The evolution of the coloristic of Chinese painting of the Tang, Song and Yuan periods (VII-XIV centuries) — from color to ink

Van Shutun lecturer; Faculty of Architecture and Art; Zhejiang Vocational College of Industry and Trade Postgraduate student; Department of Communicative Design; S.G.Stroganov Russian State Pedagogical University 9, Volokolamsk sh., Moscow, 125080, Russia lesichkauln@mail.ru

The relevance of research. The Ming Dynasty artist Wen Zhengming, in his concise and precise exposition of the theory of color design in ancient Chinese painting, notes: "In ancient times, painting mainly used bright colors, while the use of ink was less common, which led to frequent combinations of blue and green shades. By the Middle Ages, the style of painting began to change, gradually shifting to soft red tones obtained by mixing light reds and other colors, and at the same time the use of water ink increased" ^{[16, p.357]}. This passage sums up the changes in the color scheme of Chinese painting before the Ming Dynasty, reflecting the evolution of the styles of ancient Chinese painting — from an emphasis on bright colors to a gradual increase in the importance of the technique of water ink. The relevance of the research topic under consideration lies in increasing interest in studying the main evolutionary approaches to changing the color scheme of Chinese painting in various historical periods.

The problem of the research lies in the transformation of approaches to the use of colors in Chinese painting in various historical periods of development.

The purpose of the study is to study the evolution of the color scheme of Chinese painting of the Tang, Song and Yuan periods, to identify its main features and features.

The scientific novelty of the research lies in the expansion and complementation of theoretical approaches to the study of the problem related to the use of colors in Chinese art.

The results of the study. The initial stage of the use of color in Chinese painting dates back to the Qin and Han dynasties (221-220) and coincides with the rise of feudal society in China. Most of the artistic works of that era reflected the vast cosmic consciousness, demonstrating depth and grandeur. During this period, numerous works appeared based on both the actions of people in real life and on mythological plots. Figurative painting was dominated by linear drawing with simple color filling, which helped clarify the status of the characters and added visual saturation. As an example, we can cite a find from Changsha — a silk painting "Characters riding a Dragon", dating back to the period of the Warring States (475-221) (Fig.1) ^{[1, p. 70]}.

1. Painting of palm trees with silk paints, the middle and the end of the Warring States period. "Figures with imperial dragons on a palm tree." Dimensions: 37.5 cm in the longitudinal direction, 28 cm in the horizontal. Hunan Provincial Museum Collection

Since the period of the Wei and Jin dynasties (220-420), the views on color in Chinese painting have become significantly influenced by Buddhist art and Confucian thought ^{[17, p.22]}. Especially during this period, Buddhist art introduced the use of cool shades, dominated by blue and green tones. This change had a direct impact on the formation of subsequent blue-green painting. Comparing the earlier blue-green painting (Fig. 2) with the famous Buddhist paintings in rock temples, we can identify many similar features and elements, indicating the intersection of cultural and artistic traditions of these periods.

Fig.2. Green landscape, part of the "Spring excursion" by Zhang Ziqi. The color on the silk. Dimensions: 43 cm in the longitudinal direction, 80.5 cm in the transverse direction. The collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing.

During this period, both scenes of everyday life and mythological characters based on imagination were depicted in paintings with careful drawing of details and bright colors. An example of this trend is Gu Kaizhi's Painting of Laoshen (317-420), in which the colors are rich and ancient, which is typical of the Gongbijie style (Fig.3) ^{[18, p.10]}. The figures of the people in the painting are bright and expressive, the lines are precise and smooth, fully conveying the dynamics and poetic beauty. This artistic approach emphasizes the relationship between the real and the mythical, while reflecting the cultural and aesthetic values of the time. A significant work in the field of painting theory is "Notes on the categories of ancient painting", written by the Chinese artist Xie He (谢赫) during the Qi Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties (479-502) ^{[11, p.99]}.

Fig. 3. Part of Gu Kaizhi's painting "Luoshen fu" ("Fugue of the Goddess of Fortune"), Eastern Jin Dynasty, a copy of the Song Dynasty. The image is made in the technique of colored silk, measuring 572.8 cm horizontally and 27.1 cm vertically. Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

The Tang Dynasty (618-907) was a period of significant flourishing in the use of color in Chinese painting. At this time, when the country reached its zenith of power and influence, painting was distinguished by its grandeur and brightness. Brush painting was characterized by freedom and openness, which contributed to the richness and variety of color solutions, as well as boldness in the use of the palette, which is reflected in the surviving works.

In paintings dedicated to historical figures such as "Gao and Tu" by Sun Wei (Fig. 4), as well as portraits of emperors and ministers represented in works such as "Emperors and Sovereigns of various Historical eras" (or "Thirteen Monarchs of the Ancient Empire", "Lords of Ancient Dynasties", the painting by artist Yang Libeng) and "Five Stars and Twenty-eight Constellations" by artist Zhang Sentsai, the contents of these works become a reflection of the aesthetic spirit and artistic expressiveness of their time ^{[4, p.200]}.

Fig. 4. Sun Bi, Tang Dynasty, part of Gao Yi. The image is made in the technique of colored silk, measuring 45.2 cm longitudinally and 168.7 cm horizontally. Shanghai Museum Collection, China

In the vivid paintings of the Tang era, individual masters who mastered the technique of ink painting remained exceptions and were not widely known at the time. Such artists include Zhang Cao, Wang Qia, and Li Lingsheng, who specialized in the "ink spray" method. This technique, characterized by intermittent ink strokes of varying thicknesses, embodies the uniqueness of the expressive means available to the artist.

In the perception of contemporaries of the Tang era, landscape painting involved picturesque elements that create an atmosphere of green-blue mountains. During this period, Chinese painting largely focused on color solutions, which indicates a preference for bright, saturated shades in painting, while ink painting did not occupy a central place in artistic discourse. This indicates the existence of cultural and aesthetic ideals that shaped the idea of beauty and the picturesque reality of that time ^{[20, p.45]}.

Modern art critic Lin Mu continues to analyze the status of ink painting in the Tang era, stating: "In the late Tang period, more than a thousand years ago, the ink painting technique was just beginning to take shape; however, it did not have a significant impact on the predominant role of the color palette, and itself was just beginning to take its place in artistic practice" ^{[8, p.154]}. During the Late Liao period (907-923), the artist Jing Hao highly appreciated "water ink" and actively promoted its practice and development.

In theory, Jing Hao paid special attention to "ink", which replaced the concept of "depicting colors depending on the subject" by Xie He and emphasized the unique charm of ink. He also praised Wang Wei for his smooth and beautiful technique, emphasizing that his work is imbued with spirit and sincerity. As for Li Sydao, Jing Hao acknowledged his deep thoughts and refined strokes, but pointed out the disadvantages of using colored ink, which, in his opinion, could be perceived as superficial, thereby losing some of its content ^{[10, p.165]}. In addition, his work "Kunglu" is also a work done exclusively in the technique of water ink, so to a certain extent it can be said that Jing Hao established the meaning of "water ink" in the history of painting ^{[6, p.88]}.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the water ink technique underwent significant development and its influence increased, but in the end it could not compete with color. On the art scene of the Song era, the work of the artist Huang Quan from the Late Shu dynasty (934-966) stands out, who creates works depicting flowers and birds, often focusing on rare and symbolically favorable birds, stunning flowers and unusual stones decorated with luxury and wealth ^{[7, p.111]}.

There are two different aesthetic orientations: one is focused on color, the other on mascara. However, we mention the paintings of flowers and birds of the Song Dynasty and recall these subtle, colorful works, largely due to the influence of Huang Quan's lush color style on the Northern Song Emperor Zhao Ji and the vast majority of artists of the Academy of Painting ^{[12, p.3]}.

Emperor Zhao Ji of the Northern Song Dynasty actively developed court painting, gathered outstanding artists around him, and also founded the Xuanhe Academy of Painting. The emperor trained a number of talented masters, such as Wang Ximeng, and organized the compilation of works such as "Harmony of Xuanhe Shu", "Records of Xuanhe Painting" and "Xuanhe Bogutu", which are valuable historical documents for the study of art history ^{[14, p.99]}.

The exquisite and magnificent "yellow body" became the standard for evaluating the merits of painting at the Royal Academy of the Northern Song Dynasty. In this Academy, "color" held the highest status, and the aesthetic preferences of emperors such as Song Zhezong and Song Huizong had a significant impact on artistic norms, as they highly valued "color" as an important aspect of lush, magnificent, and colorful works of art. The emperor was so delighted with these works that he often spent the whole day at their exhibition, without looking up from contemplation. Among the famous green landscapes of this period are "Painting of the Pine Wind in a thousand gorges" by Li Tan, "Temple on the Changxia River" and "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" by Wang Xi Meng ^{[3, p.1]}.

In Song period painting, despite the fact that "color" was the dominant trend, the ink technique gradually developed and had a significant impact on artistic practice. Despite the fact that painting depicting flowers and birds was almost completely absorbed in color, landscape painting represented a separate direction. Famous masters such as Fan Kuan, Li Cheng, Guo Xi, the Miji family, Ma Yuan, Xia Gui and other outstanding landscape painters who became famous for their mastery of ink techniques. It can be argued that in the field of landscape painting, the ratio of ink and color was almost comparable.

During this period, traditional Chinese landscape painting gradually developed into a distinct style based on ink and blurring techniques. The desire to create a bright and calm atmosphere begins, and painting is freed from the subordinate status of a political instrument that it had during the Wei and Jin dynasties. The literary painting of the Song Dynasty acquires a high aesthetic value, and the development of the language of ink and blurring reaches its zenith, representing a unique phenomenon in world art. An example is the work of a Northern Song official and artist Wen Tong called "Ink and Bamboo Figure." This work depicts inverted bamboo branches created using the original deep mascara for the face and light mascara for the background, and bamboo leaves receive an expressive color scheme, which suddenly reveals the corresponding auristics of the composition ^{[5, p.357]}.

The use of ink as an artistic material provides the artist with the opportunity to manifest transcendence and self-liberation, which leads to profound revelations in the process of transforming and abstracting life phenomena. In a continuous quest for self-expression using mascara and flushing, techniques such as mascara spraying and paint accumulation, as well as a variety of color techniques based on the concept of "five colors of mascara", have gradually developed. At that time, figure painting mainly conveyed the form, spirit and mood of the depicted characters through variations in the intensity of ink ^{[15, p.27]}.

After the Song Dynasty, the painting style of the "Huang school", which emphasized color, declined, while the painting style of the "Xu school", which focused on the use of ink, continued its development. The gradual flourishing of the ink technique reflected the transformation of the artistic mood, moving from the concept of the "kingdom of the absence of oneself" to the "kingdom of the presence of oneself." Thus, the evolution of "ink" symbolized this shift in artistic perception and self-awareness ^{[2, p.90]}.

During the Yuan Dynasty, the use of color became more subjective, while ink and watercolor became a means of expressing the artist's state of mind. During this period, ink and watercolor represented the main form of Chinese painting. While bright paintings of flowers and birds, as well as green landscapes made using colored paints, faded into the background and became the domain of a few masters, ink and flushing remained at the center of the artistic process. Even Zhao Mengfu, a significant official and calligrapher of this dynasty, known for his abundance of works in a blue-green palette, continued to use ink in most of his surviving works.

During the period under review, Chinese painting underwent significant changes, going beyond just the colorful paintings typical of the Song Dynasty ^{[13, p.12]}. The proportion of colored elements in painting decreased significantly during the Yuan Dynasty, which indicates the growing popularity and established status of ink painting techniques.

Conclusion. With the help of vertical analysis, a certain evolution of Chinese painting can be clearly traced. Until the late Tang Dynasty, the focus was on bright and saturated colors that reflected a rich culture and deep emotional experiences. However, by the late Tang Dynasty, despite the fact that some artists began experimenting with ink, these attempts did not gain widespread influence due to limitations related to technique and perception. The potential of the carcass at that time had not yet been fully realized, and it remained in the research stage. In the Song era, there was a gradual process of developing the ink technique ^{[19, p.49]}. Some artists began to innovate, which contributed to a deeper expression of artistic ideas. By the time of the Yuan Dynasty, the relationship between ink and color had undergone significant changes, and ink had practically taken a leading position. During this time, many outstanding artists such as Zhao Mengfu and Huang Gongwang, through research and innovation in the field of ink technique, raised it to a new level. During this period, ink became not only the main means of artistic expression, but also formed a unique artistic philosophy emphasizing the idea of "thought before brush".