Color as a pictorial principle in the artistic language of Chinese painting: approaches and models of representation
Authors: Wang Weike 
Published: October 2022

The purpose of the article is to study the approaches and models of color as a pictorial principle in modern Chinese painting.

The article is devoted to the actual problem of the study of the artistic language of painting. In Chinese art history, it has several forms of representation. However, one of the key themes is the role of color as a central pictorial principle in contemporary fine art.

The study of the role of color in painting is based on the analysis of the formal and compositional-plastic features of artwork. At the same time, color is an important factor in the interpretation of artistic signs and symbols of a particular author. The selection of color from and a number of other elements of the artistic language is associated with the influence of the traditional artistic system in the art of China on the practice of modernization. In many professional studies, we can come across an opinion about the practical significance of tonal and color solutions for substantiating the artistic imagery of a work and its ideological and aesthetic meaning.

The methodology. For the analysis of sources we used the method of comparative analysis and the method of typology. Visual sources are analyzed with the use of methodological, formal, compositional and figurative-stylistic analysis.

The results. In modern Chinese studies, the problem of color is a completely independent area, which is of universal importance for the analysis of the evolution of fine art. As a visual principle, the subject matter is considered within two approaches: 1) figurative-plastic, where the central place is occupied by tonal and color features in the context of the search for form and composition; 2) emotional-figurative, where the central place is occupied by the perception of color and the interpretation of the signs and symbols of the work.

Within the framework of the first approach, three research models dominate: 1) figurative and artistic model, which is characterized by the ability of color to change within the framework of the author’s style idea; 2) the symbolic model focuses the artist’s attention on cultural and historical references; 3) the decorative-figurative model positions the problem of color as a matter of color morphology, as well as the use of traditional decor techniques along with oil painting methods.

Within the framework of the second approach, the sign-emotive and semantic-emotive models are the main ones. The first model represents color as a factor of the author’s sign space. The second model is a tool for studying color as a part of a sign artistic language. This artistic language regulates the specific meaning of the aesthetic essence of color (for example, red in traditional symbolism is a sign of power). In this model, the semiotic feature of color is enhanced by the emotional nature of painting techniques.

The scientific novelty. The article substantiates the concept of color in painting as the main pictorial principle in the contemporary fine arts of China. The research approaches of Chinese art critics are summarized.