Value Orientation of Ancient Professional Painters in China

China is a country with a long tradition of teacher education. 2,500 years ago, Confucius and other prominent scholars took "harmony is the most important thing, leveling the world" as their own responsibility, loved to be loyal to the sea, and preached, setting a moment and spirit for future generations to be a teacher. Many painters in ancient China spent their whole lives cultivating themselves as role models. Ill-gotten wealth is regarded as dirt, and in the long history of painting, it has formed the spiritual tradition of moral norms and selfless love for teachers.

Teacher's love refers to teachers' conscious, pure, lasting, private and universal love for students. On the surface, it is a teacher's beautiful emotional expression to students, a rare teaching method and educational art, but in essence it is a teacher's lofty mission and high sense of responsibility cultivated through rationality. In addition to accumulating painting experience and striving for perfection in art, China ancient painters devoted most of their lives to painting education, and took it as their duty to cultivate painting. Their spirit of loving teachers has been transformed into a powerful personality force, which has influenced and educated students and the world. In today's great art education, this spirit of teachers loving teachers' morality is very worth carrying forward.

The teacher's love of China ancient painters is contained in their painting education thoughts, words and deeds, which are embodied in the following aspects:

Moral tradition

Teachers love ancient painters in China, and take "preaching" as their purpose, which contains lofty sense of mission and responsibility. Confucius once said, "A scholar is interested in Tao." Ceng Zi gave full play to the teacher's teaching and further explained: "Scholars have a long way to go to strive for self-improvement. Isn't it important to think that benevolence is your responsibility? Not far from death. " China's ancient painting philosophy took "Tao" as the highest realm. Painters attach great importance to self-moral cultivation and moral education for students, and often regard mountains and rivers, plum blossoms and bamboo chrysanthemums as "superior to morality". Think that painting is as it is, and painting is added. Taking the moral quality of "writing constantly" and "being a teacher" as the standard to measure the level and taste of painting, the way of being a man, painting theory and painting method are integrated to test and teach students.

Zheng, a master of Confucian classics in the Han Dynasty, said: "Teachers teach people to call Taoists." In the Tang Dynasty, Han Yu said, "A teacher is a teacher, so those who preach and teach are also confused." Because teachers' academics are the academic origin of students, and students' academics are the extension of teachers' academics. The academic relationship between teachers and students is endowed with the meaning of "orthodoxy". The mission of "preaching" naturally endows teachers with the mission of "learning Tao" and students with the mission of "learning Tao". Chinese painting has always attached importance to people's all-round quality. The cultivation of noble personality requires painters to set an example and establish good moral and behavioral norms in all aspects. Yuzi once said with emotion: "It is also a pleasure to be educated by talents in the world." As long as China ancient painters play the role of teachers, they will integrate morality and ideals, mission and responsibility, and have a heartfelt love for students, taking pleasure in it and shouldering heavy responsibilities.

As the leader of "Wu Pai", he accepted Hui Ze, a teacher with noble personality, and inherited his fine tradition of attaching importance to morality and loving life. Wen's family is a versatile family, and I have the honor to meet a number of mentors and friends such as Shen Zhou, Zhen, Zhu Yunming and Tang Yin. These people are all leading figures in Wuzhong painting circle. In addition, he has profound academic education and noble character, which has exerted a subtle influence on Zheng Ming: at the age of nineteen, Wen Zhiming formally studied painting under Shen Zhou. Shen Shi's family collection is rich, and he has collected many yellow valley calligraphy. Shen Zhou did not hesitate to borrow, and let Zheng Ming observe and appreciate excellent calligraphy works, including the valley running script "Fu Bo Shen Shi Juan", and gave personal advice, which had a great influence on the formation of calligraphy style later. At the age of 22, Wen Zhiming learned from his father and friend Shao Qing Mars. After accepting Li as a disciple, he gave him a set of detailed book strategies and taught him not to follow suit. At the age of 26, Zheng Ming was recommended by his father to learn from Wu Kuan. He studied classical Chinese, and Wu Kuan's family has a rich collection, and he wrote Yi An Jia Cang Ji. He recorded his hidden and handed down calligraphy and painting works, which proved his popularity in the Expo, and made a large number of literati under the recommendation of Wu Kuan, which broadened his horizons and life circle. It is under the guidance of these teachers' selfless and unrepentant spirit of teacher love and noble behavior that Wen Zhiming has achieved success in the future.

Wen Zhiming lived in his hometown for more than 30 years in his later years. He not only amused himself with poetry and calligraphy, but also created a lot of works. Communication with his disciples became the greatest pleasure in his life. They "always follow, talk about art and literature, taste water and stones, remember old stories, burn incense and swallow, and feel desolate ... Wuzhong is a beautiful family, and the Japanese side is carrying a wine boat and waiting for mountains and lakes. Luck comes quickly. Although the obedient son also knows her husband's name, he was forced to be kind in the street but said, "Are you a gentleman, too?"? "Showing all kinds of elegant behaviors and noble virtues has become a model of the village and is deeply respected by people.

It can be seen that Wen Zhiming's success is inseparable from the selfless training of teachers. It is under the inspiration of the teacher's love of attaching importance to morality and education that Wen Zhiming inherited the tradition of being a teacher by example, set up an account for teaching students, and became known to the world for his noble virtue and love education.

Love is added to life.

Love is a kind of teacher's morality and a very important norm to adjust the relationship between teachers and students and measure the moral level of teachers. It is also a means of education, which contains great educational power. Joining "love for students" is one of the secrets of the success of probation education.

According to Records of Zhong Ni's Disciple Biography, before he became a disciple of Confucius, Luz was "disdainful, brave, upright, crowned as a rooster, admired dolphins and beat Confucius violently". However, Confucius didn't take an abhorrent attitude towards Luz, but "seduced him with small gifts", established his own teaching, and finally persuaded Luz to put on Confucian clothes and vowed to learn from Confucius. Later, Lutz not only followed Confucius to lobby princes, but also was a faithful believer and executor of Confucius' thought. Even during the civil strife in Weiguo Palace, he kept in mind Confucius' teaching that "the death of a gentleman is inevitable, and the crown of a man is inevitable", and he was ordered to die at the critical moment. In the process of reforming students' moral character, Yangcheng, a Guo Zi company in Tang Dezong, did not punish students with corporal punishment like ordinary teachers, but made a fool of itself. Although there is no need for corporal punishment, it has achieved the effect of "dignity is power". Even students who are "rough and greedy" and "treacherous and treacherous" can be "obedient" and "trustworthy" after being taught by Yangcheng. Liu Zongyuan believes that the secret of Yangcheng education's successful influence on students is to "love students". Many painters in ancient China embodied this excellent quality of "loving life". From the painting history of Wu Daozi, Wang Weishi, Han Gan and Wang Jianzhu, we can see that without Master's selfless love for his disciples, there would be no schools in the history of ancient painting in China that passed down and peaked again and again.

Spencer, a famous British educator, said: "Savagery produces savagery, and kindness produces kindness. This is a fact. If a child has no compassion, he becomes unsympathetic; Treating them with the friendship they deserve is a means to support their friendship. " This view is very incisive. The research shows that teachers' attitude towards students has never been a one-way flow psychologically, but is manifested in the mutual flow of feedback information from teacher-student relationship. As "Xue Ji" said: "Kiss his teacher and believe in his way". Once the teacher's love is experienced by students as a sincere concern, students will have a positive tendency accordingly, accept love happily and repay the teacher with love. The so-called "returning peaches to plums". This is the educational value of teacher's love.

Never tire of learning, never tire of regretting.

"Never tire of learning and never tire of teaching" is a virtue possessed by ancient educators in China. As a teacher, without good professional ethics, rich and exquisite knowledge and tireless teaching spirit, it is bound to mislead people. In particular, the art of painting needs all-round study and constant cultivation, and it needs decades of unremitting training and cultivation to reach the situation that "people and books are old". Like never too old to learn. It is not easy to tirelessly impart knowledge, cultivate people's morality and teach people like that. Teachers often need to take pains to explain and demonstrate for several times, dozens of times or even countless times. Therefore, it is very important to combine the spirit of "never tire of learning" with the teaching mode of "never tire of teaching".

Educators of past dynasties regarded Confucius as a "model" and devoted themselves to teaching. Zhang Zai, a master of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, said: "I am naked and have no food to eat. I give lectures to all the students ... I am dead, and my poverty is beyond measure." . Hu Yuan "taught students the knowledge of understanding and application, and studied hard day and night for more than twenty years". Zhu is unhappy as long as he doesn't give lectures. Huang Mianzhai, one of his students, recalled: "Travellers recite what they have learned over and over again, and if they are suspicious, they will take pains to tell them. Asking irrelevant questions will embody the precepts, but will not hide them. Those who are proficient in business, see what they say, and those who are difficult to communicate, worry about it. Talk about classics, Shang Lue ancient and modern, rate to midnight ".

Although there were few painters who took painting as their lifelong occupation in ancient China, almost every successful painter had the experience of learning from teachers and being a model. China's paintings always pay attention to the paintings outside the paintings. While learning and practicing painting skills, he also has the spirit of painting outside the painting and never getting tired of learning. Zheng Yuanyun once said in the Ming Dynasty: "Any eccentric painter was unlearned before he became famous in the Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties. You are ignorant if you have not experienced famous mountains and rivers. If you don't know the rhyme of the master and the name of Boya, there is no solution. "

To reach the realm of "everyone is old in books", achievements other than painting, that is, reading, traveling, character cultivation, even making friends and artistic cultivation, are very important. Dong Qichang said, "Read thousands of books and take Wan Li Road". Zhang Geng explained in the Qing Dynasty: "If you read more books, your mind will be clear and you will not be confused by different opinions. If you travel far, you will see and hear a lot, and if you expand your mind, you will be angry. Therefore, if you can keep making progress, I will be extraordinary. " It can be seen that ancient painters paid attention to the merits outside the picture and the spirit of never getting tired of learning. There are also many tireless educators among the ancient painters in China. In fact, tireless teaching refers to a kind of teaching attitude and educational spirit, with various ways and means, rather than the number of teaching words. Many paintings in Chinese painting are difficult to express and can only be understood. Therefore, giving advice without saying much has become one of the tireless characteristics and methods of Master Hai Ren. Shen Zhou, a painter of Wumen in the Ming Dynasty, always used the habit of using old pens when copying the landscapes of Ni Zan, a painter without generation. He always can't grasp Ni Zan's writing style, which is tender and pale. As a teacher, Zhao Tonglu always takes pains to point out time and again that his tireless spirit of using a pen is commendable. It is under the inspiration of teachers' lifelong learning and tireless teaching spirit that Shen Zhou was able to make a name for himself in the painting world.

Combining strict love with self-study.

As the saying goes, "the deeper you love, the heavier your responsibility." Whether amiable Confucius, Mencius, Cheng Yi, Wang Wei and Wen, or dignified and respectable Gou Zi, Hu Yuan, Cheng Yi, Wang Xizhi and Zheng Banqiao, they are all a combination of love and strictness.

Mencius regarded "being educated by talented people in the world" as a great pleasure in life, but he never advocated letting students let themselves go. He said: "teaching archery should aim at winning, and scholars should aim at winning." He also said, "Masters will not change the waste rope ink for clumsy works, nor will they change their winning percentage for clumsy shooting." The "winning rate" and "rope ink" here are metaphors of "Tao", because what students learn from teachers is "Tao". Therefore, teachers must not lower the standard of Tao. Gou Zi believes that there are four kinds of "learning arts". The first is "dignity and fear". He has realized that teachers are strict with students, which is a highly responsible performance for students. Students will be sincerely grateful to the teacher when they have achieved something, just as he said, "Going home in deep water, the tree falls, and disciple thomas lee is the teacher."

While strictly demanding, ancient educators in China paid attention to teaching by example, educating students to be "like rain" and making followers "like sitting in the spring breeze, harmonious but different". Confucius has a famous saying: "He is honest and acts without orders; His body is not right, although he does not obey. " In the process of education, teachers should not only teach by example, but also set an example for students with their exemplary actions. Confucius asked his disciples to "do their duty as teachers" and said that "it is too late to change." The Analects of Confucius recorded many examples of Confucius sincerely accepting students' criticism. Hu Yuan once said: "Teach people the law, and everything is ready. Take the lead. Although you will hold public office in summer, you will be strict with your disciples and treat your students as their children. You will believe in love as much as your father and brother. " Because he "embodies his words and deeds", he "strictly abides by the law and is respected for a long time". Wang Xizhi, who is honored as a "book saint", is said to have studied calligraphy in Linchi, Chi Pan, Lanting, Shaoxing, Zhejiang. Day after day, he learned all kinds of calligraphy skills without sleep or sleep. In order to save time, the water around him became a convenient place for him to brush his pen. Over time, a pool of clear water was dyed black, leaving a touching story with no distractions and concentrated study. His son Wang Xianzhi took his father as a teacher and followed his father's strict instructions. He used the water in the tank to grind ink until all the water in the 18 tank was used up.

Therefore, to truly love students, teachers should put themselves in their shoes and let students do what they want to do first. If so, we have found the true meaning of education and established a good relationship between teachers and students. As "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals" said: "Take a disciple as yourself, teach yourself, and you will be taught. If you add it to others, it is also feasible for yourself. If this is the case, the master and the apprentice are the same. "

Learn and teach from each other.

Ancient educators in China always had high hopes for the younger generation. Confucius not only affirmed that "the afterlife is terrible", students can surpass teachers, but also encouraged students to have the courage to "do their duty as teachers". Gou Zi also pointed out: "Green, taken from blue, is green; Ice, water is cooler than water. " He thinks that students will eventually surpass teachers. In this case, he pointed out: a teacher should be "kind and tireless, and can quit after being admonished", and must not be "a slap in the face, a reluctant person, a joke, and the most loyal thief". He publicly said: "If you are not me, you should be a teacher; I am my friend; If you insult me, I am a thief. " Xue Ji inherits and develops this idea, clearly puts forward the proposition of "teaching and learning mutually", and discusses the dialectical relationship between teachers and students in mutual learning and promotion. Han Yu wrote the article "Teacher's Theory", and further put forward the view that "a younger brother need not be inferior to a teacher, and a teacher need not be superior to a disciple". That is to say, on the one hand, students are not necessarily inferior to teachers. It is entirely possible for students to surpass teachers. Students should not feel inferior, but should strive for self-improvement and dare to surpass their teachers. On the other hand, teachers are not necessarily better than students in everything, so students should learn from their strengths instead of asking teachers to be perfect. At the same time, teachers should not only keep forging ahead and strive for perfection, but also respect students and learn from them. Zhang Yanyuan listed many "according to you" or "ice is cooler than water" in Notes on Famous Paintings of Past Dynasties, which shows the attitude of ancient painters towards teachers. Liu Zongyuan summed up the above thoughts as "making friends with teachers", taking teachers as friends, taking friends as teachers, and mentioning teachers and friends together, turning the teacher-student relationship into a teacher-friend relationship. This is the inheritance and development of the fine tradition of respecting teachers and loving students in ancient China.

Tang Yin studied literature and art diligently since childhood, especially loved calligraphy and painting, and gradually revealed his superhuman talent, which was taken by Zhou Chen, a famous painter at that time, and was accepted as his protege. After studying with the teacher, Tang Yin studied hard and made rapid progress. Later, under the guidance of the famous painter Shen, he absorbed the brushwork of the Yuan people in the painting style of the Southern Song Dynasty, so his painting skills were very popular, and he was as famous as his teacher Zhou Chen. Since then, Tang Yin has visited Wan Li Road, enjoyed the strange peaks and valleys, and combined with his own literary accomplishment, his paintings are even more eye-catching. So many people are at a loss to draw, and sometimes he has to ask his teacher Zhou Chen to write for him. Faced with such a situation, the insider once asked Zhou Chen what aspects are inferior to student Tang Yin? Zhou Chen replied bluntly: "There are only a few thousand books in Tang Sheng!" As a teacher, he thinks that disciples need not be inferior to teachers, and openly admits that Tang Yin has a wide range of reading. A hundred schools of thought contend, and astronomy, calendar, mathematics and music are all carefully studied, and his knowledge is integrated into his writing. He is indeed superior to himself in cultural accomplishment, and has great advantages in many aspects such as being a teacher and experiencing the nature. His attainments and achievements in poetry are really conducive to his success in painting. It can be seen that Zhou Chen, as a teacher, knows the truth that "knowledge must be emphasized in the painting garden".

From the classic example of China, we can see that the relationship between teachers and students is transformed into the love of teachers and friends, which reflects the respect of teachers for students' personality and is an equal and democratic teaching method. From the perspective of teachers' morality, it is a spirit of teachers' love and an inspiration of personality.