Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.4, 2019

On the Aesthetic Implication of Literalization of Painting: Taking Dong Qichang’s Landscape Painting Theory as an Example

(Abstract)

Jiang Zhiqin

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the literarization process of painting was more prominent in Dong Qichang’s landscape painting theory. Taking the influence of literary mode of thinking on the innovative methods of painting as a breakthrough point, we can find that Dong Qichang, taking “momentum” as the core, incorporated the art of literature and calligraphy into painting. He not only absorbed the great achievements of the ancients, but also blazed out a new path in landscape painting. His innovation was mainly embodied in three aspects: the elegance and simplicity of the language (diction), the sophistication of the method (mechanism), and the serenity and gracefulness of the state (style). The integration of the three aspects highlighted the literariness of literati painting. This theoretical orientation of literary painting provides a new way of thinking for the men-of-letters to both model after ancient paintings and to innovate in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It makes the painter turn his attention to the ingenious organization of the language of brush and ink as well as the exaggeration of structures in paintings, and presented a special and formal pursuit of aesthetic interest in the paintings.