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LANDSCAPE OF THE SOUL

by - Nathalie Trouveroy

Comparison between European and Chinese Art :

- This chapter is a comparative study of European and Chinese painting.
- The chapter has three important areas of discussion :
* anecdotes related to Chinese and European painting.
* Daoism
* how one of the philosophical doctrine of Daoism called ' Shanshui ' is reflected in Chinese
paintings.
Anecdote about Chinese painter Wu Daozi

- The eighth century Chinese Emperor Xuanzong commissioned a painter named Wu Daozi to
paint a landscape.
- The emperor enjoyed looking at the forests, high mountains, waterfalls, clouds, man on hilly
paths, birds in flight etc depicted in the painting.
- But the painter was not satisfied and he invited the attention of the emperor towards a cave
in the painting, in which, the painter said, resided a spirit.
- The painter clapped his hands, causing the entrance to the cave.
- Then the painter said, " The inside is splendid, beyond anything words can convey. Please let
me show your Majesty the way".
- The painter entered the cave and disappeared.
- The cave door closed and the painting disappeared from the wall before the Emperor could
move.

Another Chinese painter who did not want to paint the eyes of the dragon for fear that the
dragon may attack him on seeing him.
Anecdote about a European painter Quinten Metsys :

- A fifteenth century Belgium blacksmith named Quinten Metsys fell in love with a painter's
daughter.
- Knowing that her father would not accept him because of his profession, he secretly entered
the painter's studio.
- He painted such a realistic fly on the artist's panel that the master tried to swat it before he
realised that it was not real.
- Quinten was accepted by the master as an apprentice, married his beloved and soon became
famous for his 'realism' in painting.

Meaning of the tales :

- Such stories as that of Wu Daozi are very common in China's classical education.
- Such tales reveal that art has an inner life, meaning of soul.
- Only when one is able to see that inner life can understand its true meaning.
- The emperor could only see the body of the painting, whereas the painter tried to show him
the soul, the inner life and meaning of the painting.