On the Combination of "Form" and "Spirit" in Chinese Aesthetic Theories of Painting

As a basic category in the philosophical and aesthetic theories of ancient China,the concept of and spirit has attracted constant attention in the artistic field.The idea of the combination of and spirit was proposed at quite an early stage of Chinese art theories,which lay special emphasis on the conveyance of spirit.In particular,this idea is fully embodied and developed in the field of painting.This article is intended to provide a general introduction of the development of the category of and spirit,and tentatively probe into the combination of and spirit in the creation of paintings in light of the similitude of form and similitude of spirit.