The history of translation of Xie He's first law of painting

The article is an attempt to analyze the history of translation of the First Law of painting into Russian and other European languages. The First Law, formulated in 5th century AD by artist and thinker - Xie He, was one of the most important principles in the history of Chinese aesthetic thought. A comprehensive and concise formulation of the Law gave rise to extensive commentaries and made its interpretation fundamentally ambiguous. For centuries, the discussion on understanding the First Law has carried on among Chinese artists and continues up to this day in sinology. Both foreign and Russian researchers have repeatedly addressed this issue and proposed a significant number of translation options. The most fruitful is probably an approach which implies choosing a specific translation in accordance with a deep study of the origin, grammar and interpretation of the First Law. At the same time, the development of a single universal translation is practically impossible due to the constant evolution of rendering the First Law within the Chinese artistic tradition itself. Therefore, it is thought that the descriptive interpretation of Xie He’s First Law of painting is the most suitable.