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The roots of Chinese painting can be traced back to
the painted pottery of the Neolithic Age, some 6,000 years
ago. Two paintings done in the state of Chu during the
Warring States Period, the "Dragon and hoenix" and
"Taming a Dragon" unearthed from a tomb near
modern-day Changsha are the earliest paintings yet found in
China. The Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties and Song were a
flourishing period for traditional Chinese painting.
Travelling in Spring by Zhan Ziqian of the Sui Dynasty is
sometimes considered a gem of Chinese landscape painting.
The Tang Dynasty Wu Daozi, known as the "Sage
Painter," produced works that were treasured by
collectors through the ages. A 24.8 cm. wide 258 cm. long
silk scroll painted by Zhang Zeduan during the Song Dynasty,
entitled Riverside Scenes at the Qingming Festival, vividly
depicts the bustling everyday life in the Northern Song
capital Bianliang (present-day Kaifeng) in extensive detail.
The beauty and wealth of information contained in the
picture still dazzles the eye today. Great progress was made
in the use of ink-wash during the Yuan Dynasty. In the Ming
and Qing dynasties, many outstanding painters emerged, such
as Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming, Tang Yin(Bohu) and Qiu Ying of
the Ming, and Zhu Da (Badashanren), Shi Tao, Zheng Xie
(Banqiao) and Li Shan of the Qing.
Traditional
Chinese paintings, known as "guohua" in China, are
painted with ink and/or colors on paper or silk. Chinese
paintings are generally classified into two styles: Xieyi
(freehand strokes) and gongbi ("skilled brush").
Xieyi is characterized by careful control of ink tone,
unrestrained brushwork, and no unessential brush strokes.
The essence of landscapes, figures and other subjects are
rendered with a minimum of expressive ink. In contrast, the
brushwork in gongbi paintings is fine and visually complex.
Precision is produced through close attention to detail; the
hair on the head or the feathers on a bird's wing are neatly
and carefully executed. The contemporary painter Zhang
Daqian is famous for his skill in xieyi. Qi Baishi, another
famous painter, sometimes combined the two contrasting
techniques of xieyi and gongbi in one painting, creating,
some would say, a new style. Other well-known painters of
the modern era include Xu Beihong, Pan Tianshou, Huang
Binhong, Li Kuchan, Li Keran, Fu Baoshi, Liu Haisu, Ye
Qianyu and Guan Shanyue.
China has also made
great progress in Western styles of paintings, such as oil
painting, graphic art and water colors. Some fine arts
colleges and schools have courses in Western painting
styles. Many Chinese painters have created art works that
combine traditional Chinese painting techniques with those
of the West, thus bringing new brilliance to the world of
Chinese art.
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