Xie He
Xie He was a prominent painter and art critic during the Southern Qi period of the Southern Dynasties, specifically from 479 to 502 CE, when the capital was located in Nanjing. Renowned for his skills in figure painting and detailed realism, Xie He significantly impacted the development of Chinese art, despite none of his actual artworks surviving to this day. His most notable contribution is the "Ku Hua Ping Lu," a record detailing the fundamentals of Chinese painting. Within this work, he articulated the six laws of painting, which serve as criteria for evaluating artistic works: the portrayal of life and vitality, mastery of brush techniques, fidelity to the subject, appropriate use of color, effective composition, and the importance of copying masterpieces to preserve art traditions. These principles have been widely studied and referenced by scholars for over fifteen centuries, cementing Xie He's legacy as a key figure in the history of Chinese painting. His influence extends beyond his time, shaping how art is critiqued and understood in the context of Chinese culture.
Xie He
Related civilization: Southern Qi Dynasty, China
Major role/position: Painter, art theorist
Life
Xie He (SHEE-EH heh) lived during the Southern Qi period (479-502 c.e.) of the Southern Dynasties, when the capital was at Nanjing. He was known to be one of the most important painters and art critics around the fifth century c.e. He was a figure painter and known as an artist who excelled in detailed realism. Unfortunately, none of his works or even a copy of a copy of his works exists. However, his Ku Hua Ping Lu (late fifth century c.e.; record of the criticism of old paintings) remains the earliest extant statement of the essentials of Chinese painting, an integral part of ancient Chinese art and architecture.
The six laws of painting, which Xie He formulated in the first part of Ku Hua Ping Lu, represent a comprehensive attempt to create some theoretical basis for the evaluation of paintings. These six points on which paintings were to be evaluated are as follows: first, life and a spirit of vitality in the subject; second, mastery in the use of the brush; third, fidelity in portraying the subject; fourth, proper coloring; fifth, proper placement of elements (composition); and sixth, the transmission and perpetuation of the masterpieces by copying old masters.
Influence
Xie He’s six laws have been quoted and discussed by scholars for fifteen centuries and have made his name one of the most renowned in the history of Chinese painting.
Bibliography
Bush, Susan, and Hsiao-yen Shih. Early Chinese Texts on Painting. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1985.
Siren, Osvald. Chinese Painting: Leading Masters and Principles. Reprint. New York: Hacker Art Books, 1973.