History of Chinese Painting - Essay Example

This paper explores in detail the history and foundation of Chinese painting. Adequate focus is given to the meaning attached to the various pieces of works and the historical timeline associated with it as well as the intended end purpose (Zhao et al., 2018). The Chinese established their painting works on three integral aspects namely; the character of the artist, lessons from the master whose works lived to serve as an example worth emulating, and lastly the fact that humans were but a speck in the breadth of time and space.

The painting was primarily done on a piece of paper or silk. The artists incorporated valuable tools such as the variety of brushes as well as ink and dye. Black ink and dye were predominantly used, but occasionally an artist would subsume coloured impressions in their work. They addressed several subjects ranging from portraits, landscape, ornamental birds, wild and tamed animals, agriculture and building and architecture. The traditional Chinese painting was popularly referred to as Joshua. Once a piece of work was conspicuously done with, it would be mounted on scrolls and hung. Similarly, paintings were also done on concrete walls, porcelain material and lacquer fabrics.

The two major techniques used in Chinese painting are the gongbi and shuimo. Gongbi means meticulous and was done by use of well elaborate brushstrokes that vividly brought details to light. The colors used are quite pronounced and focus on figurative or narrative subjects. This technique was commonly identified with artists working for the royal court as well as the ones in privately owned workshops. Shuimo, on the other hand meant ink and water. Theoretically, this style of art was practiced by gentlemen, and was popularly known as the freehand style.

The earliest artistic works were mainly inclined to be ornamental, rather than representational. Attention was accorded to designs and patterns, not on pictures. Calligraphy and painting were highly regarded as the finest forms of art. The major tools used were the brush pen made of animal hair and black inks that were obtained from pine soot and animal glue. The invention of paper in the 1st century CE was marked with the gradual replacement of silk. This was obviously out of the fact that paper was a cheaper alternative in comparison with the traditional silk. Silk based works became prestigious and would fetch hire rewards, especially for customized works.

The ancient pieces of art depict the lives of emperors in their royal courts. Beautiful paintings of the kings, their families, the ladies they kept as well as the royal horses have been preserved in the tombs and art galleries. They serve a noble purpose of reminding the current generation of the valuable attributes that have kept their societies intact from ancient days to present day. Interpretation of the meaning attached to specific works invoke invaluable sense of belonging (Liu et al., 2019). The artists skillfully summarized long pieces of information in a single well-choreographed piece of art. In the era of the Yuan Dynasty, artists resorted to including poetry and calligraphy in their works. This was meant to distinctively express their inner feeling and make the final piece of work stand out quite elaborately.

Figure 1.

The Ming Dynasty of 1368-1644 marked the onset of colored paintings (Liu et al., 2019). The final works were quite appealing and bore a lot of meaning. This was a huge milestone in Chinese painting such that it would be featured on illustrated books and manuals. The fascinating works were so appealing that the rich patrons came on board to purchase the completed works and similarly order for customized paintings to suit their various needs and interests. These patrons promised artists great rewards for continued remarkable works. More people developed interest to join the bandwagon and learn the exquisite skill. As a result, Chinese painting grew so popular that some of the country’s large cities of Yangzhou and Shanghai became national art centers. Painting was by then becoming professional with the seasoned artists offering training and guidance to the upcoming individuals.

In the 1700s and 1800s, the traditional Chinese painting hit a new advancement. Some of the Chinese students who came home after completing studies abroad took to the art of painting. As a result, they produced some of the most fascinating works. Significant aspects of the Western culture was incorporated in the Chinese artistic works. Examples of these works are the Hongcun in the Yellow Mountain landscapes found in Guilin area. Local and foreign tourists frequent this site to take a glimpse of the popular hand works.

Figure 2. The Hongcun

Chinese painting and calligraphy sets them apart from other global cultures’ art by placing emphasis on movement and corresponding change with the dynamic life. The art is traditionally learnt by apprenticeship. Here, the seasoned artist shows the passionate apprentice the correct way to draw different items. The learner is expected to accurately emulate the teacher and copy the item strictly and consistently to the point that the movements become instinctive. The choice of a particular antique styles directly or indirectly linked a work to ideals and character of an earlier artist or calligrapher. Such a trend has sparked debate and contention as to the creativity and innovation that should mark modern day art scenes. It is argued that the traditional Chinese painting must be marked with changing lifestyles, tools and new color themes.

Landscape painting was done and articulated with keen observation of the prevailing aspects of nature and their equivalent appeal to the international human implications. The ancient artists took considerable amount of time in studying the beauty and variance in the aspects of nature around them. These included among others, natural terrains, the river profiles and landscape around them. As a result, an artist would spend most of their valuable time observing and absorbing the natural feeds around a particular area. They would then analyze the various subjects of interest and then come up with a mental picture out of their own interpretation. This was done repetitively and the end result would then be represented as a drawing.

It was, therefore, not uncommon for an ancient Chines artist to spend most of their time in isolation, far from their dwellings. Some would even find nourishment from the wild fruits and by hunting and killing game for meat to sustain themselves through the period of observation. They would carry their implements with them to the fields and work on their piece of art right from the point of observation, while the vivid memories lasted. This was done on purpose so as to ensure that all relevant and significant details are captured in the piece of art.

As a tradition, Chinese art paintings were carefully kept indoors and only brought out to serve special purpose on special traditional occasions. Strict care was accorded, usually by ensuring the pieces are well sheltered from direct sunlight or rain. Otherwise, these harsh weather conditions could interfere with the nature and design of the artistic work. For the artists, consequently the value of their work would significantly drop and thus fetch little to no attention in the eye of the potential buyer.

The disciplines associated with this form of mastery were derived from the frequent practice of calligraphy (Clunas, 2017). As a tradition embraced in China, every literate individual learned by copying and pasting the acceptable standards styles of the Chinese ideographs. The learners were slowly and sequentially exposed to the manner in which the ideographs had evolved through all the essential stages. With continued practice, the practitioner developed their own unique approaches and styles that served as a new or rather advanced interpretation of the earlier designs.

With the inception of modern styles acquired by Chinese students in foreign countries, the artistic works integrated calligraphy, poetry and painting. At the time when poetic composition formed an integral part of identity, a new recipient would add their own inscription and widened the scope and understanding initially addressed by the first artist. Thus, by downing his implements of brush and ink, a painter had not completed his works but rather opened a basic platform upon which other artists would express their new interpretations and necessary additions to make the work as ideal as possible.

During the Qing Dynasty, some of the painters who were traditionally referred to as Individualists rebelled against the archaic rules in painting (Cheng & Hung, 2018). They found convenience in expressing their most intent feeling in a more liberal manner using ink and brush. This uprising gave rise to new artistic forms and impressions that were later on adapted and incorporated in the new rules of Chinese art. As a result, more diverse impressions came to light and the practice of painting grew notches higher. Innovation gave room for new inventions as well as nurturing of unique talents and features around art and painting in particular.

By default, unrolling a Chinese artistic scroll was equal to bringing oneself closer to the compounded ideas and skills of a number of artists who made effort to express some of the most coveted times and events in history( Cheng & Hung, 2018). It is not merely taking a look at a mere representation of an individual’s imagination but rather a complete encounter with a variety of expressions made by a good number of artists. The correct understanding and interpretation of the messages, thereby expressed required continued assessment of the personalities of these diverse characters to unravel the hidden meaning.

Figure 3

In addition, the Chinese culture was highly regarded and marked a significant tool of identity. The paintings were an important implement in preserving their traditionally unique attributes. The expressions of dress, food, sports and administrative structure lay entirely in these artistic pieces. The paintings and particular color shades were based on certain landmarks of identity. The natives from different parts of China demonstrated a higher sense of belonging to the works that would elaborately identify with their specific areas of origin.

Lastly, out of the diversity in the tastes and preferences, as well as the nature and personalities of the artists, the style of every individual is expressed with sharp contrast from that of their counterparts (Zhao et al., 2018). The variation in skills, feelings and aesthetics produce a wide variety of works, each with certain unique aspects. The implication in this aspect is that in the end, the consumers of these artistic works are left with a wide variety of options to choose from. Coincidentally, the preferences of the buyers and tourists are diverse. This means that perhaps every painting and impression finds appeal in the eyes of particular groups of people in the art galleries and Chinese national archives.

In conclusion, Chinese painting is a unique cultural aspect that command a lot of attention with incredible lessons to draw from. It clearly elaborates the value of unique identity that sets one particular group of people apart from the rest. It is a solid expression of inherent talents and beliefs that must be respected from one region to the other. These talents and abilities have shaped the way of life of world societies and regions at large. The preservation of these features in history are a fundamental tool of passing down lessons from one generation to the other. It is vital to note that these invaluable abilities do not exist without mistakes and weaknesses that humans can learn from, as well as mistakes that could be shunned for human advancement.

Photo credits:

Figure1; copy of the galloping horse portrait originally by Xu Beihong 1895-1953

Figure 2: the Hungcan, www.chinahighlights.com

Figure 3: a hanging scroll painted by Ma Lin before 1246 CE

With the inception of modern styles acquired by Chinese students in foreign countries, the artistic works integrated calligraphy, poetry and painting. At the time when poetic composition formed an integral part of identity, a new recipient would add their own inscription and widened the scope and understanding initially addressed by the first artist. Thus, by downing his implements of brush and ink, a painter had not completed his works but rather opened a basic platform upon which other artists would express their new interpretations and necessary additions to make the work as ideal as possible.

During the Qing Dynasty, some of the painters who were traditionally referred to as Individualists rebelled against the archaic rules in painting (Cheng & Hung, 2018). They found convenience in expressing their most intent feeling in a more liberal manner using ink and brush. This uprising gave rise to new artistic forms and impressions that were later on adapted and incorporated in the new rules of Chinese art. As a result, more diverse impressions came to light and the practice of painting grew notches higher. Innovation gave room for new inventions as well as nurturing of unique talents and features around art and painting in particular.

By default, unrolling a Chinese artistic scroll was equal to bringing oneself closer to the compounded ideas and skills of a number of artists who made effort to express some of the most coveted times and events in history( Cheng & Hung, 2018). It is not merely taking a look at a mere representation of an individual’s imagination but rather a complete encounter with a variety of expressions made by a good number of artists. The correct understanding and interpretation of the messages, thereby expressed required continued assessment of the personalities of these diverse characters to unravel the hidden meaning.

Figure 3

In addition, the Chinese culture was highly regarded and marked a significant tool of identity. The paintings were an important implement in preserving their traditionally unique attributes. The expressions of dress, food, sports and administrative structure lay entirely in these artistic pieces. The paintings and particular color shades were based on certain landmarks of identity. The natives from different parts of China demonstrated a higher sense of belonging to the works that would elaborately identify with their specific areas of origin.

Lastly, out of the diversity in the tastes and preferences, as well as the nature and personalities of the artists, the style of every individual is expressed with sharp contrast from that of their counterparts (Zhao et al., 2018). The variation in skills, feelings and aesthetics produce a wide variety of works, each with certain unique aspects. The implication in this aspect is that in the end, the consumers of these artistic works are left with a wide variety of options to choose from. Coincidentally, the preferences of the buyers and tourists are diverse. This means that perhaps every painting and impression finds appeal in the eyes of particular groups of people in the art galleries and Chinese national archives.

In conclusion, Chinese painting is a unique cultural aspect that command a lot of attention with incredible lessons to draw from. It clearly elaborates the value of unique identity that sets one particular group of people apart from the rest. It is a solid expression of inherent talents and beliefs that must be respected from one region to the other. These talents and abilities have shaped the way of life of world societies and regions at large. Read More