Isabella Flores
Chinese painting is one of the world's oldest continuous artistic traditions, with thousands of years of history. The oldest surviving examples of Chinese landscape art are from the Sui dynasty (581–618 CE), with one of the earliest known depictions of a landscape found in a Western Han dynasty tomb near Zhengzhou, dated 60 BCE. The most famous of all Chinese landscape paintings is the 8th-century CE painted silk panorama 'The Emperor Ming Huang Travelling in Shu'. Three paintings by Gu Kaizhi, a celebrated painter of ancient China, also survive today: 'Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies', 'Nymph of the Luo River', and 'Wise and Benevolent Women'. Another early example of a Chinese painting is 'The Night Revels of Han Xizai', painted in the 10th century and later reproduced in the 12th.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Oldest surviving examples of Chinese painting | Three paintings by Gu Kaizhi, a celebrated painter of ancient China, who wrote three books about painting theory: On Painting (畫論), Introduction of Famous Paintings of Wei and Jin Dynasties (魏晉名畫記) and Painting Yuntai Mountain (畫雲臺山記). |
| Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies, Nymph of the Luo River (洛神賦), and Wise and Benevolent Women. | |
| A pair of hollow-tile door panels from a Western Han dynasty tomb near Zhengzhou, dated 60 BCE. | |
| The oldest known landscape art scene tradition in the classical sense of painting is a work by Zhan Ziqian of the Sui dynasty (581–618). | |
| The first communities that can be identified culturally as Chinese were settled chiefly in the basin of the Huang He (Yellow River). | |
| The oldest known depiction of a dragon, a jade figurine produced by the Hongshan culture in China between 4500 BCE and 3000 BCE. | |
| The earliest known examples of woven silk from Qianshanyang, China, which date back to c. 2700 BCE. | |
| The earliest known paintings on silk were discovered in a site in Changsha, Hunan province. | |
| The earliest known paintings were mainly of the human figure, preserved on silk banners, lacquered objects, and tomb walls. | |
| Yan Liben's Thirteen Emperors, originally painted in the 7th century AD. | |
| The Night Revels of Han Xizai, first painted in the 10th century in Southern Tang, later reproduced in the 12th century. | |
| The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, a famous Buddhist Chinese pagoda built in 652 AD. | |
| A tri-color glazed porcelain horse from the Tang dynasty (c. 700 AD). | |
| Views of Xiaoxiang by Dong Yuan (932–962). | |
| The Emperor Ming Huang Travelling in Shu, an 8th-century CE painted silk panorama. | |
| Large-scale figure sculptures cut from the rock face at the Longmen Caves, Fengxian temple near Luoyang. | |
| The Full scroll of The Night Revels of Han Xizai, first painted in the 10th century in Southern Tang, later reproduced in the 12th century. |
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What You'll Learn
The Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE)
One of the oldest surviving examples of Chinese painting from the Han dynasty is the mural paintings found in tombs and burial sites. These paintings offer a fascinating glimpse into the beliefs, customs, and artistic expressions of ancient China. The murals often depict scenes of
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Tomb paintings
During the Six Dynasties period (220–589), people began to appreciate painting for its aesthetic qualities and to write about art. From this time, we learn about individual artists, such as Gu Kaizhi, who wrote three books about painting theory: 'On Painting' (畫論), 'Introduction of Famous Paintings of Wei and Jin Dynasties' (魏晉名畫記), and 'Painting Yuntai Mountain' (畫雲臺山記). Three of Gu's paintings survive today: 'Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies', 'Nymph of the Luo River' (洛神賦), and 'Wise and Benevolent Women'.
Excavations of Chu tombs have revealed painted wooden sculptures, jade disks, glass beads, musical instruments, and lacquerware. Many of the lacquer objects are finely painted, in red on black or black on red. A site in Changsha, Hunan province, has revealed some of the oldest paintings on silk discovered to date.
The Han dynasty is known for its jade burial suits, and one of the earliest known depictions of a landscape in Chinese art comes from this period. A pair of hollow-tile door panels from a Western Han dynasty tomb near Zhengzhou, dated 60 BCE, convey a scene of continuous depth recession through zigzag lines representing roads and garden walls, giving the impression of looking down from the top of a hill.
Glazed or painted earthenware Tang dynasty tomb figures are also famous and well-represented in museums worldwide. Most wooden Tang sculptures have not survived, but representations of the Tang international style can be seen in Nara, Japan.
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Landscape painting
Chinese landscape painting is one of the world's oldest continuous art forms, with a history spanning almost 2,000 years. The earliest landscape paintings date back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.), and often depicted people and narratives within natural settings. These early works were referred to as "brush art", characterised by quick and careful strokes, with an emphasis on the expression conveyed by these strokes.
The development of landscape painting in China was influenced by the spread of Buddhism from the 1st century C.E. The life of the Buddha became a central theme, and landscape paintings reflected Buddhist ideals and beliefs, such as contemplation and reflection. During the Eastern Zhou period (770–256 B.C.), artists began to represent the world around them more realistically.
By the Tang Dynasty (618-907 C.E.), landscape painting evolved into a more distinctive art form, known as "shan shui" or "mountain water". These paintings often featured monochromatic and sparse scenes, aiming to capture the rhythm and essence of nature rather than reproduce it exactly. They embodied the longing of cultivated men to escape their daily lives and commune with nature. The work of Tang artists, such as Wang Wei, often reflected this retreat into nature.
The Song Dynasty (960-1279 C.E.) saw the further development of landscape painting, with artists conveying immeasurable distances through blurred outlines, mountain contours disappearing into mist, and impressionistic treatments of natural phenomena. The northern tradition of towering mountains and strong black lines, exemplified by artists like Jing Hao, transitioned into the monumental style of Li Tang in the Southern Song. The work of Li Tang influenced the romanticism of Southern Song painters such as Ma Yuan and Xia Gui, whose work became emblematic of Chinese landscape painting in the Western imagination.
During the Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 C.E.), landscape painting evolved into a symbolic shorthand, reflecting the cultural ideals of a reclusive elite. The focus shifted from depicting the visible world to expressing the inner landscape of the artist's heart and mind. Landscape painting was traditionally associated with the elite, but from the 17th century, landscapes began to appear on ceramics, making this art form accessible to ordinary people.
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The Song dynasty (960–1279)
The Northern Song period, in particular, witnessed a flourishing of landscape painting. Artists like Li Cheng, a scholar who depicted the northeastern Chinese terrain with a "cloud-like" texture, and Fan Kuan, who began by following Li Cheng's style but eventually forged his own path, are considered pioneers of this genre. Unfortunately, none of Li Cheng's original work survives, but his influence can be seen in the works of countless other artists.
During the Southern Song period, historical figure painting regained prominence at court. Artists such as Li Tang and Ma Hezhi created works illustrating ancient classics and traditional virtues, often including lengthy inscriptions that were purportedly written by the emperors themselves. These paintings served a political purpose, legitimizing the rule of Gaozong and Xiaozong, who sought to assert their power despite their technically unlawful assumption of it.
The late 12th and early 13th centuries saw a return to the primacy of landscape painting, with masters like Ma Yuan, Xia Gui, and Liu Songnian putting their distinct spin on the tradition. These artists infused their works with a romantic and dreamlike quality, marking a shift in the style of landscape painting.
The Song dynasty also saw the emergence of a group of intellectuals who took a unique approach to painting. This group, which included poet-statesman-artist Su Shi, landscape painter Mi Fu, and figure and horse painter Li Gonglin, aimed to express themselves and satisfy their hearts rather than depict nature realistically. They "borrowed" the shapes and forms of nature as a vehicle to lodge their thoughts and feelings.
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Calligraphy and painting
Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. The art of calligraphy, which is closely associated with painting, was also highly regarded in ancient China.
The oldest surviving examples of Chinese painting were discovered in the form of paintings on silk banners, lacquered objects, and tomb walls in burial sites from the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) to the Tang dynasty (618–906). Many early tomb paintings were meant to protect the dead or help their souls reach paradise, illustrate the teachings of Confucius, or depict scenes of daily life. One of the earliest known landscape art scenes, dated 60 BCE, was discovered in a Western Han dynasty tomb near Zhengzhou. It depicts a zigzag of lines representing roads and garden walls, giving the impression of looking down from the top of a hill.
During the Six Dynasties period (220–589), people began to appreciate painting for its aesthetic value and to write about art. One of the earliest known painters was Gu Kaizhi, who wrote three books on painting theory: *On Painting*, *Introduction of Famous Paintings of Wei and Jin Dynasties*, and *Painting Yuntai Mountain*. Three of his paintings survive today: *Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies*, *Nymph of the Luo River*, and *Wise and Benevolent Women*. Another famous painting from this period is the *Full Scroll of The Night Revels of Han Xizai*, first painted in the 10th century during the Southern Tang dynasty and later reproduced in the 12th century.
The Song dynasty (960–1279) marked a further development of landscape painting, with artists such as Jing Hao, Li Cheng, Fan Kuan, and Guo Xi painting towering mountains using strong black lines, ink wash, and sharp, dotted brushstrokes to suggest rough stone. During the Southern Song period (1127–1279), historical figure painting regained its dominance at court, before the primacy of landscape painting was reasserted, with artists such as Ma Yuan and Xia Gui using strong brushstrokes and pale washes to suggest misty space.
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Frequently asked questions
The oldest surviving examples of Chinese painting were discovered in excavated tombs, with paintings preserved on silk banners, lacquered objects, and tomb walls. The earliest known examples of woven silk, which was used for painting, are from Qianshanyang, China, and date back to c. 2700 BCE. One of the earliest known depictions of a landscape in Chinese art is from a pair of hollow-tile door panels from a Western Han dynasty tomb near Zhengzhou, dated 60 BCE.
Many early tomb paintings illustrated the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius or showed scenes of daily life. One of the most famous Chinese landscape paintings is the 8th-century CE painted silk panorama 'The Emperor Ming Huang Travelling in Shu'. While the original is lost, a later copy can be seen at the Palace Museum of Taipei.
Three paintings by Gu Kaizhi, a celebrated painter of ancient China, still survive today: 'Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies', 'Nymph of the Luo River', and 'Wise and Benevolent Women'. Yan Liben, a celebrated Chinese court painter from the 7th century CE, is known for his work 'Thirteen Emperors'.
