Which Chinese painting theory, written by Xie He in the sixth century, lists six principles of painting?

Xie He’s sixth-century text established the Six Principles of Painting as a foundational theory of Chinese painting.

The principles appeared in the preface to Xie He’s Record of the Classification of Old Painters, a work associated with the Southern Qi period. They address spiritual resonance, structural use of the brush, fidelity to forms, appropriate coloring, composition, and the transmission of established models.

The first principle, often translated as “spirit resonance,” became especially influential because it emphasizes vitality and expressive energy rather than simple visual imitation. Translations vary, so the wording of individual principles can differ between English sources.

The Six Principles are a theory, not a single painting technique or genre. They influenced later discussions of landscape, figure, and bird-and-flower painting, and are often compared with Western ideas about artistic quality and representation.