The issue of “pen and ink” is central to the paradox of innovation and tradition in the field of Chinese painting. From the perspective of social processes, the author attempts to link the issue of expression and the concept of modernity in Chinese figure painting with the issue of “pen and ink” so as to explore and present the various elements that have contributed to the present form of figure painting. By analyzing the issue of “pen and ink” in the evolutionary development of Chinese figure painting, this book demonstrates a new dimension in the discussion of this issue in the modern context. In other words, on the basis of consolidating and incarnating tradition, the book attempts to break free from the shackles of modernism and explore new trends in the development of Chinese figure painting within its internal system.