Manual of Orchids and Bamboo

Preface II

It is only when the intention precedes the brush original: 意在筆先 (yì zài bǐ xiān). A fundamental principle in Chinese aesthetics where the artist must have a clear mental image and spiritual focus before making a single mark. that the brush can truly transcend the boundaries of formal rules. Though this is difficult to put into words, the history of the craft speaks for itself. It is said that the tradition of ink bamboo Ink Bamboo (墨竹): A specific genre of literati painting where bamboo is rendered solely in black ink, focusing on calligraphic energy rather than realistic color. began with Wang Mojie original: 王摩詰. Also known as Wang Wei (699–759), a Tang Dynasty poet-painter often called the father of monochromatic landscape painting..

Another account claims that Lady Li, the wife of General Guo Chongtao, first captured the art form by tracing the shadows of bamboo cast upon her window during a moonlit night. Furthermore, since the walls of the Daci Temple in Chengdu feature ink bamboo by Zhang Li, we know the style existed in the late Tang Dynasty and did not merely originate in the Five Dynasties period. While artists like Huang Quan and his sons, or the Cui brothers, achieved a meticulousness that reached the finest details, their "splashed ink" works were merely secondary to their professional technical skill.

Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, masters such as Wen Huzhou original: 文湖州. Referring to Wen Tong (1018–1079), the most famous bamboo painter, known for the concept of "having the finished bamboo in one's heart.", Su Meishan original: 蘇眉山. The famous poet and statesman Su Shi (1037–1101)., Zhao Mengjian, Zhao Mengfu, Zhao Zhongmu, and Guan Zhongji original: 管仲姬. Referring to Guan Daosheng (1262–1319), one of the most celebrated female painters in Chinese history., along with Wu Zhonggui, Ke Jiusi, and Ni Yunlin, have all excelled in painting ink bamboo.

Some among them were equally skilled at painting ink orchids. Most notably, Zheng Suonan original: 鄭所南. Referring to Zheng Sixiao (1241–1318), a Song loyalist who famously painted orchids without soil or roots to symbolize that his land had been stolen by the Mongol invaders. was famous for painting orchids without any ground or slopes; his lofty purity is a peak few have ever reached. Other figures such as the families of Dai, Lü, Bao, and Xia, as well as Zhao Yunmen and his son, are recognized as masters, each following their own path without merely imitating others, thus earning the veneration of the world.

By my own nature, I am careless and lazy; I lack the patience for the disciplined techniques of outlining Outlining (鈎勒): The 'goulé' technique of drawing the fine outer contours of a subject before filling it with color or wash. or flying white Flying White (飛白): A calligraphic brushstroke where the hair of the brush separates, leaving white streaks of paper showing through the black ink to suggest speed and light.. However, my friend Wang Yunan original: 王藴庵. Referring to Wang Zhi, a collaborator on the manual. is a master of these forms. I have therefore asked him to produce several paintings to be compiled into this complete manual...