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Chinese Painting
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According to Chinese tradition, painting is a delineating
form of brush lines. In great paintings, the mark of the brush
stroke remains invisible, while the structuring action of
the strokes goes on.
Unlike Western paintings, where a specific point is made,
for Chinese painting, you need to look at the painting as
a whole to understand the philosophy behind it. Each object
in the painting and the way they are presented has a symbolic
meaning that is essential to understanding the painting. The
painter can also use different ink strokes to transmit the
spirit of his painting and bring movement and life to his
work.
Philosophy and symbolism play a large part in Chinese art.
Each painting has its own inner symbolic meanings and beliefs
in nature. To understand the philosophy behind it, one needs
to be familiar with the Chinese belief in the concept of Yin
(feminine) and Yang (masculine). The Chinese believe that
the Yin and Yang aspects of the universe opposes each other
but eventually equalises each other out; to result in balance,
harmony and continuity. The artist expresses these beliefs
in his painting by his choice of subject matter, the simplicity
of the composition and the manner of execution. The space
around the subject is as important as the brush strokes. The
spaces add meaning to the painting. In landscape paintings,
the spaces may be part of the image rather than merely the
background.
The Six Principles of Chinese
Painting
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For centuries, Chinese artists tried to perfect their techniques
by following the six principles devised by the famous artist
Hsieh Ho about 500AD:
First Principle: Painting should have life and vitality.
i.e. the beliefs and thoughts of the painter will bring life
to his painting.
Second Principle: Use brush in a controlled manner.
Third Principle: Subject of Painting shall be recognisable.
This means the image the painter is projecting should be recognisable
to the viewer. However, it does not mean that the painter
should try to replicate the subject in his painting, which
is not customary in Chinese painting.
Fourth Principle: Colour, including different tones
and shades of black, should be used with care.
Fifth Principle: Plan placing of picture on paper thoughtfully.
As discussed before, space is an important element in Chinese
painting and an integral part of the composition. As a rule,
two-third of the picture should not be painted on. Normally
more space is left at the top than at the bottom of the painting.
The unpainted space at the top represents heaven, the space
at the bottom represents earth, and the painting itself is
said to join heaven and earth together.
Sixth Principle: Practice and Improvement is achieved
through copying.
In the Western art world, originality, creativity and non-conformity
are characteristics expected of an artist. In Chinese art,
no stigma is attached to copying. The Chinese believe that
by copying other great paintings, the artist will learn and
improve his skills.
They also believe that each artist's spirituality will show
through his work. Therefore, even if an artist does an excellent
copy of a painting by another artist, his painting will bring
out different feelings to that he has copied.
Calligraphy
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The term calligraphy derives from the Greek word "Kalligraphia"
meaning beautiful writing. Chinese calligraphy is essentially
an art of drawing lines. The connection between the art of
writing and the art of painting goes back to the fact that
the first mode of writing was in the form of pictographs.
The Chinese system of writing is based on visual images of
the subject. There are over 200 base words. From these, compounds
are formed giving other meanings.
To bring out the beauty of each word/ character, greater skills,
techniques and creativity is required in calligraphy than
in painting. This is because Chinese calligraphy follows more
formal rules than Chinese painting. Each stroke of a character
must be made in a certain sequence to create the rhythm of
that character.
All good calligraphers have the ability to regulate and control
the amount of ink absorbed in the brush and applied to the
paper in order to achieve the desired artistic effect. However,
to be considered a great calligrapher, more than technical
skills are needed. The great calligrapher is some one who
is able to conduct himself in accordance with the highest
moral standards, foremost, are the Confucian values of loyalty,
devotion to the sovereign and defence of the best interests
of the state. The Chinese believe a calligraphic piece can
reveal the personality of the artist, his individuality and
integrity as a member of society.
Popular Subjects for Artists
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The three most Popular types of subject in Chinese painting
are:
Landscape
Flowers and plants
Birds
Landscape
Painting
Landscape is considered the most intellectual subject in Chinese
painting, on par with calligraphy. This may be due to the
complex philosophy of the struggles and triumphs of mankind
behind landscape painting. The earliest paintings by scholars
and officials were landscapes. Prior to this, the intellectuals
only did calligraphy; painting was considered a low class
preoccupation.
To understand the unusual aspects of the traditional landscape,
it is essential to appreciate the importance of heaven and
nature compared with the relative unimportance of man. In
the midst of mountain ranges and plummeting waterfalls, man's
vulnerable position in nature is depicted by human figures,
their homes and objects dwarfed by the towering natural elements.
Traditional landscapes consist of six elements; rocks, trees,
mountains, waterfalls/ rivers, people and buildings. The Chinese
word for landscape is "Shan-Shui", literally means "mountain-water".
Rocks
Since ancient times, the medicinal qualities of rock's mineral
ingredient have given rocks a magical connotation. In Chinese
painting, rocks are painted as having a spirit of their own.
Tree
The type of trees and the way they are presented have different
meanings. For example, the Pine tree is associated with reliability
and sturdiness. Flowering trees like peach and apricot are
used to indicate the season according to how they are presented.
Spring is indicated if they are painted in blossom, snow laden
branches and the silhouettes of evergreens against snowy hills
indicate winter.
Waterfalls/Rivers
Water is considered feminine in landscape painting. It is
presented as soft and yielding amongst the masculinity of
the rocks and mountains. Water symbolises the ability to stay
on course, over coming obstacles in its path, and steadily
wearing down all resistance until eventually the water shapes
its surroundings.
People/Figure
Figures can be the main subject of a painting or used to add
atmosphere to the landscape. Unlike Western figure painting,
Chinese figure painting is more freestyle and emphases the
position and gestures of the subject as a whole, rather than
details of the figure or facial expression. In the painting
of small figures, often, the face and limbs are only hinted
at. It is the movement of the subject that is emphasised.
One can deduce their hierarchy by their clothes, position
in the painting and their gestures. . People occupying the
top echelon of society in those days, namely; scholars, philosophers
and government officials were generally painted in cloaks.
Buildings
In painting doors and the windows of dwelling, the artist
regards them in the same way as eyes and eyebrows; it is where
they are placed that is important as well as how they are
positioned. Without them, the house is considered blind. Houses
are used together with figures in landscape painting to add
life to the painting. However, they are painted so as not
to be so prominent as to disrupt the tranquillity and overall
feeling the painting is trying to convey.
Flowers and Plants
The four popular plants/ flowers in Chinese painting are:
Orchid
Plum
Bamboo
Chrysanthemum
These four plants symbolise
the four seasons, also known as the "four Gentlemen", as each
characteristic they represent were the qualities ideal gentlemen
should have.
Bamboo - Summer
The bamboo symbolises strength and the spirit to endure adverse
circumstances. It bends with the wind and snow but it does
not break, it returns to its upright position when the wind
and snow ceases. The bamboo, therefore, also symbolises flexibility
but with integrity. The bamboo it's one of the most difficult
subjects to paint. A painting of bamboo is essentially a painting
of lines founded on calligraphy.
Plum Blossom - Winter
The plum tree symbolises hope and continuity of life. Plum
tree is admired for its ability to reform itself to with stand
adverse conditions. i.e. it manifests an appearance of hardness
during winter. However, when spring comes, it nourishes itself
and develops into a beautiful tree in spring. Plum blossom
is the national emblem for Chinese New Year.
Chinese Orchid- Spring
The Chinese orchid grows near wet rocks, marshes or stream.
It is different in appearance to the orchids as known in the
West. The blossoms of Chinese orchid represent modesty and
purity, characteristics admired in traditional Chinese culture.
The blossoms are protected and dominated by the much larger
robust leaves, yet the blossom outshines them with its quite
beauty.
Chrysanthemum- Autumn
Being one of the year's last flowers and because it can survive
in cold conditions that would kill most plants, it symbolises
courage and sturdiness.
Other popular plants in traditional Chinese painting:
Lotus- represents stately beauty.
Peony- queen of the flowers. It signifies wealth and nobility.
Camellia- symbolises serenity.
Birds and Animals
Birds are used extensively as subjects in Chinese painting
to introduce exotic interest and sometimes humour to the painting.
They are usually shown with flowers, trees, fruit and other
animals. To add life to the subject, painters nearly always
paint the birds as though they are about to take off or if
several are painted, shown them in different altitudes.
Different birds symbolise different qualities, and the way
they are painted also signifies different theme. Popular birds
for painters include:
Ducks- especially the Mandarin variety which is a symbol of
marriage and therefore, often painted in pairs or groups.
Sparrows- signifies a sense of mischief and squabbling.
Cranes- signifies a promising future.
Forms of Mount
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Unlike Western paintings, which are universally framed, there
are many ways to mount and present Chinese paintings.
Traditionally, Chinese painting was not meant to be permanent
fixtures. They were considered to be valuable heirlooms and
as such, had to be in a form that can be easily put away or
transported. The three most common methods of mounting Chinese
paintings were:
On Vertical Hanging Scroll
On Horizontal Hand Scroll
In Album
Vertical Hanging
Scroll
This method of mounting was most probably derived from ancient
Buddhist temple paintings that were long banners of silk.
In vertical scroll, the painting is mounted on silk or paper
malted with strips of silk brocade. The borders are specially
proportioned to leave more space at the top, indicating heaven,
and less space at the bottom, indicating earth. A flat piece
of wood is added at the top of the scroll with a ribbon for
hanging. The bottom of the scroll is weighed down by a round
wooden stick, which helps the painting to hang flat on the
wall.
Horizontal Scroll
Horizontal scrolls are normally no more than 19 inches in
height. Usually, the painting tells a story with each section
leading to the next. Each section represents a different time
of the story. This technique is unique to eastern paintings.
Horizontal scroll paintings are viewed from right to left.
The borders are matted and the top and bottom are normally
larger than the sides.
Album
Albums are usually used for mounting small paintings that
have been obtained from fragments (fan shape being one of
most popular shapes) of larger paintings that have been damaged.
The custom of making albums from fragments of painting began
much later than vertical and horizontal scrolls, in the Sung
Dynasty (9th -12th century AD). The second type of album where
the paintings for mounting were specifically painted for mounting
in albums developed in the Yuan Dynasty (late 12th-13th century
AD). These paintings were typically painted in sets of 6,
8, 10, or more.
Seals and Colophons (Written
Dedication)
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After completing
a painting, the artist often writes a poem or his thoughts
about the subject of his painting at a strategic place on
the painting. Under this calligraphy, the artist stamps one
or more of his seals identifying himself. The seal may bear
his name, his family name, his artistic name or other wordings
or symbols that identifies him. However, a teacher often put
his own seal onto student's work to indicate approval, this
is why it is difficult to authenticate many of the old paintings.
In ancient time, collectors of art also had their own seals.
They would stamp paintings they own with their seals. The
owner's seal is sometimes used to verify the artist's identity
and to determine how important the artist was at that time.
Therefore, an owner's seal on painting may enhance the status
and value of a painting.
A colophon is a dedication by the artist's friends or owner
of the painting to indicate their approval of the composition.
History and Development of
Chinese Painting and Calligraphy
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Although Chinese
painting and calligraphy can be traced back to 17th century
BC from evidence of pictograms carved on bones and stones,
the art of Chinese painting and calligraphy is considered
to have only started in the 3rd or 4th century when they were
no longer anonymous. Silk was used as the painted surface
from 5th century BC. It was not until 105 AD that the quality
of paper was good enough to be widely used.
Each period/dynasty had its popular subjects for the artists,
who were greatly influenced by prevailing religious and traditional
beliefs, and the environment in which they lived. In the 4th
century, a religious form of Taoism called "Mao Shan" developed
which become very popular. The sect's beliefs could be seen
in many of the landscape paintings of that time. Confucius
philosophy also had a profound influence on artists as apparent
in their paintings.
In the early days, painting, unlike calligraphy, was not considered
an art for great scholars. As a result, the earliest painters
were artisans. Most of the surviving masterworks from this
period are calligraphies. It was not until the Northern Sung
Dynasty in the 11th century that paintings, in particular
landscape paintings, gained equal status with calligraphy.
Many of the renowned artists from that period were high officials/
scholars. One of these was the Emperor Hui-tsung, who was
not only a talented artist but also a great collector of paintings
and calligraphy. He also set up the painting academy at court,
which helped to further the development of art.
Although China was going through one of its most different
periods in history in the Sung Dynasty (lack of leadership,
country was weak and ordinary people suffered hardship), there
was great development in the artistic and cultural side. One
of the largest collections of paintings of the earliest time
is from the Sung Dynasty.
The Ming to early Qing Dynasty, 15th- 18th century, was also
an active period for arts.
Chinese painting is essentially ink brush strokes. The close
relationship between writing and drawing meant that the roll
of colour in Chinese painting has historically been limited.
In traditional landscapes, muted colours, generally, blues,
greens and browns were used to enhance the outer forms of
objects e.g. trees and mountains. The actual structure, the
most important aspect of the painting, which gave it its "spirit"
was depicted by ink brush stroked. However, during the Ming
to early Qing Dynasty, artists like Yun Shou Ping and Lang
Shih-ning, two of the most famous artists at that time, started
to use more colours in their work. No doubt they were influenced
from contact with western art. There was also a change in
the way that subjects were depicted. In traditional Chinese
painting, it was not the standard practice to replicate the
subject. However, in the works of Qing artists like Yun Shou
Ping and Lang Shih-ning, there is realism in the main subject
of the paintings, like that of western paintings. During the
Ming and early Qing dynasty, paintings become more popular
than calligraphy.
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