Gu Huapin Lu

work by Xie He

Also known as: “Guhuapinlu”

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

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The Gu Huapin Lu is a significant work by Xie He, a Chinese painter and critic from the 6th century. This text is best known for introducing the "Six Principles" of Chinese painting, which became foundational for artistic training and critical judgment.1

The Gu Huapin Lu itself categorizes 27 painters into three classes of descending merit. The Six Principles, though their interpretations have evolved, generally encompass:1
* Spirit resonance (creativity)
* Structural use of the brush
* Proper representation of objects
* Specific coloration
* Good composition
* Transmission of old masters through copying1

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Xie He
The “Six Principles” introduce Xie’s Gu Huapin Lu (“Classified Record of Painters of Former Times”), which rates 27 painters in three classes of descending merit, each with three subdivisions. The “Six Principles” have inevitably acquired new and even different meanings through the ages, but generally they may be paraphrased as…
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The “Six Principles” introduce Xie’s Gu Huapin Lu (“Classified Record of Painters of Former Times”), which rates 27 painters in three classes of descending merit, each with three subdivisions. The “Six Principles” have inevitably acquired new and even different meanings through the ages, but generally they may be paraphrased as…
Read More

Chinese painting
Three Kingdoms (220–280) and Six Dynasties (220–589)
…has survived in China, the Guhuapinlu (“Classified Record of Painters of Former Times”). In this work he grades 27 painters in three classes, prefacing his list with a short statement of six aesthetic principles by which painting should be judged. These are qiyun shengdong (“spirit resonance, life-motion”), an enigmatic and…
Read More
…has survived in China, the Guhuapinlu (“Classified Record of Painters of Former Times”). In this work he grades 27 painters in three classes, prefacing his list with a short statement of six aesthetic principles by which painting should be judged. These are qiyun shengdong (“spirit resonance, life-motion”), an enigmatic and…
Read More