Chinese painting

Chinese painting is one of the oldest art traditions in the world. It is called guó huà in Chinese, meaning "national painting". It is different from Western styles that became popular in China in the 20th century. Artists use brushes with black ink or coloured pigments, not oils. They paint on paper or silk. Paintings can be put on scrolls, album sheets, walls, lacquerware, or folding screens.

There are two main ways to do Chinese painting. One is called Gongbi, which means "meticulous". It uses very careful brushstrokes to show clear details and is often full of colour. It shows people or stories and was used by artists working for kings or in workshops. The other way is ink and wash painting, also called literati painting. It was one of the "four arts" of the Scholar-official class. This style uses freehand brushstrokes and shows calm and expressive scenes.

Landscape painting is thought to be the most important kind of Chinese painting. From the Five Dynasties period to the Northern Song period (907–1127), called the "Great age of Chinese landscape", artists painted beautiful mountains and rivers. In the north, artists like Jing Hao, Li Cheng, Fan Kuan, and Guo Xi painted tall mountains with strong black lines. In the south, artists like Dong Yuan and Juran painted gentle hills and rivers with softer brushwork. These became the classic ways to paint landscapes in China. One well-known example is "Early Autumn" by Qian Xuan.

Specifics and study

Chinese painting and calligraphy focus on movement and change, making the artwork feel alive. Traditionally, learners start by copying a master's examples exactly, practicing until it feels natural. Today, people talk 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, 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.

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 painted pictures of emperors, palace ladies, and horses. These paintings showed life in the royal court with bright colors and fine lines.

One famous artist, Wu Daozi, painted pictures using only black ink. His loose brushstrokes made people stop and watch. After his time, ink paintings became important artworks.

Many paintings from this time showed landscapes, especially mountains and water. These paintings tried to capture the feeling of nature. Some paintings were found in a cave in the Mogao Caves and are now kept in museums. Other examples 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 showed ideas from Chinese philosophy. Taoism taught that people are small parts of a big universe. Neo-Confucianist thinkers looked for patterns in nature and society.

In the early Song period, leaders painted big landscapes to show power. Later, artists preferred smaller 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.

Modern painting

With the start of the New Culture Movement, Chinese artists began using Western painting methods. Famous artists who learned these new 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 events. Later, they were encouraged to use traditional Chinese styles again to show modern life and landscapes.

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 became popular during the North Song dynasty, artists started showing nature more often instead of buildings and objects. Some older styles, like the water mill, were still used as symbols of the emperor’s power. These mills showed progress in technology and science and were like a sign that the government was involved in trade and business.

Artists also liked to hide meanings in their paintings. For example, a painting might show animals that sounded like words for good luck in exams. Another famous theme was a rider on a donkey moving through nature, which stood 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, showing the ideas of the time about family roles.

Landscape painting

Main article: Shan shui

Chinese landscape painting has a long history. During the Northern Song period, artists painted the real world. Southern Song painters focused more on their own feelings. A famous Northern Song painting, A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains, shows big views of nature.

Buddhist and Taoist ideas also influenced landscape painting. Taoists loved nature and painted peaceful scenes. Buddhists used mountains in their art for meditation and spiritual growth. These ideas helped artists add deeper meanings to their work.

Early landscape paintings often showed mountains for their strength. Over time, artists learned to paint the variety of nature, making each tree and rock special. The balance of mountains and rivers in paintings shows the Yin-Yang idea, how different parts work together.

Art as cartography

Artists in China often used ideas from maps in their paintings. Because old Chinese maps showed the earth as flat, artists did not try to get angles or sizes exactly right in their art. Long ago, people used the same word for paintings, maps, and other pictures, so it was hard to know what they were just by the name.

Two famous examples show this mix of art and maps. The Changjiang Wan Li Tu is a painting from the Song dynasty, but we do not know exactly when it was made or who painted it. We cannot tell 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 think 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 instead of 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.