A Dialogue of China’s Landscape Paintings —— Top Dialogue of Ten Heavyweight Artists and Art Historians

　　Xu Qinsong Shao Dazhen Lang Shaojun Xue Yongnian Pan Gongkai Yi Ying Zhu Liangzhi Yin Jinan Afterglow Wu Weishan

　　Top dialogue of ten heavyweight artists and art historians, a general reader of China landscape painting from scratch.

　　Look at traditional art from the perspective of modern people, and look back at today from the traditional perspective.

　　Contains nearly 200 color pictures of famous works of art at home and abroad.

　　Dialogue of China’s Landscape Paintings

　　Edited by Xu qinsong

　　Century Wenjing Shanghai People’s Publishing House

　　January 2024

　　978-7-208-18115-1

　　brief Introduction of the content

　　Nine heavyweight talks, facing the key question of landscape painting: Why does Chinese love painting landscapes? What changes and developments have landscape painting experienced in the past thousand years? What is the difference between China landscape painting and western landscape painting? What is the relationship between landscape painting and calligraphy? How does the painter’s accomplishment and temperament affect his works? How do contemporary people face the tradition of landscape painting?

　　As early as the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Zong Bing laid the concept of landscape painting with "Preface to Painting Landscape"; Since then, painters of all dynasties have created a large number of immortal paintings, which are still an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artistic creators. This book contains conversations between Xu Qinsong and nine art historians and critics, namely Shao Dazhen, Lang Shaojun, Xue Yongnian, Pan Gongkai, Yi Ying, Zhu Liangzhi, Yin Jinan, Afterglow and Wu Weishan. It discusses the tradition of China’s landscape painting step by step and how to rebuild the significance of modern and contemporary landscape painting.

　　Talking about landscape painting is not only an interpretation of predecessors, but also an interpretation of oneself. Enter the dialogue and follow the classic paintings through the Millennium. Trace back to Chinese’s aesthetic genes.

　　Brief introduction of the author

　　Xu Qinsong, a national first-class artist, is an expert enjoying special allowance from the State Council. He used to be vice chairman of China Artists Association, chairman of Guangdong Federation of Literary and Art Circles, chairman of Guangdong Artists Association and president of Guangdong Painting Academy. Currently, he is the deputy director of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Painting and Calligraphy Office, consultant of China Artists Association, researcher and doctoral supervisor of China Academy of Art.. Famous landscape painter, whose works are collected by China Art Museum, China National Museum and other institutions.

　　Brief introduction of talking guests

　　Yu Hui, research librarian of the Palace Museum, member of the National Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee. Famous connoisseur of painting and calligraphy.

　　Zhu Liangzhi, director and doctoral supervisor of Peking University Center for Aesthetics and Aesthetic Education, was a senior researcher at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States.

　　Xue Yongnian, a former professor at the School of Humanities of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, is now honorary director of the Fine Arts Theory Committee of the China Artists Association and a member of the National Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee. Famous art historian and art critic.

　　Yin Jinan, professor of the School of Humanities of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, director of the Research Center of Fine Arts Knowledge of the Institute of Fine Arts of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, distinguished professor of the Department of Archaeology of the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and special researcher of the Gu Shuhua Research Center of the Palace Museum.

　　Yi Ying, professor and doctoral supervisor of Central Academy of Fine Arts, editor-in-chief of World Art.

　　Shao Dazhen, honorary director of the Theory Committee of China Artists Association, professor and doctoral supervisor of Central Academy of Fine Arts. Famous art historian and art critic.

　　Lang Shaojun, researcher of Chinese Academy of Art, member of National Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee, visiting professor of Central Academy of Fine Arts, and vice president of Academy of Fine Arts of National Academy of Painting. Famous art historian and art critic.

　　Wu Weishan, vice chairman of China Artists Association, curator of China Art Museum, member of the Standing Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and president of China Sculpture Institute of China Academy of Art.

　　Pan Gongkai, former vice chairman of China Artists Association and president of Central Academy of Fine Arts. Famous educator, theorist and painter.

　　Moderator: Zhao Chao, Ph.D. in the history of thought and painting and calligraphy in China, School of Arts and Humanities, China Academy of Fine Arts, and a teacher of art theory in Zhejiang Sci-Tech University.

　　catalogue

　　Introduction to the guests

　　order

　　The first lecture is why Chinese loves painting landscapes.

　　Yu Hui, Xu Qinsong

　　Second, a good painter cultivates himself before painting.

　　Zhu Liangzhi, Xu Qinsong

　　The third lecture on the traditional cultural characteristics of landscape painting

　　Xue Yongnian and Xu Qinsong

　　The fourth lecture is about landscape painting in historical change.

　　Yin Jinan, Xu Qinsong

　　Lecture 5: China Landscape Paintings and Western Scenery

　　Yi Ying, Xu Qinsong

　　The sixth lecture is "temperament" different from "style"

　　Shao Dazhan and Xu Qinsong

　　Seventh, pen and ink are the language of landscape painting.

　　Lang Shaojun, Xu Qinsong

　　The eighth lecture on the "work" and "craftsman" of landscape painting

　　Wu Weishan, Xu Qinsong

　　Lecture 9: When landscape painting teaching enters the Academy of Fine Arts,

　　Pan Gongkai, Xu Qinsong

　　Postscript

　　Dialogue of China’s Landscape Paintings

　　order

　　I am a "senior" landscape painter who is obsessed with landscape painting creation and has painted landscape paintings for most of my life, and I am quite ignorant of landscapes. After repeated attempts and breakthroughs and peaks, I hope to return to the original point, temporarily calm down my passion for creation, re-understand China’s landscape painting from a theoretical height calmly and objectively, and reflect on my landscape painting spirit. However, I know that to objectively, accurately and comprehensively understand the artistic attributes and goals of my own landscape painting, I have to ask for advice from specialized art theorists. As the saying goes, "a good writer does not learn from others", not only writers, but also painters. So I came up with the preliminary idea of this book "Dialogue on China Landscape Paintings", hoping to present my thoughts on landscape painting creation by talking with important contemporary art theorists, and make a staged review and summary of my own landscape painting creation career.

　　In 2014, I asked my friends to help me find a candidate, and Dr. Zhao Chao from China Academy of Fine Arts came into view. Dr. Zhao Chao is proficient in art and has studied painting since he was a child. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in printmaking department of China Academy of Fine Arts. During my first year of master’s degree in Northern Europe, I was determined to study the fundamental spirit of China’s art. In my second year, I began to study philosophy with Mr. Jin Guantao. When I graduated from my doctor’s degree, I studied with Mr. Jin for five years. I have completed the most important part of the study on the origin of China’s landscape painting, which can be described as a small achievement. Knowing both philosophy and art, it is more appropriate for him to lead the research. So I gave him full trust and he accepted the challenge.

　　After several rounds of communication, Dr. Zhao Chao gave nine themes of the dialogue: orthodoxy, self-cultivation, temperament, pen and ink, skill, teaching, tradition, in vitro and innovation, and drew up a general outline of each theme. It is very important to study these nine topics in groups of three, with the front leaning inward and the back leaning outward. After choosing the theme, we began to think about the candidates for the dialogue. Because of my position, I have work contacts with many theorists. Finally, due to karma, I decided to talk to all the theoretical experts, among whom the topic of "orthodoxy" was talked with Mr. Yu Hui, an expert on ancient calligraphy and painting appraisal in China; The topic of "self-cultivation" is a dialogue with Mr. Zhu Liangzhi, a Chinese aesthetic historian; The topic of "temperament" talks with Mr. Shao Dazhan, an art theorist; The topic of "pen and ink" is a dialogue with Mr. Lang Shaojun, an art historian in modern China; The topic of "technical ability" and the sculpture field that emphasizes high-tech tradition are talked with Mr. Wu Weishan; The topic of "teaching" was discussed with the educator Mr. Pan Gongkai.Because Mr. Pan Tianshou established a modern teaching system of Chinese painting, which is well known to Mr. Pan Gongkai; The topic of "tradition" is a dialogue with Mr. Xue Yongnian, an ancient art historian in China; The topic of "in vitro" is in conversation with Mr. Yi Ying, a western art historian; "Innovation" is a dialogue with Mr. Yin Jinan, an art theorist and art critic.

　　Scholars not only have extensive knowledge and comprehensive professional knowledge, but also have deep understanding and great achievements in their own fields. Nine dialogues lasted for three years, which not only enabled me to understand my artistic spirit more clearly, but also gained new knowledge in the in-depth and extensive discussion of ancient landscape painting and modern landscape painting, and I gained a lot. The rich content, interesting ideas and high specifications of these dialogues are rare for so many years. I believe these valuable conversations will definitely have a positive impact on landscape painting lovers. Therefore, we will also arrange and publish these nine dialogues in a way that is easy for readers to understand.

　　Finally, once again, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the nine gentlemen I talked to: Mr. Afterglow, Mr. Zhu Liangzhi, Mr. Xue Yongnian, Mr. Yin Jinan, Mr. Yi Ying, Mr. Shao Dazhen, Mr. Lang Shaojun, Mr. Wu Weishan and Mr. Pan Gongkai!

　　Xu qinsong

　　August 2023