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Yiyuan lunhua 頤園論畫 "Book on painting from Nourishing Garden" is a book on painting written during the late Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Songnian 松年 (b. 1861), courtesy name Xiaomeng 小夢, style Yiyuan 頤園. He was a member of the Mongol Bordered Red Banner (Menggu xianghong qi 蒙古鑲紅旗).
The book of 1 juan length was finished in 1897, but only published in 1925 by Yu Jianhua 俞劍華 (1895-1979), based on a copy owned by Guan Songping 關松坪 that was published in a "certain newspaper" (mou bao 某報).
Songnian compared the learning of calligraphy to learning literature, for example, by reading a hundred times the history book Zuoshi 左史 (i.e., the Zhuozhuan 左傳), as a kind of initiation into higher literature. Regarding brushwork, Songnian proposes the "ten-character formula for painting" (zuo hua shi zi jue 作畫十字訣), with the techniques:
| gou 鈎 | hooks | curved strokes |
| zhuo 斫 | cutting | using the tip of the brush |
| cun 皴 | wrinkles | layered strokes with a dry brush (texture strokes) |
| ca 擦 | swiping | side brush strokes that lift and pull |
| ran 染 | staining | using light ink to lay down even colour |
| xuan 渲 | shading, gradation | varying the lightness and heaviness |
| blending | using water to spread the ink | |
| si 絲 | silks | fine strokes for flowers, grasses, and bamboo |
| dian 點 | dots | dots representing moss or trees on mountains |
| tuo 托 | supporting | applying colour behind the main subject |
While the six expressions gou 鈎, zhuo 斫, cun 皴, ca 擦, si 絲, and dian 點 represent the capabilities of the brush itself, the four techniques ran 染, xuan 渲, hong 烘, and tuo 托 pertain to the qualities of ink and colour. The brushwork supports the richness and spirit of the ink and colour.
Regarding ink application, Songnian says that painting fundamentally relies on the power conveyed by the brush, but one must also skilfully use ink and colour. When brush and ink are well integrated, a single stroke can form both branches and leaves, or even show two colours in one stroke, with the colours blending naturally and fluidly. He further notes that ink can be divided into five shades, depending entirely on skilled differentiation. Colour painters often use palettes with varying depths of colour, intended to distinguish intensity and lightness.
Songnian advocated that in painting, one must have "my presence everywhere" (chuchu you wo 處處有我), and that even when following ancient masters and traditional methods, one must carefully understand them and apply "skilful innovation".
Besides landscapes, Songnian also discusses the painting of flowers, orchids, bamboo, feathers, birds, and insects.
Regarding Western painting, Songnian had his perspective. He believed:
| 西洋畫工細求酷肖，賦色真與天生無異。細細觀之，純以皴染烘托而成，所以分出陰陽立見凹凸，不知底蘊，則喜其功妙，其實板板無奇，但能明乎陰陽起伏，則洋畫無餘蘊矣。 | Western painting is meticulous and seeks extreme likeness; its colouring is so true to nature it is almost indistinguishable. Upon close observation, it is purely built by layering textures, washes, and shading, which clearly show light and shadow, revealing three-dimensional form. Without understanding the underlying principles, people admire its technical skill, but in reality, it is rigid and lacks mystery. If one understands the play of light and shadow, Western painting has no further depth. |
| 中國作畫，專講筆墨鈎勒，全體以氣運成，形態既肖，神自滿足。古人畫人物則取故事，畫山水則取真境，天空作畫圖觀者；西洋畫皆取真境，尚有古意在也。 | Chinese painting focuses on brushwork and ink outlines, and the entire composition is formed by the flow of qi (vital energy). Once the form is accurate, the spirit naturally follows. Ancient Chinese painters of figures told stories, while landscape painters sought to capture the true essence of nature; the sky itself was treated as part of the painting’s conception. Western painting aims solely at true likeness but still retains some classical flavour. |
Songnian's discussions on painting largely stem from practical experience, which is why his insights are so precise and profound.
The main editions include the lithographic edition by Yu Jianhua, and the version included in the series Hualun congkan 畫論叢刊.