"They are the strangest mountains in the world and the mountains with the most China characteristics, because these mountains are depicted in every picture of China. This is almost a sacred landscape-this is of course a symbol. "
Paul Selok, riding an iron cock, 1988.
When looking at a Chinese painting, most visitors will notice the great difference between it and the western painting tradition. The main differences are the use of ink and silk paper instead of oil painting and canvas, the use of silk scrolls instead of wood or metal frames, and the general lack of fidelity to the original theme. Different from most western painting traditions, Chinese painting does not attach great importance to depicting exact similarities or replicas of things that exist in reality, but emphasizes the necessity of capturing the spiritual essence of the theme. Whether it is a portrait, people think that the eyes of the people in the painting reveal the true character of the people in the painting, or a landscape painting. People think that the fluttering of leaves captures the hidden truth of nature, and the ultimate goal of the painter is to reproduce the vitality of the painting.
These views are reflected in the first painting theory, which was written by Xie Tiao in the fifth century. Entitled "Six Elements of Painting", they advocate painting:
1) Have your own life, be energetic and resonate.
2) Have a good brushwork and give it a reasonable structure.
3) It is somewhat similar to the theme.
4) the color should meet the needs of the situation
5) Have a well-conceived composition.
6) Learn from tradition and inherit the essence of tradition.
Although this early painting rarely existed, from the Sui Dynasty (AD 589-6 18) and the Tang Dynasty (AD 6 18-907), painting occupied a dominant position in China's artistic tradition. Especially popular are portraits and scenes of the emperor's life with envoys or ladies-in-waiting, as well as scenes of aristocratic life found on tomb murals or Buddhist images found on the walls of grottoes. The most precious part of China's paintings is the murals in 468 Buddhist grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu. For more than ten centuries, artists have described scenes in Buddhist scriptures, as well as portraits and life scenes of many people traveling along the Silk Road.
In the Song Dynasty (960- 1279), a royal-sponsored painting academy was established, and two main painting styles appeared. The first style, known as academic painting, likes to describe flower-and-bird painting with tiny details. The second style is called academic painting, which prefers grand landscape painting. Different from western landscape painting which emphasizes perspective and shadow elements, China landscape painting emphasizes the thickness and tone of brush strokes. Different from the western style, people are unimportant, because the characters are kept to a minimum and are always much smaller than the background landscape.
In the subsequent Yuan Dynasty (1279- 1368), a school of literati composed of literati painters appeared. Painting has always been regarded as the domain of educated elites, and this ideal has never been so obvious. The most painted themes are the so-called four virtues of bamboo (a symbol of integrity, humility and loyalty), plum (a symbol of purity and patience), chrysanthemum (a symbol of vitality), orchid (a symbol of purity) and flower-and-bird painting.
The Ming Dynasty (1368- 1644) liked to return to tradition, because artists copied early masterpieces. In fact, the painting manual contains some prototypes of leaves, rocks or flowers, which artists can copy and combine into new works. Unlike the West, which always emphasizes individuality and creativity, whether in painting or literature, China people attach great importance to the necessity of mastering tradition before accepting new things.
Although the traditional style continued to dominate the work of painters in the subsequent Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the increase in contact with the West brought the inevitable influence of western style. Italian painter Giuseppe Castiglio even worked under the patronage of the royal family, thus introducing western techniques such as shadow and perspective to his contemporaries in China.