Chinese painting

Chinese painting is one of the oldest artistic traditions in the world. It is known in Chinese as guó huà, meaning "national painting" or "native painting", different from Western styles that became popular in China in the 20th century. Artists create these paintings using brushes dipped in black ink or coloured pigments, not oils. Paper and silk are the most common materials for paintings, which can be mounted on scrolls like hanging scrolls or handscrolls, or placed on album sheets, walls, lacquerware, or folding screens.

There are two main techniques in Chinese painting. One is called Gongbi, which means "meticulous". It uses very detailed brushstrokes to show precise details and is often highly coloured, depicting figures or stories. This style was often used by artists working for the royal court or in workshops. The other technique is ink and wash painting, also known as literati painting, because it was one of the "four arts" of the Scholar-official class. This style uses freehand brushstrokes and is known for its peaceful and expressive scenes.

Landscape painting is considered the highest form of Chinese painting. During the time from the Five Dynasties period to the Northern Song period (907–1127), known as the "Great age of Chinese landscape", artists created beautiful pictures of mountains and rivers. In the north, artists like Jing Hao, Li Cheng, Fan Kuan, and Guo Xi painted tall mountains with strong black lines and sharp brushstrokes. In the south, artists like Dong Yuan and Juran painted gentle hills and rivers with softer, rubbed brushwork. These styles became the classical ways of painting landscapes in China. One famous example is "Early Autumn" by Qian Xuan.

Specifics and study

Chinese painting and calligraphy stand out by focusing on movement and change, bringing life to the artwork. Traditionally, learners start by copying a master's examples exactly, practicing until it feels natural. Today, there is discussion about how this copying fits with modern art, which values new ideas. Life, tools, and colors keep changing, shaping new artists and styles.

Views of Xiaoxiang by Dong Yuan (932–962). Dong helped start landscape painting styles; these paintings were very large, with tiny details of people fishing, showing how big the scenes were. Zoom in to see a group of men at seine-haul fishing.

Early periods

The earliest Chinese paintings were not pictures but patterns or designs. They were painted on pottery using shapes like spirals and zigzags, or even animals. It wasn’t until the Eastern Zhou time (770–256 BC) that artists started to paint scenes from the world around them.

During special times in China, painting and writing were very important. People used brushes made from animal hair and black ink made from pine soot and animal glue. At first, paintings were done on silk, but later, paper was invented, and it became the new material for painting. Many famous writings and paintings were shown on scrolls or hung on walls.

Artists from the Han (206 BC – 220 AD) to the Tang (618–906) dynasties often painted people. We learn about these paintings from places where people were buried, where paintings were kept on silk, lacquer, and tomb walls. Some paintings were made to help people in the afterlife, while others showed stories from daily life or the teachings of Confucius.

During the Six Dynasties period (220–589), people began to enjoy paintings just for their beauty. We also started to hear about artists like Gu Kaizhi, who painted scenes that showed good behavior, but made the people look graceful.

Main article: Six principles of Chinese painting

The "Six principles of Chinese painting" were created by Xie He in about 550 CE. These six ideas help explain what makes a good painting:

1. "Spirit Resonance" – the energy and feeling in the painting.
2. "Bone Method" – how the brush is used to show texture and personality.
3. "Correspondence to the Object" – how well the painting shows shapes and lines.
4. "Suitability to Type" – how color is used with layers and tones.
5. "Division and Planning" – how things are placed and arranged in the painting.
6. "Transmission by Copying" – learning by copying old paintings and models.

Sui, Tang and Five dynasties (581–979)

Further information: Tang dynasty painting

During the Tang dynasty, artists at the royal court created beautiful paintings of emperors, palace ladies, and horses. These paintings showed the wonderful life of the court and were very detailed with bright colors and fine lines.

One famous artist, Wu Daozi, painted exciting pictures using only black ink. His loose and free brushstrokes made people stop and watch. After his time, ink paintings were seen as important finished artworks, not just sketches.

Many paintings from this time showed landscapes, especially scenes of mountains and water. These paintings did not look exactly like nature but tried to capture the feeling or spirit of nature. Although many paintings did not survive, some were found in a cave in the Mogao Caves, now kept in museums. Other examples of this style can be seen in Japan.

Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan dynasties (907–1368)

During the Song dynasty (960–1279), landscape painting grew a lot. Artists used blurry lines and mist to show faraway mountains and rivers. This style, called shan shui, became very important. It reflected ideas from Chinese philosophy, where Taoism taught that people are small parts of a big universe, and Neo-Confucianist thinkers looked for patterns in nature and society.

In the early Song period, leaders painted big landscapes to show power. Later, in the Southern Song, artists preferred smaller, closer scenes with simpler backgrounds. This change came from Neo-Confucian ideas about improving society step by step.

Painting was a favorite art form for wealthy people, along with writing and poetry. Poets like Su Shi and Mi Fu used their writing skills to create ink paintings. They wanted to show their feelings and the spirit of their subjects, not just how things looked.

Many famous court painters worked for emperors and the royal family. Zhang Zeduan created Along the River During the Qingming Festival, a very famous scroll. Other artists painted animals very realistically, like Yi Yuanji with his monkeys and gibbons.

During the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), artists often added poems to their paintings. The emperor Tugh Temur liked painting and even became a painter himself.

Various scenes from Along the River During Qingming Festival

During the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), artists often added poems to their paintings. These poems, along with the pictures and writing, helped express feelings better.

Qian Xuan's Eight Flowers, 13th century.

Nine Dragons (painting) by Chen Rong (c.1200–1266)

[Three Friends of Winter](/wiki/Three_Friends_of_Winter) showing plum, pine and bamboo, still used for decoration during new year's by countries in the [sinosphere](/wiki/Sinosphere)

_Traveling on the River in Snow_. The detailed scenes help us learn about [medieval Chinese shipbuilding](/wiki/Science_and_technology_of_the_Song_dynasty).

[Emperor Huizong of Song](/wiki/Emperor_Huizong_of_Song) was a painter who made many works

Li Anzhong's _Bird on a Branch_; it has a round shape because it was first painted for a [circular fan](/wiki/Tuanshan).

_The Spring Tide Brings Rain_ by [Li Di](/wiki/Li_Di)

[Circular-fan](/wiki/Tuanshan) painting by [Ma Lin](/wiki/Ma_Lin_\(painter\))

[Ma Yuan](/wiki/Ma_Yuan_\(painter\))'s _Banquet by the Lanterns_

_Snowscape_ by Ma Yuan

_Dancing and Singing Peasants Returning from Work_

Architectural details of the previous work

_Shrike on a tree in winter_; 1187 AD.

_Wintry Sparrows_ by [Cui Bai](/wiki/Cui_Bai)

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  "One Hundred Children Playing in the Spring" by Su Hanchen((1094–1172))

The Knickknack Peddler by Su Hanchen; paintings of everyday life became popular during the Song dynasty's good years

_Depiction of Ancient Artifacts_, unknown painter.

Late imperial China (1368–1895)

Painting styles changed a lot between 1368 and 1895 in China. During the Ming period (1368–1644), artists loved painting simple things like fruit, flowers, or horses. They also made busy paintings that told stories using many colors.

In the early Qing period (1644–1911), some artists missed the old ways and painted in styles from the Ming dynasty. Other artists, called Individualists, broke old rules and used free brushwork to show their feelings. Big cities like Yangzhou and Shanghai became places where rich people hired artists to create new and bold paintings.

Artists also began painting in Western styles for traders from Europe. These paintings, known as Chinese export paintings, were very popular. Later, Chinese artists learned about Western art, and some tried to mix Chinese and Western styles. One famous painter was Qi Baishi, known for his beautiful paintings of flowers and small animals.

The painting "Departure Herald" from the time of the Wanli Emperor (1573–1620 AD) shows an emperor riding a horse with many people following him to the tombs where Ming emperors were buried.

Modern painting

With the start of the New Culture Movement, Chinese artists began using Western painting methods. Famous artists who learned Western styles include Li Tiefu, Yan Wenliang, Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, Fang Ganmin, and Liu Haisu.

After the creation of the People's Republic of China, the government helped organize groups for artists. Artists were first asked to paint in a style called socialist realism, often showing big battles and important events. Later, artists were encouraged to use traditional Chinese styles again to show modern life and landscapes, adding new elements like red colors and modern vehicles.

Since 1978, art schools reopened, and artists started trying new ideas. Young artist Wang Yani, who began painting at age 3, became known for her freehand style. Today, Chinese artists mix traditional and Western styles in many exciting ways. Artists like Wei Dong and Liu Dan are known for combining these styles to show pride in their culture and personal ideas.

Iconography in Chinese painting

As landscape painting grew popular during the North Song dynasty, artists turned more toward showing nature instead of buildings and objects. Even so, some older styles like the water mill, once used in building paintings, stayed important as symbols of the emperor’s power. These mills showed advances in technology and science and were like a sign that the government took part in trade and business.

Artists also liked to hide meanings in their paintings. For example, a painting might show animals that sound like words for good luck in exams. Another famous theme was a rider on a donkey moving through nature, standing for wise people who chose quiet lives away from busy cities. These paintings helped connect people with the past and showed ideas about nature and timeless beauty.

Sometimes, paintings showed scenes meant for special places like palaces or government offices. These pictures often included mountains, clouds, and other nature scenes that made viewers feel like they were in a magical, peaceful world. Women were rarely shown in these old paintings, and when they were, they were usually pictured as good wives or daughters, fitting the ideas of the time about family roles.

Landscape painting

Main article: Shan shui

Chinese landscape painting has a long and rich history. During the Northern Song period, artists focused on showing the real world around them, while Southern Song painters preferred personal expression. One famous Northern Song painting, A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains, shows wide views of nature.

Buddhist and Taoist ideas also shaped landscape painting. Taoists loved nature and often painted peaceful scenes to show harmony with the world. Buddhists used mountains in their art to help with meditation and spiritual growth. These ideas helped artists create deeper meanings in their work.

Early landscape paintings often showed mountains because they represented strength and stability. Over time, artists learned to show the vastness and variety of nature, making each tree and rock unique. The balance between mountains and rivers in paintings reflects the Yin-Yang idea, showing how different parts work together as one.

Art as cartography

Artists in China often used elements from maps in their paintings. Because early Chinese maps showed the earth as flat, artists did not worry about correct angles or sizes when they painted. Back then, people used the same word for paintings, maps, and other pictures, making it hard to tell them apart just by name.

Two famous examples show this mix of art and maps. The Changjiang Wan Li Tu is a painting whose exact date and artist are unknown, but it seems to come from the Song dynasty. We can’t easily say if it was meant to be a landscape painting or a map just by its name. Another example, the Shu Chuan Shenggai, was once thought to be by an artist named Li Gonglin, but we now believe it was made later, at the end of the South Song period, by an unknown artist.

Both paintings are loved for their beauty and the way they show light and mood, making them great works of art rather than exact maps.

Traditional Restoration Processes

Traditional Chinese painting restoration has four main steps: washing, separating, mending, and completing the colors.

First, the painting is washed by soaking it in water and using a brush to clean off any stains. Next, the old paper or silk backing is carefully removed. Then, missing parts are mended using special repair paper that matches the original. Finally, the missing parts of the painting are carefully filled in with colors that match the rest of the artwork, using traditional methods to make the repairs blend seamlessly.