Chinese landscape painting + 2 case studies
Background reading: https://smarthistory.org/chinese-landscape-painting/ Gombrich ch 7https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/clpg/hd_clpg.htm
Key points:
Landscape traditionally the top of the hierarchy of Chinese painting styles. These were usually created in ink on paper, and then mounted on silk, as a scroll painting. This very popular genre was associated with refined scholarly tastes
The Chinese term for “landscape” is made up of two characters meaning “mountains and water.” It is linked with the philosophy of Daoism, which emphasizes harmony with the natural world…
Landscapes are imaginary, idealized landscapes. The Chinese phrase ‘woyou’ expresses this idea of ‘wandering while lying down’.
Mountains and flowing water depicted as landscape were objects of meditation
Rigid rules and structures followed, but also valued self-expression, in the depiction of these imaginary landscapes
The artist was more associated with the poet or the scholar/intellectual, in china, than at this point in history in the west, where painting was seen as a more menial task.
SONG DYNASTY - EARLY EXAMPLE OF CHINESE LANDSCAPE:Fan Kuan, Travellers by streams and mountains, ink on silk hanging scroll, c. 1000, 206.3 x 103.3cm
Key reading: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/travelers-among-mountains-and-streams-%E8%B0%BF%E5%B1%B1%E8%A1%8C%E6%97%85%E5%9C%96/WAHwkSr8lMK0uA
https://www.comuseum.com/painting/masters/fan-kuan/travelers-among-mountains-and-streams/ https://smarthistory.org/neo-confucianism-fan-kuan-travelers-by-streams-and-mountains/
Possibly the only surviving work by Fan Kuan. a monumental landscape painting.
From very early times, the Chinese viewed mountains as sacred and imagined them as the abode of immortals. The term for landscape painting (shanshui hua) in Chinese is translated as “mountain water painting.”
What were the associations with mountains? How was the verticality emphasised?
How is empty space used here?
https://www.comuseum.com/painting/masters/fan-kuan/travelers-among-mountains-and-streams/ What is the 3-part compositional arrangement described here?
The Met, Nature and Chinese culture - https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cnat/hd_cnat.htm also see https://ieas.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/aparv_lecture7a.pdf
MING PERIOD CASE STUDY:
Wen Zhingming, Wintry Trees, 1543, ink on paper (hanging scroll), 90.5 x 31cm
Ming period literati artist, part of the Wu school - Wen Zhingming and other amateur artists set themselves in opposition to the professional, academy influenced style.
https://smarthistory.org/wen-zhengming-wintry-trees/https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1965-1011-0-1
Subject matter
A landscape or grove of trees in winter, with a stream meandering through the middle of them. The subject is presented without human presence, which is unusual.
The calligraphic inscri ptions in Chinese on the image are highly valued and Craig Clunas explains they are both the ‘best index of the personality of the artist’ and of his ‘moral character’.
Output was private at his time, or given as gifts.
The inscri ption top left is explained by the British Museum as “The painter`s 3 inscri ption explains that he made the painting for a Mr. Li Zicheng, who brought a gift to condole with him on the occasion of his wife`s funeral. Because of the similarity of names, they discussed Li Cheng`s style of wintry trees. Wen Zhengming thanked Li Zicheng by painting this work of bare trees for him, over ten hours. Wen Zhengming signed it, noting his age of 73 years.”
The seal is the equivalent of a signature, to establish authenticity. The carving of a personal seal was considered to be the craft of a gentleman.
Is specific identifiable topography shown?
Style and formal elements
Consciously referencing the style of a much earlier chinese painter called Li Cheng, who lived in the 10th century - 919-967CE. E.g. A solitary temple amid clearing peaks. The sparseness and emptiness conveyed through the use of space is comparable.
How does the work lead to a sense of bareness? How might this relate to the meaning and context of the work?
What other stylistic or formal elements are notable here?
CompositionTonal modellingLight
Li Cheng’s diluted painting style - ‘treating ink like gold’ - giving the appearance of a foggy dream world.
Who was Wen Zhengming?
Cultural context landscape painting
During the Ming dynasty, Emperor Jiajing who reigned from 1521 to 1567 was a fervent follower of Taoism (also known as Daoism) and tried to suppress Buddhism. For Taoism death is not regarded as it is by Christians, as a salvation to escape from this world towards heaven rather one’s aim in life is to become perfectly aligned with the natural world and with the cosmic forces that sustain it. Although Wen Zhengming is not regarded as a Daoist artist it is interesting to consider the broader context. “Chinese art, particularly landscape paintings, suggest a very different relationship between humans and nature. Daoists speak of a harmony among all aspects of nature and say "Heaven and earth and I live together." The harmony in nature is illustrated in the balance between such things as water and mountains. Waterfalls and mountain peaks make up much of Chinese landscape painting, and people seeking to understand the secrets of the power of nature, the Dao, often contemplate those paintings when they cannot go the countryside and view an actual mountain or waterfall. In many, if not most, landscape paintings, humans have a place. They are participants in the natural scene, but they do not dominate it.”
https://arthistoryteachingresources.org/lessons/chinese-art-before-1300/
Li Cheng, 10th century, A solitary temple amid clearing peaks.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/oct/21/china-landscape-painting what claim does critic jonathan jones make about the relationship between renaissance art history and chinese landscape painting?
