An Overview of the History of Chinese Aesthetics

The history of Chinese literature and art is rich in achievements, but perhaps the millennia-long historical flow from the pre-Qin period to the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties is the history that has left behind the most works and scholarship. Professor Ye Lang has carefully selected and compiled numerous materials from various fields such as literature, history, art, painting, sculpture, and architecture, providing readers with a wealth of reliable information. While delving into the history of Chinese culture, literature, and art, the book still focuses on two main aesthetic directions.

Cover of the book "An Outline of the History of Chinese Aesthetics" (Photo: Jackie Chan)

The first approach: This is the elaborate approach that China calls the approach to beauty, "carving gold and drawing intricate details," and the approach of artistic expression based on natural, simple, and rustic beauty, yet still profound and meaningful. Chinese aesthetics calls this exploiting beauty in the style of "a newly budding hibiscus," naturally lovely. Following the first approach, the author notes the designs of the State of Chu, Chu poems, Han fu, the rhyming prose of the Six Dynasties period, Tang poetry, Ming-Qing pottery, the female costumes of Peking opera... the author believes that all were created in the style of "carving gold and drawing intricate details," "dazzling carving"...

The second direction: The aesthetic direction influenced by the Wei-Jin and Six Dynasties. Even Han Dynasty bronzes, Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, Gu Qizhi's paintings, Song Dynasty porcelain, and Tao Qian's poetry all follow natural beauty without elaborate carving. Author Ye Lang argues that Chinese aesthetics also has another fundamental issue: "illusory" and "real." Chinese aesthetics holds that art creates images from life, and these images always have two sides: the "real" side, closely reflecting the life being depicted, and the "illusory" side, the "spiritual realm" created by the artist's talent. A work that adheres too closely to life is a copy. Conversely, one that is too imaginative and far removed from life easily becomes a fabrication. Therefore, Chinese aesthetics requires artists to combine "illusory" and "real" so that the reader can connect with the image; only then can it be considered a worthy work. Therefore, Chinese aesthetics easily create the phenomenon of "white space." When Qi Baishi painted horses, he only depicted one corner; when he painted shrimp and crabs, he always depicted them from a specific angle. It is these white spaces that create the "spiritual realm" for the viewer.

In short, the book:History of Chinese AestheticsProfessor Diep Lang's book is essential for comparing Vietnamese aesthetics, and it also suggests ways for Vietnamese cultural and artistic figures to create unique works of art. The book also helps researchers and educators in aesthetics in Vietnam to understand Chinese aesthetics throughout history, which is meticulously summarized and interpreted in this work.