Art Survey 2 Chapter 33

Modern China

1912 - Nationalist Party establishes the Republic of China 1949 - Communism takes control and the People's Republic is founded Does not end traditional Chinese art traditions

Overglaze

A technique of applying mineral colors, sometimes called enamels, over the glaze after the work has been fired and fused by firing again to a much lower temperature

Lacquer

A varnish-like substance made from the sap of Asiatic sumac tree, used to decorate wood and other organic materials, often colored with mineral pigments and cures to great hardness and has a lustrous surface

Glaze

A vitreous coating applied to pottery to seal and decorate the surface; it may be colored, transparent, or semitransparent later applied over a color to alter it slightly

Wen Shu, Carnations and GardenRock, Ming dynasty, 1627

Although landscapes were most prestigious subject - painters also painted other things This was made by a female artist! She paints flowers on an arc-shaped fan - Fans are an import from Japan The imagery is delicate and sparse, allows the viewer (usually a woman who would hold this fan) a mood of contemplation and deep thought

Ye Yushan and others, Rent Collection Courtyard, Day, China, 1965

114 life-size figurines Depicts the harsh lives of people before communism Following the Cultural Revolution initiated by Mao Zedong, Chinese artists joined the contemporary art world

Yuan Dynasty

Brief tenure of Yuan - This dynasty only lasted about 89 years (1279-1368CE) During this time, trade increases with Europe Europe marvels at China in technology and and wealth - Chine is MUCH more advanced than late medieval Europe

Dish with lobed rim, Qing dynasty, 1700

Ceramic technology advances - Chinese ceramics are a marvel of the world. Lots of colors by use of overgrazes. Overglazes are decorations added after the ceramic firing that are cured at much lower temperatures and allow for more colors and brighter colors Subject of the dish is economic prosperity and the possibility for advancement in society All images are symbolic of long life and prosperity

Wangshi Yuan (Garden of the Master of Fishing Nets), Suzhou, China, Ming dynasty, 16th century and later

Everything in the Forbidden City is very organized - this reflects the order the emperor brings to the world Opposite of this order is the "unplanned" gardens These are not actually unplanned These gardens were actually specifically planned to seem unplanned to represent the spontaneous way nature looks when it is not controlled by humans (this is ironic)

Porcelain

Extremely fine, hard, white ceramic made from fine white clay called kaolin mixed with petuntse, a type of feldspar; often translucent and rings when struck

Ming Dynasty

In 1368, a rebellion drives Mongols (rulers of the Yuan Dynasty) from China and founds the Ming dynasty The new emperor laid out Beijing as 3 nested walled cities with a perimeter wall and moat. This was a very secure layout!

Literati

In China, talented amateur painters and scholars from the landed gentry

Throne room, Hall of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City

Inner-most area of the compound This room has the strictest access - during the Ming Dynasty it would have only been open to the Emperor and his chosen audience. Now of course it is open to tourists

Qing Dynasty

Internal decay of the Ming bureaucracy allows Manchurians to take over As they take over China, the accepted Chinese art and culture

Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining), Auspicious Objects, Qing dynasty, 1724

Jesuit (Christian) missionaries come to China Bring modern European art (at this time that is High Renaissance and Baroque art) and painting styles to China This piece is a hybrid of Italian and Chinese painting styles It uses Chinese subjects, but in a distinctly Italian (think Renaissance!) use of modeling All of the objects in this painting are symbols meant to celebrate the birthday of the Emperor

Namdaemun, Seoul, South Korea, Joseon dynasty, 1398

Joseon Dynasty lasts from 1392 to 1910 This structure combines impressive stone foundation with intricate wood infrastructure Damaged in an arson fire in 2008 (remember wood burns easily) Served as a symbol of the ruler's authority, much like triumphs arches of Rome

Korea

Korea has two major dynasties Goryeo and Joseon. We will look at examples from the latter. Korea is absorbed by Japan in 1910, but regains independence after WWII

Forbidden City, Beijing, China, Ming dynasty, 15th century and later

Ming dynasty emperors were great builders The Forbidden City is an imperial palace Only the emperor and his official audience were allowed entrance There are several layers in this complex- as you move toward the center less and less people are allowed to continue. In the inner-most places (Like the throne room) only the emperor and his official audience were allowed (slide after next we will see the throne room)

Wu Zhen, Stalks of Bamboo by a Rock, Yuan dynasty, 1347

More abstracted representation of banjo - individual stalks Also features prominent calligraphy Both painting and calligraphy display his proficiency with a brush (the black calligraphy was done by the artist, the red is what was added by the owners to add beauty and appreciation) This was done by a Literati painter (definition next slide) These were wealthy people (land owning) who took up painting as a hobby. This is not a professional artist. Literati are very popular in China at this time

Shang Xi, Guan Yu Captures General Pang De, Ming dynasty, 143

Official painters of the court (or painters who worked for the Emperor) lived in the Forbidden City This painting is an epic history painting based on a true story from 220-280CE, as well as a fictional character from book inspired by the events (part true story, part historical drama) Color is used to focus attention on the figures. Notice that the background which is not as important to the story is in all neutrals

Huang Gongwang, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, Yuan dynasty, 1347-50

One of the greatest works of Yuan literati paintings Used dry and wet brush strokes, layered to build texture (highly sophisticated pictorially) Artists sought to represent the essential beauty of the natural world, not record the exact look of a specific place. This is not an actual view you can see of actual mountains, instead it is a composite of idealized parts to represent the FEELING of this mountain and the feelings that one experiences in nature. Most Chinese painting does this and it not a literal place.

Guan Daosheng, Bamboo Groves in Mist and Rain, Yuan dynasty, 1308

Painting includes calligraphy - Chinese tradition of beautiful writing (see it to the right in red) It was common to add poems, dedications, and thoughts of appreciation from all owners got paintings. This was not added by the artist, but was thought to add beauty by everyone who owned it afterward. This was done by a Female artist - also rare in China like in Europe She was noted for her ability to blur bamboo as it recedes into background - suggestive of fog. This gives it a sense of visual sophistication through atmospheric perspective

Hall of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City, Beijing, 15th century and later

Part of the Forbidden City complex This is the largest wooden building in China Wooden buildings are rare because they tend to catch on fire easily

David Vases, Yuan dynasty, 1351

Set or vases is an altar set, along with an incense burner (not shown) Earliest dated example of porcelain (white clay) with cobalt decoration (blue painted designs) Clouds represent donor's elevated status Dragon and Phoenix represent the emperor's nobility and prosperity The Dragon and Phoenix also possibly meant to represent the yin and yang

Table with drawers, Ming dynasty, 1426-35

The Ming Dynasty is known for its fine craftspeople Lacquer (definition next slide) is used on wooden furniture because it prevents wood from decaying. Wood is organic and will decay, so without this protective layer these pieces would not survive over time This piece was made in the Orchard Factory of Bejing - master carvers created very detailed works with ornate decorations carved into them Includes floral motifs as well as imperial Dragons and Phoneix (remember- these are symbols of the Emperor!)

Underglaze

The technique of applying mineral colors to the surface before the application of a clear glaze and firing

Shitao, Reminiscences of Nanjing: Riding the Clouds, Qing dynasty, 1707

This artist it a Monk who believed in the power of a brushstroke to produce artwork This is only one page from a series made at the end of his life when he was contemplating happy and sad feelings of living in isolation More expressive and animated than traditional literati painting through his use of the brushstroke which he believed was the art in painting

Dong Qichang, Dwelling in the Qingbian Mountains, Ming dynasty, 1617

This artist was a wealthy land owner literati The way he is painting is slightly abstracted. Treatment of blank, flat spaces of shadow are innovative- preview to Modernism (MUCH earlier than in Western Europe. Notice that this is from 1617 and Europe was still in the Renaissance- not thinking about Modernism or questioning new ways to represent things for another 350 years!)

Jeong Seon, Geumgangsan Mountains, Joseon dynasty, 1734

This artist was an admirer of Southern (looser in brush stroke style) Chinese painting Used a technique called "true view" painting- this means that he is attempting to make this look as true to the way nature feels as possible (not necessarily true to the way that it looks) Darker, sharper, fibrous brushstrokes are used to represent the crystalline appearance of spiky mountains

Guanyun (Cloud Crowned) Peak, rock formation in the Liu Yuan (Lingering Garden), Suzhou, China, Ming dynasty, 16th century and later

This is another view of a planned "unplanned) garden Sculptors shaped rock (it is in the left side of the image) to make them seem as natural as possible Another example of planning things to look like they are completely natural and unplanned. This sculpture was carved very meticulously to look like a natural piece of rock

Shen Zhou, Lofty Mount Lu, Ming dynasty, 1467

This painter comes from a wealthy family but declines government job in order to focus on painting and poetry This is considered his finest work, a gift to one of his teachers at the Wu School of painting He never saw the subject (this actual mountain), but used the mountain peak to represent the grandeur of his teacher's virtue and character Calligraphy is added to talk about his honoring of his teacher in black by the artist, and in red by owners and admirers