Sailing Delightfully on Water:Su Shi's View of Human Nature and Destiny and Its Echoes in Chinese Art
Su Shi's(苏轼)writings made the image of"Sailing Delightfully on Water"(乐水行舟)as an important carrier of his view of human nature and destiny(性命观念),through which he explored the reconciliation between the change of fortune and the passage of life.The images of boat and water respectively evoked his reflections on the dilemma of existence and the nature of gentlemen,while"Sailing Delightfully on Water"signified the fulfillment of one's nature and destiny,with the unity of human nature and destiny,ultimately attaining a peaceful settlement amidst the trials in the world.Su Shi's view of human nature and destiny endowed related textual and visual themes with profound connotations,as the visual tradition of Su Shi's appreciation for water in Chinese history of painting was highly symbolic of Su Shi's destiny.The imagery of"Sailing Delightfully on Water"deeply influenced the picture showing and spiritual dimension of numerous boat-travel and fishing-reclusion paintings.The combination of water and boat elicited meaningful associations between change and constancy,and between finiteness and infinity.Exploring the potential role of Su Shi in this phenomenon can help deepen our understanding of ancient Chinese ideology of art and literature.
human nature and destinyRed Cliff(赤壁)Su Shi on the Sea(海上苏)literati paintingschema
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