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ChinesePaintingKnowledgehttp:/(Provideby)EarlyImperialChina(221BC-AD220)Inimperialtimes(beginningwiththeEasternJinDynasty),paintingandcalligraphyinChinawerethemosthighlyappreciatedartsincourtcirclesandwereproducedalmostexclusivelybyamateurs--aristocratsandscholar-officials--whohadtheleisuretimenecessarytoperfectthetechniqueandsensibilitynecessaryforgreatbrushwork.Calligraphywasthoughttobethehighestandpurestformofpainting.Theimplementswerethebrushpen,madeofanimalhair,andblackinksmadefrompinesootandanimalglue.Inancienttimes,writing,aswellaspainting,wasdoneonsilk.However,aftertheinventionofpaperinthe1stcenturyAD,silkwasgraduallyreplacedbythenewandcheapermaterial.OriginalwritingsbyfamouscalligraphershavebeengreatlyvaluedthroughoutChina'shistoryandaremountedonscrollsandhungonwallsinthesamewaythatpaintingsare.Periodofdivision(220-581)DuringtheSixDynastiesperiod(220-589),peoplebegantoappreciatepaintingforitsownbeautyandtowriteaboutart.Fromthistimewebegintoknowaboutindividualartists,suchasGuKaizhi.EvenwhentheseartistsillustratedConfucianmoralthemes-suchastheproperbehaviorofawifetoherhusbandorofchildrentotheirparents-theytriedtomakethefiguresgraceful.SuiandTangdynasties(581-907)DuringtheTangDynasty,figurepaintingflourishedattheroyalcourt.ArtistssuchasZhouFangshowedthesplendorofcourtlifeinpaintingsofemperors,palaceladies,andimperialhorses.FigurepaintingreachedtheheightofelegantrealismintheartofthecourtofSouthernTang(937-975).MostoftheTangartistsoutlinedfigureswithfineblacklinesandusedbrilliantcolorandelaboratedetail.However,oneTangartist,themasterWuDaozi,usedonlyblackinkandfreelypaintedbrushstrokestocreateinkpaintingsthatweresoexcitingthatcrowdsgatheredtowatchhimwork.Fromhistimeon,inkpaintingswerenolongerthoughttobepreliminarysketchesoroutlinestobefilledinwithcolor.Insteadtheywerevaluedasfinishedworksofart.BeginningintheTangDynasty,manypaintingswerelandscapes,oftenshanshui(山水,mountainwater)paintings.Intheselandscapes,monochromaticandsparse(astylethatiscollectivelycalledshuimohua),thepurposewasnottoreproduceexactlytheappearanceofnature(realism)butrathertograspanemotionoratmospheresoastocatchtherhythmofnature.SongandYuandynasties(960-1368)ChinesePaintingKnowledgehttp:/(960-1279),landscapesofmoresubtleexpressionappeared;immeasurabledistanceswereconveyedthroughtheuseofblurredoutlines,mountaincontoursdisappearingintothemist,andimpressionistictreatmentofnaturalphenomena.Emphasiswasplacedonthespiritualqualitiesofthepaintingandontheabilityoftheartisttorevealtheinnerharmonyofmanandnature,asperceivedaccordingtoTaoistandBuddhistconcepts.OneofthemostfamousartistsoftheperiodwasZhangZeduan,painterofAlongtheRiverDuringtheQingmingFestival.YiYuanjiachievedahighdegreeofrealismpaintinganimals,inparticularmonkeysandgibbons.DuringtheSouthernSongperiod(1127-1279),courtpainterssuchasMaYuanandXiaGuiusedstrongblackbrushstrokestosketchtreesandrocksandpalewashestosuggestmistyspace.WhilemanyChineseartistswereattemptingtorepresentthree-dimensionalobjectsandtomastertheillusionofspace,anothergroupofpainterspursuedverydifferentgoals.AttheendofNorthernSongperiod,thepoetSuShiandthescholar-officialsinhiscirclebecameseriousamateurpainters.Theycreatedanewkindofartinwhichtheyusedtheirskillsincalligraphy(theartofbeautifulwriting)tomakeinkpaintings.Fromtheirtimeonward,manypaintersstrovetofreelyexpresstheirfeelingsandtocapturetheinnerspiritoftheirsubjectinsteadofdescribingitsoutwardappearance.TheFourGeneralsofZhongxingpaintedbyLiuSongnianduringtheSouthernSongDynasty.YueFeiisthesecondpersonfromtheleft.ItisbelievedtobethetruestportraitofYueinallextantmaterials.DuringtheMongolYuanDynasty(1271-1368),paintersjoinedtheartsofpainting,poetry,andcalligraphybyinscribingpoemsontheirpaintings.Thesethreeartsworkedtogethertoexpresstheartist'sfeelingsmorecompletelythanoneartcoulddoalone.YuanemperorTughTemur(r.1328,1329-1332)wasveryfondofChinesepaintingandbecameacreditablepainterhimself.LateimperialChina(1368-1895)Beginninginthe13thcentury,thetraditionofpaintingsimplesubjects--abranchwithfruit,afewflowers,oroneortwohorses—developed.Narrativepainting,withawidercolorrangeandamuchbusiercompositionthanSongpaintings,wasimmenselypopularduringtheMingperiod(1368-1644).Thefirstbooksillustratedwithcoloredwoodcutsappearedaroundthistime;ascolor-printingtechniqueswereperfected,illustratedmanualsontheartofpaintingbegantobepublished.JieziyuanHuazhuan(ManualoftheMustardSeedGarden),afive-volumeworkfirstpublishedin1679,hasbeeninuseasatechnicaltextbookforartistsandstudentseversince.SomepaintersoftheMingdynasty(1368-1644)continuedthetraditionsoftheYuanscholar-painters.Thisgroupofpainters,knownastheWuSchool,wasledbytheartistShenZhou.Anothergroupofpainters,knownastheZheSchool,revivedandtransformedthestylesoftheSongcourt.ShenZhouoftheWuSchooldepictedthescenewhenthepainterwasmakinghisfarewelltoWuKuan,agoodfriendofhi