Chapter 33: Art of China after 1279
Shitao. "Man in a House beneath a Cliff." Chinese art, 1800 [Qing dynasty, late 17th century. album leaf, ink and colors on paper, 9 ½" x 11"]
-expressive rather than naturalistic -includes drips and splashes -animated the landscape -individualized brushwork (dots, lines, drips)
Huang Gongwang. "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains," Chinese art, 1350. [Yuan dynasty, 1347-1350. section of a hand scroll, ink on paper, 1' 7/8" x 20' 9"]
-literati art -hand scroll -meant to be contemplated -shifting of perspectives to give multiple views -sketched full composition in one burst of inspiration -variety of brushstrokes
Shen Zhou. "Lofty Mount Lu." Chinese art, 1470. [Ming dynasty,1467. hanging scroll, ink and color on paper, 6' 4 ¼" x 3' 2 5/8"]
-literati art -hanging scroll -person included to give sense of scale -shen never saw Mount Lu, but gave his poetic interpretation of it -calligraphy (long poem) -
Wu Zhen. "Stalks of Bamboo by a Rock." Chinese art, 1350. [Yuan dynasty 1347. hanging scroll, ink on paper, 2' 11" x 16 5/8"]
-literati artists- artist scholars who painted for a small audience of their educational and social peers. Shunned the imperial counts and their professional painters. Highly educated and steeped in traditional Chinese culture (perceived as under attack by the "barbarian" foreign rulers—mongols). Cultivated painting, calligraphy, poetry, and refined taste -includes calligraphy -seals—added by artist, inscribers and subsequent owners -minimalistic composition (no background, silk shows through) -easy to trace back past owners due to stamps -smaller in scale -meant for private contemplation -hanging scroll
Temple vase. Yuan dynasty, Chinese art, 1350. [1351. white porcelain with cobalt blue underglaze, 2' 1" x 8 1/8"]
-used cobalt to withstand high firing temperatures -porcelain -western world could not figure out how to recreate porcelain until 18th century -phoenix represents empress -dragon represents emperor -donated to Buddhist temple as a prayer for peace etc -body might suggest donor's high status -
porcelain
extremely fine, hard, white ceramic. Unlike stoneware, porcelain is made from a fine white clay called kaolin mixed with ground petuntse, a type of feldspar. true porcelain is translucent and rings when struck.
calligraphy
hand writing or penmanship, especially elegant writing as a decorative art
literati painting
talented amateur painters and scholars from the landed gentry
hanging scroll
vertical scroll hung on a wall with pictures mounted or painted directly on it
handscroll
vertical scroll that is unrolled right to left, section by section, and often used to present illustrated religious texts or landscapes
