Chinese art test

Bowl Painted with Human Face and Fish,  Painted Pottery
Early Yangshao Culture (Painted Pottery Culture), C. 4000 B.C., Neolithic Period

Function: Depicts major part of this culture (fishing and dependence on the river) while acting as a wine or food vessel. Flat bottom means it was meant to sit on the ground or the stove.

Style: Stark contrast between the patterning and the background; geometric and archaic styling; symmetrical piece. Human image: two eyes and a nose and small triangle wearing a crown or hate with fish decorations on either side of the face. Shows fishing nets. Patterning on the rim and side of bowl also in a dark slip. Human face is round with thin, straight eyes. Free and dynamic composition with the movement of the multiple fish with simple coloring. black on red designs of geometric figures, human masks, fish; geometrically rendered motifs; made with coils

Context: Very typical for images to be painted on the inside of the container; pink-yellow tinge of the bowl reflects the local materials. Links to peoples’ lifestyle: eating fish and relating back to the nearby yellow river.

Subject: Fishermen

Gu Beaker,
Black Pottery
Longshan Culture (Black Pottery Culture),
C. 2000 B.C., Neolithic Period

Function: Holds wine (likely though function is unknown); acted as a prototype for bronze age work

Style: Tall slender vessel with slightly flared based and flared rim. Likely thrown on a pottery wheel. Highly polished surface with simple ribbing in the center of the piece. Thin walls were very typical. Dark color due to the processing of the clay (burnished clay). Wide flat rim may have held food. Rings along the base were done through incising; dark clay shaped on slow turnable and used wood or bamboo tools to incise pattersn before being burninshed and fired to a polished blac; embellishments resitricted to ridges; high footed; thin bodied and elehant

Context: Very common for this culture to have the dark clay reflecting material from this area. Gu describes the thin, narrow shape. Not for daily life use; no painting found on ceramics in this culture

Subject: wine vessel

Prismatic Tube (Cong), Nephrite Jade, Liangzhu Culture, Neolithic Period,

Function: function and meaning are unknown; likely ritual objects. Likely symbolized wealth and social status. Often found in tombs suggesting a ritual purpose. possibly an instrument to communicate with heaven

Style: patterning represents deities; square outside and circular inside; face patterning is placed across the corners. Made out of jade—> incredibly hard stone to shape. Meant to stack on each other. Cylindrical tube encased in a square prism. Each side decorated with repeating patterns of lines and circles; symmetrical on all sides. Faces on each corner (anthropormorphic figures); incredibly heavy (made out of pure jade) again adding to the oerson’s wealth and status; paired eyed designs resembling faces on each corner (typical of songs); this cong is unique as it has some designs on the sides midway between the corners; semi human animal image has a trapezoidal face with feathered headdress, wide flay nose, circular eyes with arms that touch a pair of eyes belonging to a beast (wide nose and mouth with four tusks);

Context: Shows minimal signs of wear (likely only for funerary purposes); Only buried with those of high status.

Subject: dieties on each side

Max Loehr’s Five Styles of Shang Bronzes (Images)

Style I: narrow register with zoomorphic motifs; more abstract in appearance; composed on thin raised lines created by incisions on on the production molds; geometric; reveals conceptualization derived from ceramics

Style II: zoomorphic forms composed of broad flat bands also in narrow horizontal registers, incised on the molds; often on a raised band of ceramic applique.

Style III: dense curvilinear designs derived from the previous stages rgar begin to cover much of the surface of an increasingly thick walled vessel; easier to discern the zoomorph.

Style IV: zoomorph motifs easily seen in this style and are set against a dense spiral background known as thunder pattern; similar spirals placed sparsely over the zoomorph; zoomorph constructed of similar limear curving lines; interacting forms and rich in philosophical implications

Style V: main motifs are set forth with bold plastic relief with ceramic applique on the model. Very clear figures shown and across the entire vessel. Extremely detailed with different line weights as well as depth changes between the lines.

Li he, Ritual Wine Vessel,
Bronze,
Zhengzhou Phase, piece mold casting technique

Function: drink vessel; used for wine

Style: One band decoration (one of the earlier styles I or II); three legs extending out in cones. Hands on the top. Cloud like swirl decorations. Decorations restricted to thin band around the vessel. The band is divided into three panels (the center panel contains a mask which can be seen as two interacting parts of two dragons seen in profile). Displays a human mask with eyes in relief and wide open mouth. Spout extending out from the vessel. Skinny handle on the opposite side of the spout;thin walls derived from sheet copper types, thread relief ornament; imitates incised ceramic techniques; large tapering hollow legs; abstract ornaments with hints of underlying taotie mask

Context: bronze vessels used to be thin with exaggerated profiles of earlier ceramic vessels. Then casting was developed. Casters experimentng with translations of ceramic prototypes into metallic shapes.

Subject:

Ding,
Ritual Food Vessel,
Bronze,
Anyang Phase,
Late Shang Period,

Function: ritual food vessel; used in religious rituals and burials

Style: decorated with the taotie mask; geometric forms (thick wide areas and areas filled in with more geometric detailing. Geometric styling; uses the fourth style (flat against the vessel; zoomorph can easily be seen; spiral patterns seen on the figure and in the background, interacting forms can be seen) Tripod vessel, cycle of rebirth carving on the pillars. Monster whispering in the ear of the shaman. two handles on either side. slight swelling where it joins to the legs; legs without decorations (very typical for the time period). thin band seen just below the rim adding to the piece

Context: bronze casting technique; tripod= very stable. originally made of ceramic

Subject: taotie dragon mask

Square Ding,
Ritual Food Vessel, Inscribed “Fu hao”,  
Bronze, Tomb of Fu Hao (Tomb No. 5), Consort of the 4th Anyang King, Wu Ding,
Anyang phase,
Late Shang Period

Function: cooking or stored ritual offerings to either gods or ancestors.

Style: frontal taotie with dragons used as filler motif. four legs with handles on the top. thunder motif shown with square/geometric spirals. the legs curve upwards on elegant feet with patterning on the legs (fairly atypical for dings). raised parts of the bronze vessel. Multiple bands down (style III on legs and body) This shows a transitional style. The legs are in the shape of the gui dragons. Geometric vessel reflecting the geometric motifs on the vessel. Simple rim on the vessel.

Context: In Fu Hao’s tomb so she could continue to make sacrifices to Qiao Gui (a queen) in the afterlife.

Subject: taotie mask and gui dragons

Mirror, Bronze Inlaid with Gold and Silver, Eastern Zhou Period

Function: buried with the dead (sometimes over the dead) with the polished side down, simulating the sun and confirming the mirror as a cosmic symbol

Style: reflecting side was polished; various inlayers were used to create contrast in the piece; abstract swirling motifs with animal images shown. Scenes of human activities/rituals are shown. Very symmetrical with the repeating gold motifs, however, the animals are different in each divided section of the piece. You can see a figure on the horse. The gold patterning in interlacing showing an increase in complexity. The figure on horseback holds a sword which seems to resemble ones from central asia. warrior is attacking a tiger (dynamic scene). Both the horse and the rider are in ¾ view revealing interest in foreshortening and action (growing skill in understanding animal and human anatomy and movement in space. design is mostly abstract with two animals occupying two of the three zones. The pictorial image is quite uncommon for the period; horse is foreshortened, which is quite uncommon

Context: greater understanding of human form/movement; used in burial sites; interlocking inlays and complex patterning shows a refinement in the bronze period

Content: figure on horseback fighting a tigeer

Man Riding a Dragon-boat.  
Ink and colors on silk.  
Eastern Zhou dynasty.  4th c. B.C.

Function: depicts likely the emperor adds to his importance/legitimizes his rule

Style: dragon body takes on the shape of the boat; man wears a hat and loose robe adding movement into the piece, flowing like the rivr. There’s no clear separation between the water and the boat, however, it’s shown through the use of figure below the boat. thin lines add details to the piece; the painting on silk indicates an importance as this was incredibly important textile within china (tehrefore this piece tells an important story) the ink and brush adds to a flowing nature of the piece (and also places with line width); male image is in a side profile and on a dragon (dragon adds to his masculinity and imprtance; likely depicting royality as seen by the dragon; tail of dragon is a pheonix tail (with pheonic and dragon together, it refers to the emperor and empress); no immediate background (negative space draws attention to the figures —→ very characteristic of early chinese paintings.

Context: one of the earliest silk paintings discovered

Content: a man wih a sword rides a dragon board adn holds the reins

Tomb Pit with Earthenware Burial Army, Tomb of the First Emperor of Qin (Qinshi Huangdi)  Lishan, Lintong, Shaanxi, c. 210 B.C., Qin Dynasty

Function: guide the first emperor to the afterlife and protect him there

Style: Incredibly realistic warriors and horses and chariots depicted. All are life sized with fully fleshed out characteristics→ each person has unique facial features and unique armor/clothing and hairstyles; each figure has unique expressions, however, each has a strong gaze as if confronting you; possibly depictions of soldiers that once lived. Terracotta—> both incised detailing; pits reinforced with logs and covered by a wooden ceiling; spliut into embankments with soldiers lined in battle formation. Unique features on each soldiers allows us to idenitfy rank and impoprtance of each figure; real weapons accompanying the soldiers; most stand, however some adopt more of a nealing/sitting pose. realistic depictions with correct proportions (shows understanding of anatomy in every direction); all figures facing east (atypical as typically figures face north or south in chinese culture.

Context: buried with the first emperor of China; discovered by accident by farmers; enslaved laborers; fourth pit was found empty—> unfinished project.

Content: depicts a full qin army

Cavalryman and Saddle Horse, Earthenware, Burial Army of the Tomb of the First Emperor of Qin (Qinshi Huangdi)  c. 210 B.C., Qin Dynasty

Function: part of the entire terracotta army meant to protect and lead the emperor into the afterlife.

Style: despite most things being lifesized in the pit, the horse seems to be quite small in comparison to the figure; possibly a mongolian horse which were typically smaller (so could be lifesized, but just a different breed of horse). Figure is incredibly stoic. Naturalistic proportions and anatomy in both the horse and the figure (naturalistic look of the horse musculature). low relief carving into the horse’s back depicting a saddle. somewhat stiff posture in both the horse and the person. detailing on the armor of the person shows rivets on the outer metal with padding shown through the skirt and the tunic around his neck.

Context: possibly depicts a mongolian horse hence the smaller size.

Content: shows a warrior leading a horse.

Flying Banner (Feiyi, or not cloth),
Ink and Color on Silk,
Tomb of  the Marquis of Dai,
Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan,
Chu Cultural Area,
ca. 186-168 B.C.,
Western Han Dynasty

Function: placed on top of Lady Dai’s coffin; shows her importance and riches; connects to the afterlife; name banners used to identify the dead during mourning ceremonies or intended to aid the soul in its passage to the afterlife.

Style: broken up into three registers: the heavenly realm, the earth, and hell. T shaped banner was on top of the innermost of the four nesting coffins. Naturalistic and abstract elements as part of it.

• Central register: Shows lady dai leaning on a staff with attendants in the backgrounds and two in front of her—> hierarchy (largest figure and above other figures by standing on a platform) in a patterned robe (flowing)

  • long sinuous dragons frame the scene on either side (an image of her ascending to the heavens )

  • register slightly below this, we can see funerary rituals taking place in a mourning hall (tripod containers and vase shaped vessels for offering food and wine) overlapping bodies shown depth

• Upper register: two men guard the gate to heaven and above them a deity with a human head and dragon body is depicted; left side had a toad standing on a crscent moon and the right has a three legged crow with a sun (moon and sun symbolic of the supernatural realm); cranes refer to longevity; bronze bells at the center with two guardians

• Lower register: underworld populated with two giant black fish, a red snake, a pair of blue goats, and unidentified earthly deity; deity upholds the floor of the mourning hall while firsh cross to form a circle nelow him; beoings in the underworld represent water and earth; interlocking patterns and symmetry

cloud imagery connects back to the imagery on her coffin

Context: three elite tombs were discovered (lady dai, her husband and son—> husbands was destroyed); shows their life and afterlife was meant to be luxurious; gives insight into cosmological beliefs and funerary practices; good practices=heaven and bad=hell

Content: shows three different realisms and lady dai in the center with attendants

Lamp in the Shape of Serving Girl, Gilt Bronze,Tomb of Dou Wan,
Probably made in 173 B.C., Western Han dynasty

Function: multipurpose lamp

Style: gilt bronze figure holding a lamp. traps smoke it its body and allows adjustments to brightness and directness of the light; in the form of a kneeling palace maid holding the lamp in her hands; thin eyes, long eyebrows, headdress, round face; long robe with left hand holding. atray (adding to the idea that she’s an attendanr) with her right hand holding the lamp. The lamp was made around the figure; right arm is also an exhaust pipe as candle smoke flows through her arm into her hollow body where water is stored to collect the soot. inscriptions (9 in total) cconnecting to other families, but eventually came to be in possession of Dou Wan . Also inscribed with Changxin Palace bath implying the lamp was once used in the royal bathroom and is believed to be a gift from the empress to Dou Wan; freestanding scultpture with naturalistic elements; rounded face reflect facial features from terracotta warriors (northern chinese facial features)

Context: excavated from the tomb of dou wan; reflects her wealth; environmentally friendly as a consequence of holding the smoke. Animal fat used to create the fuel;

Content: shows an attendant holding a lamp shade;

Gentlemen in Conversation,
Painted on Earthenware Tomb Tile,
1st Century AD,  Eastern Han Dynasty,

Function: depicts parts of this person’s life and significant events from their life

Style: painted on the earthenware tomb tile; utilizes a naturalistic style and depicts ppl w a ¾ facial view showing a better understanding of facial features, depth, and body language (also establishes a relationship between the viewers and the people within the painting); unique hand gestures and facial expressions. Body turned slightly outwards (again connecting with the viewer); line weight shows mature handling of brush strokes. lively movement seen as the men engage in animated conversation (providing a sense of freedom in movement) simple robe patterning adds to the robes; robes flowing behind the figures; pairs the figures to interrelate them and add space between each figure; mirroring of body language shows their interactions; figures on the left have interchanging glances and figures pointing at each other adding to their interaction. flexibility with pigment and line with brush strokes defining characters; twisting movements shown in the shallow space;

Context: decorations in tombs were becoming increasingly popular; negative space popular to draw attention to the figures.

Content: male figures interacting with each other

The Archer Yi, the Fushan Tree, and Reception in a Mansion,
Rubbing of Stone Relief,
The Wu Family Shrines (Wu Liang Ci), Jiaxiang, Shandong,
Eastern Han Dynasty

Function: depicts two story residence of han emperor/nobleman with a homage ritual taking place on the first floor and a gathering of aristocratic women on the second;

Style: Narrative piece broken into two registers; low relief incised decoration; formal style (very static with shape lines and stiff figures) Chariot and footmen on the bottom register (separate from the scene above as indicated by a heavy black line; everything looks like it’s on one plane ( no sense of depth seen); landscape element (the sun tree) with birds flying about it with an archer shooting at them; extremely organized towards the bottom of the piece and becomes more disordered as you move up the piece; shows people bowing towards an emperor/some important figure with attendants behind them in the second register; stylized version of the tree uses the leaf placement as decorative patterning (symmetrical look); archaic look (no complex 3/4s view); mythical tree important in Han dynasty legend drawing to the importance of the figures;

Context: found with various other incised type tiles; the breed of horse shown here originated rom central asia (short bodied heavy barreled horses with large nostrils

Subject: han emperor/nobleman

Scenes of Hunting (above) and Harvesting (below),
Rubbing of Earthenware Tile,
Chengdu, Sichuan, Eastern Han Dynasty

Function: acted as a clay tile depicting scenes of everyday life

Style: Extremely naturalistic handling of figures, animals, and birds; shows a complex composition with a diagonal view and shows understanding of animal and human body in their movement ; diagonal line spit of land running out and behind the figures (complex composition) and diminishing size of fish and lotus shows understanding of perspective. All contribute to incredibly lively piece as well as a very naturalistic depiction of everyday life. Low relief piece done through incising the art); made of two registers each depicting a different part of life (hunting vs gathering); shows tools used in their lives as well as an understanding of agriculture (people using schythes and bows and arrows) the movement of the piece guides your eyes from the bottom right with the figures to the upper left with the flying geese (again diagonal lines) depth represented by defining the surface of the water with trees and vegetation coming out of the water and receeding shoreline.

Context: han artists had an organized and intuitive feeling for space

Subject: hunters and gatherers from this region

Colossal Buddha,
Cave 20, Yungang Caves,
Datong, Shanxi,
Sandstone,
ca. 460-465 AD,
Northern Wei Dynasty

Function: place for circumambulation and pilgrimage to pay respect for buddha

Style: shows drapery adopted from string pattern and the face shows traces of gandhara style in its realism and somewhat downcast eyes (shows a mixing of styles) ; reveals buddhist iconography through the use of the elongated ears (which appear to be somewhat exaggerated in this representation), the yogi pose, and the knot of the head of the buddha; the buddha is the highest relief figure, drawing attention to his importance in comparison to the other figures. Additionally, he is the largest figure, adding to the hierarchy of the piece. He maintains influence from indian cultures through the three wrinkles on his neck. additionally, he has a serene face (soft smile; contemplative eyes) adding to his meditative look; his face is also highly rounded. In the background of the cave there’s low relief carvings including a halo being shown around the buddha; attendant on the side; flame imagery in the low relief halo as well as figures in meditative poses may be seen; attendant appears to be displaying the giving mudra;

Context: represents parts of gupta style as buddhism spread into china; tradition of carving into living rock was likely adopted from India; shows buddhism becoming more widespread

Subject: buddha

Seated Buddha (with Attendants),
Limestone,
Middle Cave of Binyang, Longmen Caves,
Luoyang, Henan,
ca. 523 AD, Northern Wei Dynasty

Function: place for pilgrimage and contemplation

Style: central buddha seated on a lion throne (ties back to buddhist royal lineage and being a lion among men); holding a giving mudra with his hand; assisted by two bodhisattvas and two disciples in the background; buddha is highest relief—> most important; ribbles of his robe cascade over the throne adding to a flowing look; flattened elongated bodies were typical for depictions; bodsattvas wearing jewelry, crowns, scarves etc, wheres buddha just wears a simple robe; all have smiling gentle faces; rectangular and elongated faces; halos behind each figure (low relief); halo behind the buddha merge with lotus carvings (compassion in buddhism); celestrial deities on the ceiling; buddha is also the largest figure adding to the hierarchy; buddha has hair in a simple knot and has elongated ears.

Context: commissioned by emperor xuan wu in memory of his father (other two caves went uncompleted) buddhism becoming increasingly popular in china

Subject: buddha and bodhisattvas

Preaching Buddha, Wall Painting,
Cave 249, Mogao Caves,
Dunhuang, Gansu,
5th Century,
Western Wei Dynasty

Function: pay respect to the buddha

Style: shows influence of central asia with its archaic look to the point of looking almost like a caricature, however there’s more movement in the piece than un an archaic style; the painting utilizes bright colors to draw the eye to the central buddha with figures flying around the piece; it utilizes hierarchy to draw attention to the standing buddha; also very atypical for the buddha to be standing. Identified as the buddha through the exaggerated elongated ears and the simple knot on the top of the head; despite being more of an archaic style, it still maintains a flowing manner through the curving lines surrounding buddha which also adds movement to the piece; an atypical halo surrounds the buddha’s entire body (not in the typical circle); flowing robes add to the movement in the piece; bodies have thin waist and somewhat broad chests; downcast eyes; blocks of color no shading/depth; major bodhisattvas accompany the buddha (compassion and wisdom representation); symmetrical view; also donors on either side; bodhisattvas with twisted body and narrow waist shows central asian influence

Context: buddhism becoming increasingly popular in china and shows influence from india and central asia

Subject: buddha

Attributed to Gu Kaizhi.  Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies.  

Handscroll, ink and colors on silk. Six Dynasties Period

Function: depicts poetic text aimed at correcting the bahvior of an empress

Style: narrative piece read from right to left; has a fine linear style typical of 4th century figure painting; depicts court ladies in flowing robes (adding movement to the piece) interaction with each other; the bright red contrasts the empty background and draws attention to their proper behavior; three main subjects are further focused on through blocking in their dark hard, drawing attention to the subjects and their behavior. fine outlines show each of the silohoettes and the garments on them; they have elongated bodies adding to their elegance along with the flowing robes and utilizes reverse perspective; additionally, it has subtle shaidng between the creases of the robes and creates a somewhat 3D effect. depicts two ladies interaction and one doing calligraphy, each acting as a model for the court ladies reading this piece.

Context: atacks the excessive beahvior of an empress with a total of nine scense eing depicted on the scroll; horizontal arrangment

Subject: court ladies

Attrib. Yan Liben (d. 673), the Scroll of The Thirteen Emperors,Undated,
Tang Dynasty, Handscroll, Ink and Color on Silk

Function: painted as a model for the next emperor; depicts thirteen emperors from han to sui dynasty

Style: represents confucian ideas and shows two groups: confucian believers. Reflects the tang dynasty style and utilizes fine lines for the outline; negative space draws attention to the emperors and their attendants; minimal colors are used; women are the attendants (sexist ideas as it was believ women shouldnt take social responsinility and have no social status); the writing identifies each emperor and was painted to be a role model for the next emperor; fine lines aka iron wire lines; depth created through overlapping figures and size variation in the figures; emperors on pedestals—> above others, however, the emperor on the right is the largest figure, adding to the hierarchy and drawing attention to his importance and therefore pointing to his philosophy as being the correct philosophy; rounded faces and flowing drapery add to the piece; the headdress each emperor wears idenitifes their philosophy; layered robes add to the movement in the piece and shows the luxury of the emperors. idealized images of the emperors and their attendants.

Context: yan liben’s most famous scroll; represents confucian philosphy and encourages people to follow orders of society

Subject: emperors and their attendants

Attrib. Zhou Fang (active late 8th century), Ladies with Flowers in Their Hair (section 2),
Undated, Tang Dynasty, Handscroll, Ink and Color on Silk

Function: shows insights into life of an aristocratic women and provides insights into ideal feminine beauty and social customs

Style: shows two ladies playing with a dog, a third lady rendered in hierarchal scale (larger because of higher social sratus) followed by a maidserbant golding a long handled fan; this lady lookimg at a red flower she holds and prepares to adorn her hair wwith it; a crane passes in front of the lady; another lady shown with hands clasps adding depth and variation to the composition as she’s smaller in proportion to other ladies; last lady catches a butterfly (shows playful manner and relaxed composition); relatively barren area to draw attention to the subjects; shows ideal and carefree life of women; each has elongated bodies in their ideal face, with pitch black hair and fair skin; voluptuous body represents the ideal of feminine beauty; round faces with thin eyes and lips; eyebrows evoke a butterfly shape; hairstyle is done up and their hair is decorated in blossoms and gold; loose fitting robes covered by transparent gauzes and scarves are typical clothes; them wearing flowers shows the function of women in the springtime festival as ladies wore flowers in their hair symbolizing beauty and youth; also associated with love and happiness; inner emotions shown through subtle facial expressions

Context: very atypical for women to be the subjects of paintings due to mysogyny, however beautiful women painting because popular during the tang dynasty

Subject: portrays five palace ladies and a maidservant in a garden scene

Buddha Vairocana with Attendants,   Limestone, Fengxian Temple (Cave 19),  Longmen Caves, Luoyang, Henan,   Completed ca. 675 AD, Tang Dynasty

Function: for pilgrimage circumambulation and prayer to buddha

Style: hierarchy as the buddha is the largest and deepest relief figure compared to those surrounding him; in a yogi pose with downcast eyes and serence face; thinner lips with a slight smile; elpngated ears and simple bun for the hair; rounded face with robes cascading over his body; lower relief in rthe background represents his halo; soft and round modeling and serence face; buddha is also central and the first figure notices before looking at the other figures flanking him. carved from the cave; also buddha is on a throne compared to the figuyres aurrounding him; naturalistic; three wrinkles on the neck taking influence from indian buddhist depuctions; slight smile and shoulders are wider with. afuller body appearance; wooden structures used to be part of the cave but were rotted out over time. robes add to the flowing of the buddha and drapes over his throne; evokes a tranquil atmosphere.

Context: mirrored political situations

Subject:central buddha flanked by bodhisattvas, a heavenly king, and a thunderbolt holder. this buddha is the buddha that generates and presides over all the buddhas of the infinite universes that form the buddhist cosmology (the idea of supreme power was very typical in tang dynasty)

Attrib. Gu Hongzhong (active ca. 10th century), The Night Revels of Han Xizai (detail),
Undated, Five Dynasties Period Handscroll, Ink and Color on Silk

Function: depicts a narrative scene of Han’s parties

Style: narrative piece set in the interior of a mansion with a late night party taking place; han appears five times throughout the scroll along with several court ministers, monks, and entertainers and scholars. Han is displayed in confucian robes. shows heirarchy as he is large in scale compared to other guess and is wearing a tall hat, making his appear above others; indicates his importance as a host; acts as an eyewitness account to attest the rumors of han adn his wild parties; preserves the the scale f tang figure style while providing a more realistic and complex interior setting; places figures in a more realistic environment characteristic of the tenth and eleventh centuries; ppl looking towards the girl playing strument all very engaged in her art; women have very fair skin in comparison to the men who have more naturalized skin color; also contrast in clothing colors of women vs men w women wearing very light colors while the men where dark colors; all their expressions are concentrated on the music and pulled into her song—> bodies also twist towards her showing understanding of human movement (also adds movement into the piece); red on both sides of the piece help balance each other and add some light in the very dark atmosphere. negative space helps balance the piece and focus on the main subjects

Context: mounted handscroll (unfurled between the viewers hands); viewed right to left; shows major neoconfucian ideals being developed in the song dynasty; commissioned by the emperor to document charges of licenious behavior against a high official aty court;

Subject:

Attributed to Li Cheng.  
A Solitary Temple amid Clearing Peaks.
10th c.
Hanging scroll, ink and light color on silk.

Function: depict the beauty of nature

Style: lots of human activity near the base of the hand scroll painting; temple is central to the painting, however, is somehwat lost in the trees and mountains, showing the significace of nature compared to the insignificance of humans; the mountaisn monumental size directly behind the temple further exaggerates this theme; brushworks adds to the movement of nature in the ttress and on the mountains; also adds a misty effect very typical in paintings such as these; the space is broken up into three registers: the foreground focusing on the rivers and creating some open space, the middle with the bunching trees (very dark against the background) and the background’s mountain, blending in with the atmosphere through the droplets. The ink used has variation in color and thickness adding to the naturalism of the piece; ir also creates some of the texture in the trees and mountains; the flowibng water helps guide the eye around the painting and creates a tranquil atmosphere around the piece; focuses on the melding of humans into nature through the balacing of nature and human structures

Context: one of the remaining hanging scrolls attributed to li cheng, an educated aristocrat from the same clan as the tang imperial family

Subject: nature

Fan Kuan.  
Travelling amid Mountains and Gorges.  
Hanging scroll,
ink and light color on silk.  
Northern Song Dynasty.  
Late 10th, early 11th c.

Function: depict the beauty and vastness of nature

Style: rocks in the foreground create a barrier to the viewers eyes; complex forests on the cliff with temples nestled among the trees; varying brush work creates different effects for the trees; rocks are typical for this artist: more crystalline; a single cascade of wall falls over the right of picture and is balanced by the cleft on the left mountain; impression of size creates a grandness effect of nature (small men against the greatness of nature); also creates a sense of vastness in nature; uses shading of light and dark to create depth; uses less ink to create almost a mist affect over the entire piece again adding to the atmosphere of the piece; the mountains in the background are shrouded in mist, whereas the trees and rivers in the foreground are more clearly defined, adding to the depth of the piece; line weight adds to the texture of the rocks in the foreground and background; middle ground is higher and only the roof of the buildings are shown; mist helps divide the piece and offer balance; raindrop stroke makes mist; mist and rivers break up the piece so it doesn’t become overly complex; helps our eyes better understand the composition; silhouettes of trees shown without too much detailing however the thick bramble is broken up with tona variation of the bark (some light branches help our eyes better understand what’s being shown) since only ink is being used the tonal variation provides a more 3d affect and adds to the piece

Context: in a palace collection; hand scroll format (vertical) large scale

Subject: mountains and rivers

Emperor Huizong (1082-1135)

Five-colored parakeet on a blossoming apricot tree

Northern Song dynasty, datable to 1110s

Ink and color on silk

Function: calligraphy accompanying a painting

Style: shows subtle transitions between the feathers of the bird adding details and depth to the figure; flower blossoms also show subtle shading and color today. Bright colors of the bird contrast the light flower blossoms, drawing your eye to the main subject of the piece as the background remains blank. Additionally, the gentle look of the bird’s wings further contrasts the roughness of the bark. the emperor also wrote in long spidery strokes as seen in his brushwork; set against silk to draw the viewer’s attention to the main subject and the details within the work as well as the complexity and reality; naturalistic look shows understanding of flora and animals. negative space very typical; fine brush work for the birds detailing and flower; calligraphy style is very unique (each stroke is very thin and firm lines for writing)

Context: slender gold —> calligraphic style; literal mode

content: depicts parakeet on a apricot tree in in the emperor’s garden

Ma Yuan (late 12th-early 13th century),  Viewing Plum Blossoms by Moonlight, Undated, Southern Song Dynasty, Fan Mounted as an Album Leaf, Ink and Slight Color on Silk

Function: poem and artwork accompanying the calligraphy

Style: browns and blacks of the trees and rocks contrast the light grayish hues of the cliff and mountains creating a misty type atmosphere; robed gentlemen are framed by the dark angular forms of the landscape (high contrast between the darkness of the setting and their stark white robes); may depict man’s dual nature: tied to physical world, whereas his spiriti reaches upward to partake in the infinite like the plum reaching into the sky, whereas the people are held to this earth. archaic lines form the branches and mountain scape; plum points your eye towards the moon; uses overlapping figures and fading details/colors to create a sense of depth. two different grounds shown (fore and background with more mephasis on the foreground) with one corner composition (major elements held to one corner of the composition); very angular lines shown to make the lines, but still is quick naturalistic; axe cut texture strokes (creates texture in the piece) and nail head rat tail strokes (for the human beings—> playing with line weight (thincker at top thinner at bottom of stroke)) used to create the piece; extremely small signature shown on the bottom left corner (not visible and hidden) ink wash for the background mountains

Context: combines poetry and calligraphy painting; thatch roof of pavilion places this as a garden setting

Subject: plum tree

Xia Gui, Pure and Remote View Over Rivers and Mountains (detail),
Undated, Southern Song Dynasty, Handscroll, Ink on Paper

Function: depicts a scene of mountains and rocks

Style: sharp crystalline brushwork in representing mountains and rocks with silhouette treatment; in hand scroll style; utilizes negative space to again draw attention to the rocks in the foreground; mountains gently fade into the background with subtle shaind shown. The differences in brush strokes (quick and sweepy verys thicker and rigid) adds to some of the perspective of the piece and differentiates the shapes seen in the piece (the long flate plains for the rocks and the small bits of vegetation around the piece). subtle shading also adds a foggy atmosphere and blends the elements together. shows a range of ink coloring with pale gray washes for the shading; the strong tonal contrasts helps differentiate elements from their sunlit highlights to deep shading (also adds texture to the piece), broad broke strokes show rough surfaces (ax cut strokes); shows juxtaposition between near and far and solid and void; dimmer background creates atmospheric perspectives creating a spacious mist hung space

Context: used a split brush (divided brush to make multiple strokes at once) adding to the realism of the piece

Subject: shows a tranquil scene with mysterious undertones as shown through the clouding around the piece

Liang Kai, The 6th Chan Patriarch Chopping Bamboo,
Undated, Southern Song Dynasty,
Hanging Scroll, Ink on Paper

Function: illustrates zen parable regarding the sixth patriarch of Zen who found enlightenment when he was about to split bamboo branch for firewood.

Style: utilizes inks to create fine lines and flowing, calligraphy nature of the piece; utilitzes empty space to draw attention to the crouching figure; no shading can be seen, however line weight and pigment adds to the depth of the piece. in the form of a hanging scroll. manipulates the brush strokes to indicate the upper and lower parts of the body (open space leaves the viewer to fill in the rest of the scene). shows understanding of human anatomy and adds movement into the piece with the flowing caligraphy ink; ark lines outlining the figure draws attention to the sixth patriach, whereas the lighter ink outlining the bamboo helps blend into the background. (uses linear and tonal variation); depicts the subject with an unambigious sense of corporeal volume; shows that you can get enlightenment at any time;

Context: again shows the moment the sixth patriarch found enlightenment; chan buddhist idea—> don’t have to go through many life times to get enlightenment

Subject: sixth patriarch

Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains, 1296, Yuan Dynasty,Handscroll, Ink and Color on Paper, 28.6 x 93.3 cm, National Palace Museum, Taipei

Function: gift to a friend and depiction of mountains and everyday life; shows modest living of these people

Style: used different stroke to depict different mountains; also added to the line weight within the piece with some being very thin and others being thicker; the scattered yellow and orange evokes autumn. you can see villages with huts, willows, pines, goats, fishermen creating a tranquil scene. adopted classicism/antique style in his piece to emphasize history, culture, and artistic heritage. uses short rough strokes to evoke the ripple in the water and long wispy strokes to show the willows; extremely naturalistic and you can almost see the vegetation swaying in the wind;

Context: artist is descendant of song imperial family painted for his close friend as indicted by the writing on the side. it was painted from memory; since it was painted from memory, the geography of the mountains were misplaced (possibly placing the viewer in a different perspective, but overall it was just meant to create an impression of the space)

Subject: mount hua being depicted