Emptiness‐Substance: Xushi

Abstract

Xushi (emptiness-substance) is one of the most frequently used terms in Chinese art and literary theory. References to xu and shi appear frequently in Chinese texts on painting written after the sixteenth century, although these terms were discussed in literary theory from Song Dynasty onward. This chapter begins with the elaboration on xushi by looking at the physical living space of the literati, namely the literary garden. Then, it looks at how the creation of a balance of empty and substantial forms has been applied to seal engraving. The small size of seal engraving made the principle of xushi was particularly relevant and useful in the literati esthetics. Given the intimate relationship between calligraphy and painting in literati visual culture, it is no surprise that the xushi dynamic that served as a conceptual frame in poetry and calligraphy was also important in painting, particularly from the fourteenth century onward.

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