The beauty of emptiness - the foundational root of Chinese aesthetics

Sernelj, Tea (author)

The article explores how the concept of “emptiness” (xu 虛) emerged as the defining aesthetic principle in the tradition of Chinese “literati painting” (wenrenhua 文人畫). Far from denoting absence or nothingness in the strict sense of the word, xu represents a dynamic and generative force—an underlying condition through which artistic form, meaning, and spiritual insight arise. Tracing its development from the Wei-Jin period (220–589 CE) onwards, the article examines how xu evolved at the intersection of Neo-Daoist metaphysics (Xuanxue 玄學) and Chan Buddhist philosophy, transforming from a metaphysical abstraction into a concrete aesthetic language. Focusing on five key figures—Gu Kaizhi, Zong Bing, Xie He, Jing Hao, and Shitao the study highlights how each articulated core aesthetic principles that grounded painting in the expressive possibilities of emptiness. Concepts such as liubai (留白, unpainted space), qiyun (氣韻, vital resonance of spirit), and yihua (一畫, the holistic or primordial brushstroke) demonstrate how emptiness manifests visually and philosophically. Ultimately, the article argues that xu is not only central to Chinese aesthetic theory, but serves as the silent generative force that animates the entire tradition of literati art.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Daoism, Chinese philosophy, aesthetics, emptiness, literati painting
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 71-93
• Numbering: Vol. 13 (29), iss. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178283
• UDC: 111.852:114(510)
• ISSN on article: 2232-5131
• DOI: 10.4312/as.2025.13.3.71-93
• COBISS.SI-ID: 249978371
• Publication date in RUL: 22.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Asian studies
• Publisher: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265206272

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Lepota praznine – temeljni izvor kitajske estetike

Abstract

Članek raziskuje, kako se je pojem praznine (xu虛) uveljavil kot osrednje estetsko nače-lo v tradiciji kitajskega slikarstva učenjakov (wenrenhua文人畫). Daleč od tega, da bi označeval praznino ali ničnost v dobesednem pomenu besede, predstavlja xu dinamično in ustvarjalno silo – temeljno stanje, iz katerega vznikajo umetniška forma, pomen in duhovni uvid. Članek sledi razvoju tega pojma od obdobja Wei-Jin (220–589 n. št.) dalje ter analizira, kako se je xu oblikoval na stičišču neodaoistične metafizike (Xuanxue玄學) in chan budistične filozofije ter se sčasoma preoblikoval iz metafizične abstrakcije v konkreten estetski jezik. S poudarkom na petih ključnih osebnostih – Gu Kaizhi, Zong Bing, Xie He, Jing Hao in Shi Tao – študija izpostavlja, kako je vsak od njih oblikoval temeljna estetska načela, ki slikarstvo utemeljujejo v izraznih možnostih praznine. Pojmi, kot so liubai (留白, neposlikani prostor), qiyun (氣韻, vitalna resonanca duha) in yihua(一畫, celostna ali izvorna poteza s čopičem), prikazujejo, kako se praznina uresničuje tako vizualno kot filozofsko. Članek v zaključku trdi, da xu ni zgolj osrednji pojem kita-jske estetske teorije, temveč tiha ustvarjalna sila, ki oživlja celotno tradicijo umetnosti učenjakov.

• Keywords: daoizem, kitajska filozofija, estetika, praznina, slikarstvo učenjakov