고대 동양에서 회화창작자들은 그들이 회화를 창작하고 품평할 때 기준으로 삼는 근거를 기록으로 남겨두었는데 이러한 저작물이 화론으로,고대 중국의 화론은 동양 화 창작의 이론적 배경을 고찰하기 위한 귀중한 자료로서 가치가 있다.화론을 살펴 보면 그들이 회화에 관한 이론을 전개하는 기본적인 체계는 ‘형(形)’과 ‘신(神)’이라는 두 개념으로 이루어져 있음을 알 수 있다.‘형’과 ‘신’은 중국미학사에서도 서로 짝을 이루는 개념으로서 ‘형’은 사물의 외형을 의미하고,‘신’은 ‘형’에 깃든 정신을 의미하 며,‘형’과 ‘신’의 상관성에 관한 미학적 태도는 형신론1)이라는 하나의 미학 범주를 이룬다.동양회화사에서도 형신론은 가장 중요한 창작이론 중 하나로서 ‘신’은 회화의 정신,즉 회화가 전달하고자 하는 내용에 해당하는 것이고,‘형’은 내용을 전달하는 기 법에 해당하는 것이라고 할 수 있다.회화창작에서 ‘신’과 ‘형’은 불가분의 유기적 관 계이지만 선후관계와 중요성을 따지자면 동양화에서는 ‘형’보다는 ‘신’이 우위를 차지 하는 개념이라고 할 수 있고,동양화는 ‘신’을 전달함〔傳神〕을 지향하고 있다.
We could recognize that the basic explaining ways of painting of China was form and ‘Xin’ concepts by searching Chinese painting theories, which was records about ancient oriental paintings. According to painting theories, ‘Xin(神, spiritual being)’, which had been talked for more than 1000 years, was important concept. Ku K'aichih thought that the most important thing in a portrait was expressing the person’s ‘Xin’, and the spiritual being was located in the center of eyes. Otherwise, to Shiht'ao he used for ‘Xin’, as artist's creative ability. In my opinion, ‘Xin’ which was mentioned in painting theory, had various hidden meanings. So I investigated the hidden meanings that were mentioned in Chinese painting theories by finding and analyzing the concept. Examine essay on painting more precisely, we find various a spects of ‘Xin’ actually. In this paper, I had an assumption that ‘Xin’ had equivalent meaning for originality. At first, I sought the examples of ‘Xin’used as a meaning of originality in their essays on painting. Second, I analyzed the details on the ‘Xin’ more clearly, and revealed the term ‘Xin’ implied characteristics of originality as artwork should possess. According to my result the concept of ‘Xin’ became more clear and accurate to us. To integrated, I thought the schema of the concept ‘Xin’ and originality were resemble in some points. First pointis both were the creation goal in the context of painting. second point is both were derived from object with mind and third point is to get both were absolutely depended on artist himself, at this time the state of artist's mind is free everything ready-made. I think when they make their artwork, they constantly observe and pay attention to their object for real. through observation and attention, they communicate with object at last, see object their own eyes. The result of these process, they paint artwork to display originality.