从“品第”论到“品格”论:基于《四库全书总目》引发的古代艺术论探析

The Transition in Artistic Evaluation from Pindi to Pinge:An Analysis of Ancient Art Theory Based on The Catalogue of the Imperial Collection of Four

《四库全书总目》艺术类提要包含了在书法、绘画、琴谱、篆刻等门类形成的艺术论、艺术史论和批评理论方面的丰富思想和经典判断,可以说是中国古代艺术理论批评的集大成者。从《唐朝名画录》提要所延伸的艺术品评话题,值得积极探索和深入发掘。中国艺术史或艺术学史的研究和书写,几乎绕不开“品”这一范畴。言艺术之“品”,谓上、中、下者为“品第”之品,称逸、神、妙、能者为“品格”之品。中国古代艺术论的总体倾向大体可以概括为从艺术品第论到艺术品格论,其发展历程恰好贯穿了从南朝直到清代的漫长历史,此间正是中国古代艺术批评和审美理论兴盛成熟的时期,由此构成理解艺术批评史和审美理论史的一条重要线索。艺术品格论发展到清代结出的硕果当数王士禛的神韵说,其形成并非只是受到诗学的滋养,而是由画学、书学、诗学与禅学等共同建立起来的艺术品格论的结晶。神韵诗学的理论基石是艺术品格论,从本质上说是艺术品格论中的“逸品”诗学。围绕从品第论到品格论的探讨,其理论意义有助于对艺术论的生成逻辑问题、体系思维问题和理论归属问题等进行深入揭示。

The art section in The Catalogue of Imperial Collection of Four contains abundant ideas and classic judgments in the fields of art theory,art history theory and critical theory of calligraphy,painting,guqin tablature,seal carving,to name just a few,which can be regarded as the epitome of ancient Chinese art theory criticism.Artistic evaluation extended from Annals of Renowned Tang Paintersis worthy of further exploration and in-depth analysis.The research and writing of Chinese art history or history of art study can hardly bypass Pin(artistic gradings).Pin can be divided into Pindi,which is subdivided into three degrees(high,average,low),and Pinge,which is classified toshen(divine,inspired),miao(marvelous),neng(competent,talented),yi(unconstrained).The general tendency of ancient Chinese art theory can be roughly summarized as a journey from Pindi to the Pinge,which coincides with the long history from the Nan Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty,an important period when ancient Chinese art criticism and aesthetic theory flourished and matured.This thus offers an important clue for us to understand the history of art criticism and aesthetic theory.Wang Shizhen's treatises of Shenyun(the breath of life)in Qing Dynasty is the fruit of this long development of Pinge,which was not only nourished by poetics,but was jointly established by painting,calligraphy,poetics and Zen.The theoretical foundation of Shenyun poetics is the artistic gradings of Pinge,which essentially is the yi(unconstrained)class in poetics.Focusing on the transition in artistic evaluation from Pindito Pinge helps to reveal the logic of art theory and issues of systematic thinking and theoretical attribution.