Painting & Poetry
"In the 11th century Chinese scholars said that "Poetry is painting without form, and painting is poetry with form." It was at this time that paintings became known as‘soundless poems.’ Not surprisingly, the 11th-century landscape painter Kuo Hsi felt that an artist who captures the essence of a poem will naturally be able to convey it through a visual image. Under 12th century Emperor Hui-tsung (r. 1101-1125), lines of poetry were even frequently used to test painters at court. In illustrating the line, ‘Scattered peaks conceal an ancient temple,’ for example, most painters showed the tip of a pagoda, a roof, or even an entire building. The top candidate, however, depicted only a banner peaking out from the mountains, suggesting a temple concealed within the vast landscape. Hence, allusion is ideal for conveying the infinite possibilities of a poetic line. As scholar art became the mainstream of Chinese painting, artists not only described the natural world but also turned to art to express their feelings and ideas. Lines of poetry and writing provided an ideal vehicle for expression and illustration by artists, and ‘Painting is in poetry and poetry is in painting’ became a distinctive feature of Chinese art."
(The School of Literati Painting)
(The School of Literati Painting)