The Six Canons or Principles, thought to be essential for the appreciation of Chinese painting. They were set out in the Southern Qi 南齊 period by Xie He (Jp: Sha Kaku 謝赫) in his Guhua Pinlu (Jp: Kogahinroku 古画品録, Record of the Classification of Painters), published c. 500. The author states that he simply transmits certain ideas that already existed at the heart of Chinese painting, but the terms in which he expressed them were accepted by his and following generations and became the general foundation for Chinese art-criticism.
The translation into English of these four-character phrases presents problems of interpretation, but scholars generally agree on the following:
1) ki-in seidō 気韻生動 (Ch: qiyun shendong; spirit resonance) -- circulation of the Ch'i (breath, spirit, vital force of heaven) produces movement of life;
2) koppō yōhitsu 骨法用筆 (Ch: gufa yungbi; bone manner) -- the brush creates structure;
3) ōbutsu zōkei 応物象形 (Ch: yingwu shangxing; conform with the objects to give likeness) -- form is drawn according to the object;
4) zuirui fusai 随類賦彩 (Ch: suilei fucai; apply the colors according to the characteristics) -- color is applied according to the nature of the object;
5) keiei ichi 経営位置 (Ch: jingying weizhi; plan and design, place and position) -- composition should be organized with the elements in their proper places (see *fukyoku 布局);
6) den'i mosha 伝移模写 (Ch: chuanyi moxie; transmit models by drawing) -- seek to pass on the essence of the master's brush methods by copying.