Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 1286 Seeking Truth From Facts (Addition 3)

On April [-]th of the fifth year of Jianji, there were two days before the queen arrived at Linshuo Palace.

Shao Shude attended the Shuowang Dachao Meeting in Jintai Hall, and after all the officials dismissed, he went to Wenshan Hall again, ordered the secretary to set up a calligraphy and painting bureau, and called Zhang Suqing and Yang Ningshi to ask questions.

The Secretary Province has two major institutions under its jurisdiction, the Bureau of Books and the Bureau of Taishi, and the Bureau of Painting and Calligraphy is the third.

In the Tang Dynasty, although there were many famous paintings handed down from generation to generation, the imperial court did not have a special painting institution.Most of the painters worked in institutions such as Jixian Academy, Hongwen Academy, Hanlin Academy, and History Museum. These institutions paid them salaries, but they were not necessarily engaged in the work of these institutions, and the overall situation was rather chaotic.

The newly established Calligraphy and Painting Bureau of the Ministry of Secretary-General is dedicated to supporting painters and calligraphers—even including sculptors.

The biggest official of the Painting and Calligraphy Bureau is Calligraphy and Painting Lang. From the fifth rank, there are two members, and Zhang Suqing is one of them.

"Zhang Qing, after seeing your paintings, I just want to ask you, do you look like a human?" Shao Shude asked, pointing to a series of paintings drawn since the Northern Tour.

These paintings include those of himself, officials, warriors, common people, chariots, horses, weapons, banners, cities, etc., all inclusive, but——the paintings are not alike!

"Look at Chen Shilang in the painting, does he look the same as himself?"

"Your Majesty, righteousness still needs to be discussed." Yang Ning remonstrated.

The proportions of the face and facial features are uncoordinated and exaggerated, not like a real person.This is a common problem of sculpture at this time, not paying attention to realism.

But compared to before the Anshi Rebellion?More or less there is still a little bit.

In the rest of his life, he will re-establish the supremacy of the Central Plains militarily by attacking Khitan, Bohai, Uighur, Tatar and other tribes and khanates.

The core reason is that the portraits of the characters are seriously distorted, the proportions of various things in the painting are not coordinated, and there is also a lack of concave and convex three-dimensional sense, all of which are flat.The painters recruited in the early years were also like this, and Shao Shude endured it for a long time.

Shao Shude sat back in his chair, thinking silently.

For a moment, he wanted to order the terracotta warriors to be dug out, so that you can see what realism is.

He even looked at Yan Liben's collected painting "Picture of the Emperors". The portraits of the thirteen emperors were seriously distorted, making them look like real people.

Shao Shude asked several questions in succession.

Shao Shude thought for a while and said, "Can you draw the folds on Zhenlong's robe?"

Zhang Suqing and Yang Ningshi can only say yes again and again.

Neither of them dared to speak.

Arbus is still wearing a skirt, but the single jacket on his upper body has been cut to make it very close-fitting.Just like Xiao Shiwuniang who danced that day, her bumps and convexities shape the beauty of the human body.

Then, through the attitude of seeking truth from facts and inclusiveness, we can absorb the strengths of the Tibetans and turn them into our own use.

"It doesn't look like it at all!" Shao Shude said mercilessly.

In terms of compactness, it is somewhat similar to later Western court outfits.But there are no various laces on the cuffs, and there are no complicated folds on the skirt. Everything is still a Tang suit element.

Shao Shude casually pulled the fan-bearer Abusi over, and said, "Everyone loves beauty, so why cover it up with a toga and big sleeves?"

But in later generations, these are simply unimaginable. Even the prostitutes in the brothel dare not expose so much body, and the overall atmosphere is becoming more and more conservative.If scholars from the Ming and Qing Dynasties came to take a look and saw these women's clothing styles full of sexy and desire elements, they would probably call them "the kingdom of beasts".

"I'm not stupid, of course I know this." Shao Shude laughed angrily, and said: "You are a smart man, and I don't need to go around in circles with some words. Great righteousness can make people die generously, make people loyal, and the court can spend a lot less Money. This is also a matter of seeking truth from facts, of course, what I want is for you to seek truth from facts when you are a person and an official. Don’t deceive people with mysterious things, simplify everything and point to the source. Don’t talk empty words , Routine, don’t just sit and talk, be more pragmatic. Just like doing business, a businessman seeks profit, this is seeking truth from facts, there is nothing to be ashamed of, human nature is like this. There are also beauties—”

In terms of realism, the two are not on the same level at all.

"I am a martial artist, and I have only one requirement: to seek truth from facts." Shao Shude said: "All the purposes of this court start from seeking truth from facts. People are what they are. Even if they are painting for me, there is no need to embellish them. There is a small line at the corner of my mouth. When the artist paints the scar, why hide it? It’s not necessary. Remember, seek truth from facts. Painting, sculpture, dressing, being a person, being an official, etc., everything is based on seeking truth from facts, don’t cover up. Human nature, I know a thing or two. Warriors fight for me, are they loyal to the emperor and patriotic? I tie them with kindness and righteousness, raise them with money and food, and lure them with wealth and honor, so they fight bravely. Could it be that it is really for righteousness?"

But he still couldn't figure it out, the pottery figurines of the Qin Dynasty were so realistic, and after hundreds of years of development, how could they go on a more crooked path?Developing in the direction of exaggeration?
From the perspective of human nature, shouldn't it all start by copying nature and pursuing truth?

"Your Majesty, what is the three-dimensional sense?" Zhang Suqing asked.

I thought the saint was just dissatisfied with the painting.

Shao Shu speaks German.

"I obey the order." Zhang Suqing replied.

What if some barbarians rise up in the north and beat the Central Plains to shame?What happens when the Han people are dull and unconfident?Seek comfort by discriminating and swearing at barbarians?
What if we go one step further, and the Huren sweated a lot and annexed half of the Central Plains?The Han people are even less confident, what will happen at this time?You don't even dare to discriminate and scold, so you toss on your own family?

"That's right." Shao Shude said again: "You can go to the Guozijian's mathematics department and ask them about the proportions. The proportions of people, horses, carts, banners, equipment, and cities must be coordinated. When drawing people, you must It has a three-dimensional sense-"

Yang Ningshi and Zhang Suqing left slowly under the guidance of the palace officials.

"But it doesn't look like it. I've seen many paintings. There are indeed wrinkles drawn on the clothes, but they don't look like it at all. It's unreal." Shao Shude said: "Put a robe in the sun and see how the light changes in the shadows. Income."

But he didn't dare.When dug out at this time, there is no ability to properly keep it.Once destroyed by war, he is a national sinner.

In his previous life, he had seen the portraits of Niu Gulu in the Qing Dynasty collected by the Palace Museum, and they were not very different from the one-inch photos.

After finishing speaking, Shao Shude got up and said: "I don't care how I painted in the previous dynasty, but the new dynasty has a new atmosphere. My request is not to pursue illusory artistic conceptions, but to be down-to-earth and draw more realistically and realistically. Far, near, three-dimensional, Light and shadow, concave and convex, lines, if you think about it carefully, you may create a new genre.”

"I can." Zhang Suqing said.

"It's not real, it doesn't have much prestige when you look at it." Shao Shude said: "Zhang Qing, some ideas need to be changed. I know that the ability to draw people in the Han and Jin Dynasties is not as good as it is now, but since it has made progress, why not go further? Think carefully about realistic painting skills, I am a martial artist, I don't know anything illusory, I just want to see realistic things."

"This knight, the figure is so big, but the horse is so small, does it look like it?"

Discriminate against foreigners?He doesn't think so.

In his opinion, the paintings of maids and sculptures of warriors in the tomb of Wang Chuzhi in later generations are rather distorted, in the style of comic books.

"The flag and drums are far from the real thing. What exactly are you painting?"

"Really." Yang Ningshi said with certainty: "Your Majesty might as well send people to visit the ancient sites, and you can tell the truth at a glance."

Shao Shude sometimes feels dazed when he thinks about it. Is this really a nation?

"Your Majesty, it has been carved like this since ancient times." Yang Ningshi hesitated for a while, and argued.

Now it seems that the painting is just a pretext, just like the slim-fit skirt that Albus changed, the saint's idea is quite complicated.

The boldness and sexiness of Tang Dynasty clothing far surpassed that of later generations.There are various kinds of skirts such as round neck and sweetheart neck. In the prosperous age of Kaiyuan, topless styles prevailed.Not only in the palace, but also in the homes of nobles and wealthy merchants.It can be seen from the descriptions of Tang Dynasty poems that half of the breasts are exposed fiercely. The descriptions of the waist, wrists, and chests are too numerous to enumerate.

"Your Majesty, a painting emphasizes artistic conception and despises reality. What I want to express in this painting is the emperor's panic and heavenly power..." Zhang Suqing was very uncomfortable with the sage's questioning, but she didn't dare to get angry, so she could only explain.

"Really?" Shao Shude asked back.

The most terrifying situation, Shenzhou Lu Chen also came, what will happen at this time?What kind of anger is gone, all as slaves?
Isn't this a step-by-step deterioration?
Seek truth from facts, be inclusive...

As he was talking, he had already walked up to a stone sculpture and asked, "Zhang Qing, Yang Qing, do you think this stone warrior looks like a real person?"

"That's all." Shao Shude said: "I know that the damage caused by the Anshi Rebellion is extremely far-reaching, and the entire Han land in the Central Plains is becoming more and more conservative. If you are too conservative, you will be arrogant. But it's okay, the time is not long, and there is salvation. I don't want to say more I just want you to seek truth from facts. The Long family is good at looking after horses, raising horses, and taming horses. No one in the Central Plains can match them. If they are good, they must admit and learn from them. You cannot discriminate against or disdain just because the Long family is a red-haired barbarian. Take a look. The Central Plains Celestial Empire is not the best in everything. I think there are many that are not as good as the barbarians. There is no country in this world that can be the first in everything. It is normal to have strengths and weaknesses. Don’t just talk about your bad Jumping feet, seeking truth from facts, inclusiveness is the kingly way.”

Given the level of population, economy, and social development of the Central Plains, it is certain that these absorbed things will be carried forward, brought forth from the old and brought forth the new, and then exported in reverse, eventually establishing the cultural supremacy of the Central Plains.

Moreover, this kind of culture is not closed, but with an attitude of seeking truth from facts, it continuously absorbs excellent foreign cultures for its own use and becomes its own national tradition.Culture needs to be exchanged, and a closed culture can only be a pool of stagnant water, which will eventually become rotten.

The rotten sores of the post-Anshi Rebellion have not deteriorated further, and may be slowly eliminated.

Turning the tide is no easier than a military victory.

(End of this chapter)