unity of poetry and painting" itself does not have a centralized and systematic discussion,this does not diminish its value in the field of Chinese literary and art theory.To understand where poetry and painting are the same,or to explore the connotation of "the unity of poetry and painting ",it is necessary to review the specific content of Su Shih’s talk about poetry and painting.Through sorting out relevant materials related to their insights into poetry and painting,it can be found that there are similarities between poetry and painting in three aspects: the creation of poetry and painting,the style of poetry and painting,and the appreciation of poetry and painting.In terms of poetry and painting creation,both poetry and painting require the creator to enter a state of emptiness and quietness,and to reach the corresponding realm of the heart and hand;In terms of poetry and painting style,they all pursue the style of "heavenly work" and "freshness";In terms of appreciation of poetry and painting,on the one hand,abide by the law and not be confined to the law,on the other hand,good poetry and paintings must meet the standard of conveying the spirit.In addition,the theory of "the unity of poetry and painting " is closely related to the theory of literati painting.The concept of "Shifu painting" first proposed by Su Shih can be seen as the precursor of literati painting." The unity of poetry and painting " provides theoretical guidance for literati painting,while the creation of literati painting practices the viewpoint of "the unity of poetry and painting ".Su Shih’s theory of "the unity of poetry and painting " not only has important significance in the history of ancient Chinese literary theory but also has a profound and lasting impact on the development of Chinese painting.