Chapter 43, Art in Late Imperial China

43.1 The First Song Emperor visiting his Prime Minister Zhou Pu on a Snowy Night

• official court painting that is mimicking styles of the literati painters from the Song Dynasty. Song dynasty was also led by the Han ethnic group of china.

• lots of negative space, and three distinct distances.

43.2 Lingering Garden

• Shan (water) shui (mountains). Chinese philosophical idea of balance, like a feminine side and masculine side.

• found rock formations brought in and planted plants with meaning.

• Three friend of winter: plum=perserverence, pine=longevity, and bamboo=strength.

• literati class would build gardens to excited their minds when writing for creating.

43.3 Appreciating Antiquities in the Bamboo Garden

• silk screens in the work that show landscapes painted in the traditional literary way.

• men are seen in the garden studying bronze work, silk fans, scrolls, and porcelain sets.

• this shows this group is appreciating art and their history. it tells us about there values and shows their work was informed by artists of the past.

• in official court style painting, used isometric perspective.

43.7 Dong Qichang, Landscapes after Old Masters

• uses the literati style

• Dong Qichang advocated to escape the vulgar naturalism of court paintings and choose to interpret nature rather than depict it perfectly.

43.6 Vase, Ming Dynasty

• the ming dynasty was when porcelain work exploded.

• developed in Mongol dynasty, but came to the forefront during this dynasty.

• has arabic letters inscribed saying Allah, made to be sold at an islamic market.

43.8 Bada Shanren, Fish and Rocks

• Manchu invaders take over part of the ming dynasty which establishes the Qing dynasty.

• this artist was in line to be emperor before the invasion, he pretended to go insane to save his life and retired as a monk.

• ink on paper, Chinese invented paper.

• his art references ming dynasty and what could have been. very abstract to hide this intention.

43.14 Giuseppe Castiglione, Imperial Visage of the Qianlong emperor

• painting of a Chinese emperor painted by an italian.

• painted in one-point perspective.

• dragons are on his gown and his thrown, it is the emperors symbol. painted on a scroll.

• European styles are present in a piece with Chinese content.

43.15 West Facade of the Calm Seas Palace

• Occidentalism: when non-European cultures conceive of Europeans in stereotyped ways.

• Orientalism: When European cultures conceive of the Orient (Middle East and East China) in stereotyped ways.

• This is occidentalism.

• Qing dynasty was very open to adopting many different styles and cultures.

43.12 Forbidden City, Beijing

• aligned perfectly on a north south axis

• palace complex

• emperor would be at the back and only some would be let all the way in.

43.13 Hall of Supreme Harmony, Ming Dynasty, rebuilt in Qing dynasty

• Hip roof: A roof that slopes from all four sides of a building

• walkway has relief carvings of dragons.