Chinese and Korean Art After 1279

By Zach Small, Ashley Emery, and Jen Dalecki

Chinese Dynasties After 1279-Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)

-Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

-Modern Period (1911-Present Day)

Yuan Dynasty• Beginning• Yuan dynasty preceded by the Song dynasty• Song dynasty brought China intro a period of increased

introspection, cultivating Chinese traditions as opposed to absorbing foreign influences

• Drew clear distinction between own people, who they characterized as gentle, erudite, and sophisticated, and “barbarians” living outside of China’s borders

• Asserted identity through poetry, calligraphy, and landscape painting

• Landscape painting reflected moral order unlike society under Tang dynasty

Yuan Dynasty Mongol Invasion Mongols, led by Jenghiz Khan and his ancestors, amassed

empire Empire stretched as far as central Europe, central Asia,

present-day Iraq, and northern China Led by Kublai Khan, Mongols added southern China to their

empire Kublai Khan pronounced himself emperor of China and founder

of Yuan Dynasty (Yuan = origin) Established the capital in Dadu (now Beijing), shifting central

focus of empire away from cultural centers of southern China

Imperial vs. Literati Taste Imperial court served as a patron of the arts, commissioning

professional artists and artisans to construct building and gardens as well as create murals, paintings, and decorative arts

Literati saw painting as a vehicle of self expression; painted for each other as opposed to for public display

Created a status as artists that they felt was superior to professional painters; felt that professional artists were tainted by money and trying to please others rather than themselves

Further developed characteristics of literati painting:◦ Illustrated an “appreciation of antiquity”—revival of the

past◦ Rough, unassuming brushwork over gentle, refined

movement◦ Minimal use of color◦ Use of landscape to convey a personal meaning

Hand Scrolls, Hanging Scrolls, and Album Leaves

Literati favored hand scrolls, hanging scrolls, or album leaves because made it easy to share with others

Hand scrolls were paintings in a horizontal format, stretching several feet long

Often hand scrolls contained a single continuous, yet they were not displayed all at once; typically, only a foot or two was unrolled at a time

Hanging scrolls were viewed as a whole, unrolled and put up on a wall

Albums composed of a set of paintings of identical size mounted in a book; typically paintings within an album were related in subject

Paintings typically accompanied by colophons, or inscriptions related to the work (e.g. poems, comments, etc.)

Zhao Mengfu Zhao Mengfu was a descendant of the imperial line of Song,

who chose to serve the Yuan government and was made a high official

Known as a poet, calligrapher, and painter—especially known for paintings of horses and landscapes

Landscapes are considered to be done in a style that focuses more on a literal laying of ground; not organized in a foreground, middle ground, and background, rather layers middle grounds at various heights to creative depth

Artwork pervaded with characteristics of literati painting

Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains

Hand scroll created in 1296 Painted with ink and color pigments on paper Subject matter: Qiao and Hua Mountains of Jinan

Painted for a friend whose ancestors came from Jinan; painting intended to depict landscape of Jinan

Not painted in naturalism common in the era, rather in the archaic manner of Tang dynasty

Color used sparingly

Fascination With Nature Painted by Xie Chufang Hand scroll created in 1321 Subject matter: animals and insects feeding off one another

Beauty and brightness of the natural world cover up the confusion and disorder caused by the fight for survival

Representative of dilemma facing many Chinese of the period: whether to work for the Mongols or remain loyal to the fallen imperial dynasty

Plant/insect subject matter as well as vibrant colors date back to Song dynasty marks the revivalism of earlier styles of Chinese painters

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Zhao_Meng_Fu_Autumn_Colors_Part1.jpg

Ni Zan Rich man who was the owner of a large estate Pride and aloofness from daily affairs got him into trouble

with authorities Notoriously clean; washed himself several times a day and

ordered servants to wash trees in his garden Later in life, he is said to have given away all of his

possessions and lived as a hermit in a boat

Lifestyle served as a model for literati; lived an “ideal” lifestyle

The Rongxi Studio Hanging scroll created in 1372 Ink on paper; free of color Depicts lake region in Ni’s home district; includes

mountains, rocks, tree, and a pavilion Minimum detail included in artwork Created using a dry brush technique in which the brush is

not fully loaded with ink but rather about to run out

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644• Replacing the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, it is known as one of the

greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history

• Expansion:• Military naval and standing army• Trade under Zheng He expanded

• Reconstruction:• Grand Canal and Great Wall• Emperor Hongwu strived to rebuild self-sufficient

agricultural communities• Allows for trading class to thrive and become eligible

scholars• Establishment:

• Forbidden City in the center of Bejing• The Columbian Exchange

• Due to natural calamity (Little Ice Age) and poor economy, rebel leader Li Zicheng could challenge the Ming authority

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

Shen Zhou• Born wealthy in the Jiangsu providence

• Renounced official service to take care of ill mother and become a retired artist

• Composer of poems, usually dealing with natural undertones and thought• Style is informal, relaxed, and straightforward

• Reflects his own personality• Share similar style to the Yuan Dynasty, but with more

individual thought• Artists of the Ming Dynasty could live solely off of profits for

art• Literati paintings with a mood and verse in mind• “Delicate Shen”

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644Poet on a Mountaintop

• Comes from the Wu School of art

• Expresses a calm mood directly after the transition from the Yuan to Ming Dynasty

• Monochrome painting in vogue• Poet has climbed mountains

and now dominates the landscape

• Reflects Ming philosophy: the mind, not the physical world, was the basis of reality

• Synthesizes poetry, calligraphy, and painting

Ming Dynasty. Handscroll.c. 1500 Ink and color on paper

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644Hundreds of Birds Admiring the

Peacocks• By Yin Hong• Birds and flower genre of the Song

academy• Extremely symbolic:• Homage of birds to peacocks is the

homage of court officials to the emperor

• Ming characteristics: Large format and multiplication of detail

• Very restricted landscape view in contrast with the lofty, unrestricted view from the prior painting

Ming dynasty. Hanging scroll late 15th- early 16th centuryInk and color on silk

Comparison to Western Art

• Procession of birds similar to procession of people in the Ara Pacis• Birds common omen/symbol of Rome• Narrative style of relief similar to literati influences of the Ming

Dynasty• Limited background

• more focus on the vibrant activity in the foreground

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

Spring Dawn in Han Palace• By Qui Ying• Ming dynasty. Long handscroll on silk• A major professional painter• Painted long scrolls for satisfied

patrons’• Studies in Tang painting

• Main concentration is on the figures, leaving the background very minimal

• Figures contain much action• Depicts women working in the

palace

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644Flask

• Artist unknown• Ming Blue and White Wares• Subtle shape, refined yet vigorous

decoration of dragons writhing above the sea, and the flawless glazing embody high achievement of Ming artisans

• Dragons reminiscent of Chinese folklore

• Wares extremely prolific under the Xuande Emperor (1426-35)

Ming Dynasty. Procelain. 1426-35. painted with underglaze cobalt blue

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644The Forbidden City

• Work of Mongols• Walled city of Chang’an laid out on

a rectangular grid, with evenly spaced streets that ran north-south and east-west with the imperial palace on the north end

• Must enter through the impressive Meridian Gate or the Gate of Supreme Harmony

• Rigid city structure reflects Chinese belief in harmony of the universe and emphasis on the emperor as the Son of Heaven

Ming Dynasty. Bejing

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911• Armies of the Manchu people to the northeast of China

marched into Beijing• Beijing becomes the capital• Second time in history in which China had been ruled by

foreigners• The first time was during the Yuan Dynasty when the

Mongols controlled China• The Manchus had adopted many Chinese customs and

institutions before their conquest and respected Chinese tradition throughout their control

• The major trends of the late Ming dynasty continued into the Manchu, or Qing Dynasty, making China prosperous but complacent• They adopted the form of government used by the Ming

Dynasty• The reigns of the first three emperors were peaceful• Emperor Kangxi : 1662-1722 CE• Emperor Yongzheng: 1722-1736 CE • Emperor Qianglong: 1736-1796 CE• Dramatic increase in population• Low taxes, commerce and international trade grew allowed

for a revival of arts and learning

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911Rule of Qianglong• Under Qianglong, China expanded to largest ever• Uprisings:• 1774 CE in Shantung• In 1775 CE led by the secret society known as the Society of

the White Lotus• In 1813 CE, during the reign of Qianglong's successor, led by

the secret society known as the Society of Heaven's Law• Chinese are impoverished

Contact with Western World• Great Britain traded opium for silk and tea with China• Chinese became addicted to opium• Land that had previously been used for agriculture was used

to produce opium• When opium was outlawed, the Opium Wars erupted in 1842

CE with Britain• At the conclusion, China virtually became a British colony

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911Orthodox Painting• Literati painting was established as the dominant or orthodox

tradition• Based upon Don Quichang’s recommendation to base their

approach on past masters and paint in the manner of Song and Yuan artists

• It was “orthodox” in the Confucian sense of continuing traditional modes

• Qing emperors of 17th and 18th centuries were painters and collected literati painting• Their taste was inspired by Wang Hui• Literati painting became an academic style of the court and

was no longer art for reclusive scholars

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911Wang Hui (1632-1717)• Represents “orthodox” painting• Most well-known of the Four Wangs: Wang Shimin (1592-

1680), Wang Jian (1598-1677), and Wang Yuangi (1642-1715)• Wang Shimin and Wang Jian were his teachers• His fame became known in Beijing• From 1691-98 he was commissioned to supervise the

production of a series of hand scrolls marking the Kangxi emperor’s tour of the South

• Returned to private life• Painted landscapes

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911Wang Hui (1632-1717)• Painted A Thousand Peaks and

Myriad Ravines in 1693• Hanging scroll• Exemplifies basic elements of

Chinese landscape painting: mountains, rivers, waterfalls, trees, temples, pavilions, houses

• Features an inscription inspired by lines from a Tang-dynasty poem as well as the works of Dong Yuan and Juran

• Painting shows the scene from afar

• No individual identity of elements

• This goal started in the Song Dynasty

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911• Artist unknown• Example of orthodox painting• Guan Yu was a warrior of the late Han dynasty renowned for

his bravery and loyalty was later venerated as a saint in the Daoist pantheon

• Served as a virtual patron saint of the Manchus in the Qing dynasty

• Guan is shown descending from the heavens with two attendants

• Features religious images used in the "water and land" ritual, which is a Buddhist ceremony conducted for the salvation of "all the souls on land and sea“

• It is distinguished by its high level of craftsmanship, intricate detail, and lavish use of precious mineral pigments.

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911• Augustus of Primaporta, restored, and Emperor Guan• Both make use of bright colors• Both depict heroic emperors meant to be idealized• Both idealize military prowess of the subjects• Both use drapery to create an imposing figure• Both are associated with divinity and religious significance to

cement their power• Augustus is depicted with Cupid, who is Venus’ son• Reference to the claim that the Augustus is a descendant of

Venus through her human son Aeneas• Both are intricately detailed

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911Individualist Painting• Individualists adapted Don Qichang’s idea of painting as an

expression of personal emotions • The beginning of the Qing rule was dangerous for those loyal

to the Ming• Some committed suicide or fled to masteries or the

countryside• Painters expressed anger or disobedience in their art• Individualist art often had political significance

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911• Painting of courtiers, officials, and professional artists• Zhu Da, later known as Bada Shanren, and Zhu Ruoji, later

known as Shitao, were descendants of the Ming royal house• Zhu Da became a Buddhist monk, feigning deafness and

madness to escape persecution after the fall of the Ming dynasty

• Frustration and vulnerability are evident in his art• He created a deeply personal expressionist style that reflects

his ambivalence about his life in hiding and his failure to acknowledge his identity as a Ming prince

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911Shitao (1642-1707)• Chinese painter and theoretician who was one of the most

famous of the Individualist painters in the early Qing period• Descended from the first Ming emperor• Fled to Buddhist temples and became an Buddhist monk• He trained himself to paint and then moved to Yangzhou

around 1695, where he renounced his status as a Buddhist monk and supported himself through his painting

• Excelled in landscape painting, bird-and-flower painting, and figure painting

• Sought to expand from past knowledge and creations• Wrote Huaya Lu, or Comments on Painting, in which he

speaks of a “style of no style”• Landscape

Monk sits in a small hut, looking out to tumultuous mountainsRocks and vegetation (dots) seem alive

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911

Qing Dynasty 1644-1911• Yangzhou became a prosperous commercial center during the

Qing dynasty due to the salt monopoly centered thereTwo groups of artists emerged:

• Yuan Jiang• Worked in the courtly tradition, producing large-scale,

richly detailed works in mineral pigments on silk • Exemplify Yangzhou taste for ostentatious display.

• "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou“]• Inspired by individualistic works of Shitao.• Specialize in figural subjects or flower and bird images that

appealed to more people and were commercially viable than landscape painting

Modern Period (1911- Present Day)

Qing dynasty overthrown in 1911 ending 2,000 of imperial rule

New ideas from Japan and the West filtered in, calling for political and cultural reforms

First decades of 20th century, Chinese artists traveled to Japan and Europe to study Western art; returned to China hoping to introduce new ideas and techniques

Communist government in 1949 decreased artistic freedom; arts were pressed into service of the state and its vision of social order

After 1979, cultural attitudes began to relax and Chinese painters pursued own paths

Wu Guanzhong Chinese painter who emerged in 1980s as “father of

modern Chinese art” Combining French training with Chinese background,

developed a semiabstract style Took preliminary sketches of landscape, then developed

sketches into free interpretations

Pine Spirit Created in 1984 Ink on paper Depicts a scene in the Huang Mountains in China Technique of sweeping brushstrokes, dots, and lines shows

minimal concern for naturalistic shape and link to Abstract Expressionism

Joseon Dynasty of Korea 1392-1910

Joseon Dynasty of Korea 1392-1910• Founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye after the overthrow of the Goryeo

Kingdom• Capital is located in modern day Seoul and titled the land

Korea• The last royal/imperial dynasty in Korea; employed Confucian

philosophy and borrowed much of Chinese culture• Early 17th century: the Qing dynasty and Japan attack and

devastate Korea and the Joseon Dynasty• Qing dominance creates isolationist policy and the land

becomes “Hermit Kingdom”• 18th century: faced with internal strife, power struggles,

international pressure, and rebellions the Joseon Dynasty declined rapidly

• 1895: Treaty of Shimonoseki shows Joseon Dynasty independence from the Qing Dynasty after the Japanese win First Sino-Japanese War

• 1910: Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty adds all of Korea and the Joseon Dynasty to the Japanese Empire

Jeong Seon• Pen name Gyeomjae meaning “humble study”• Not wealthy, but discovered by an aristocratic neighbor who

noticed his talent and gave him an official government position• Although influenced by the Ming Wu School of art, he was one of

the first Korea painters to truly depart from traditional Chinese style

• Painted the world around him and painted daily until old age• His paintings are known as the Southern School of art, but in his

lifetime he was unique with brush wrinkles of bold strokes in paralells

Joseon Dynasty of Korea 1392-1910

Joseon Dynasty of Korea 1392-1910

Panoramic View of the Diamond Mountains (Geumgang-san)• 18th century: true Korean style

emerged inspired by the silhaki, or “practical learning” movement• Emphasized study of things in

Korean plus Chinese classics• Jeong chose Korean mountains

rather than Chinese themes like the artists before him

• Energetic spirit and the intensely personal style, with crystalline mountains, distant clouds of delicate ink wash, and individualistic brushwork

• Craggy peaks show brilliance and boldness of the Korean landscape

Joseon Dynasty of Korea 1392-1910

Late Joseon Period. Hanging scroll. 1734. Ink and colors on paper

Joseon Dynasty of Korea 1392-1910

Joseon Dynasty of Korea 1392-1910

Horizontal Wine Bottle With Decoration of a Bird Carrying a Newly Caught Fish• Artist unknown• Example of Bucheong stoneware• Decoration relies on the use of

white slip that makes the humble stoneware resemble more expensive white porcelain

• Embellished with fluid, calligraphic brushwork painted in iron-brown slip

• Most have floral decoration, rarely is it pictoral

Joseon. Light gray stoneware with decoration painted in iron-brown slip on a white slip ground. 16th century

Modern Korea 1910-Present

Modern Korea• “The Hermit Kingdom”• Joseon Dynasty maintains a policy of isolationism

• Close its borders to all except China until 1876• 1910 Japan annexes Korea and ends the Joseon dynasty, but

extends Korea’s isolation• Isolation continues through hardships of World War II (1939-

1945) and Korean War (1950-1953)• Artistic and cultural progression decreases• Modern influences reach Korea indirectly, through China

and Japan• Starting in the 1920’s and 1930’s, Korean artists experiment

with Western artistic styles• Economic and culture progress in South Korea starting in the

1980’s• Most paint in the manner of Cezanne or Gauguin, but some in

abstract, nonrepresentational styles 

Modern Korea 1910-Present

Gim Hwangi• One of 20th century Korea’s most influential painters• Influenced by Constructivism and geometric abstraction• After the Korean War, he investigates Westernism• Travels to Paris in 1956 and New York from 1964-1974 

Modern Korea 1910-Present

5-IV-71• Two circular radiating

patterns of small blue, black, and gray dots

• Heavily influenced by Western style

• Title is the date of creation• Resembles Asia’s tradition of

monochrome ink painting• Suggests a transcendence

with a Daoist or Buddhist feeling

• Started the precedent of combining traditional and Western styles, inspiring other Korean-born artists

 

Modern Korea 1910-Present

Nam June Paik (1932-2006)• Video artist• Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S.• Created for Holly Solomon Gallery in New York in 1995• Combination of live, recorded, computer-generated images

shown on video monitors that he makes into a sculptural design

• Features a map of Continental U.S. outlined in neon and backed by video monitors, flashing colors and moving with sound

• Monitors show images that demonstrate each state’s culture and history

Modern Korea 1910-Present

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