Contents 007
Preface
010
048
068
122
176
226
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
From Origins to the WeiJin Aesthetics
Realm of Buddha, Realm of Men
Enduring Colours of the Sui and Tang Dynasties
The Exquisiteness of Court Paintings and the Rise of Literati Art
Schools Flourishing, Masters Rising
Reform and Diversity
004
005
Contents 007
Preface
010
048
068
122
176
226
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
From Origins to the WeiJin Aesthetics
Realm of Buddha, Realm of Men
Enduring Colours of the Sui and Tang Dynasties
The Exquisiteness of Court Paintings and the Rise of Literati Art
Schools Flourishing, Masters Rising
Reform and Diversity
004
005
1
Figures Travelling on Carriages and Horses Warring States period (475–211 BCE) Lacquer Painting Hubei Museum
This painting was discovered on a lacquered trousseau unearthed from the No.2 Chu Tomb of the Warring States period in Baoshan, Jingmen City, Hubei Province. The box is painted red on the inside and black on the outside. On its outer surface, delicate patterns in dark red, tangerine, ochre, brown, cyan and other colours form a richly layered design. In addition to auspicious cloud motifs and animal patterns, the most striking scene depicts 26 human figures, four running chariots, wild geese, dogs and pigs – together creating a lively composition that, as generally believed, tells the story of welcoming an honoured guest. The figures vary in size and are arranged in layers to suggest perspective and depth: those near the bottom appear closer to the viewer, while those near the top seem farther away. The long and narrow painting encircles the box, seamlessly connecting its beginning and end. As the viewer’s eyes follow the figures and patterns around the surface of the box, the scene seems to come alive, with the human figures and running chariots appearing to move round and round. When the trousseau was unearthed, it contained pepper – used as perfume during the pre-Qin and Qin-Han periods – along with bronze mirrors, bone hairpins and shell ornaments, suggesting its use as a container for cosmetics. (Author: Mo Yang)
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Figures Travelling on Carriages and Horses Warring States period (475–211 BCE) Lacquer Painting Hubei Museum
This painting was discovered on a lacquered trousseau unearthed from the No.2 Chu Tomb of the Warring States period in Baoshan, Jingmen City, Hubei Province. The box is painted red on the inside and black on the outside. On its outer surface, delicate patterns in dark red, tangerine, ochre, brown, cyan and other colours form a richly layered design. In addition to auspicious cloud motifs and animal patterns, the most striking scene depicts 26 human figures, four running chariots, wild geese, dogs and pigs – together creating a lively composition that, as generally believed, tells the story of welcoming an honoured guest. The figures vary in size and are arranged in layers to suggest perspective and depth: those near the bottom appear closer to the viewer, while those near the top seem farther away. The long and narrow painting encircles the box, seamlessly connecting its beginning and end. As the viewer’s eyes follow the figures and patterns around the surface of the box, the scene seems to come alive, with the human figures and running chariots appearing to move round and round. When the trousseau was unearthed, it contained pepper – used as perfume during the pre-Qin and Qin-Han periods – along with bronze mirrors, bone hairpins and shell ornaments, suggesting its use as a container for cosmetics. (Author: Mo Yang)
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Preparing Carriages for the Outing Northern Qi period (550–577 CE) Tomb Mural Preserved in situ
Xu Xianxiu’s tomb is another Northern Qi burial with extensive murals. The tomb’s male occupant was a distinguished general of the Northern Qi dynasty and held the title King of Wu’an. His tomb preserves over 326 square metres of murals. Along the tomb’s passageway, soldiers, musicians and standard-bearers form an imposing ceremonial procession. Inside the main chamber, the murals remain exceptionally intact. The ceiling features a celestial chart. On the north wall, Xu Xianxiu and his wife sit beneath a canopy, enjoying a banquet. On the west wall, adjacent to the portrait of the male occupant, is a depiction of saddled horses. Opposite, on the east wall near the portrait of the female occupant, stands a prepared carriage, reflecting the customary modes of travel for the noble couple. Together, these scenes depict the preparation for an outdoor banquet, complete with attendants arranging various supplies along the chamber walls. Nearly 200 figures populate the murals, their height ranging from 142 to 177 centimetres – almost life-size. The realism is striking. Moreover, small details in the murals offer us a glimpse into cultural exchanges during the Northern dynasties. In the carriage-preparing scene, a female attendant holding a food box wears a narrowsleeved, Central Asian-style garment adorned with pearl-roundel brocade, a motif characteristic of Sasanian Persia, testifying to cross-cultural influences on daily life. (Author: Mo Yang)
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14
Preparing Carriages for the Outing Northern Qi period (550–577 CE) Tomb Mural Preserved in situ
Xu Xianxiu’s tomb is another Northern Qi burial with extensive murals. The tomb’s male occupant was a distinguished general of the Northern Qi dynasty and held the title King of Wu’an. His tomb preserves over 326 square metres of murals. Along the tomb’s passageway, soldiers, musicians and standard-bearers form an imposing ceremonial procession. Inside the main chamber, the murals remain exceptionally intact. The ceiling features a celestial chart. On the north wall, Xu Xianxiu and his wife sit beneath a canopy, enjoying a banquet. On the west wall, adjacent to the portrait of the male occupant, is a depiction of saddled horses. Opposite, on the east wall near the portrait of the female occupant, stands a prepared carriage, reflecting the customary modes of travel for the noble couple. Together, these scenes depict the preparation for an outdoor banquet, complete with attendants arranging various supplies along the chamber walls. Nearly 200 figures populate the murals, their height ranging from 142 to 177 centimetres – almost life-size. The realism is striking. Moreover, small details in the murals offer us a glimpse into cultural exchanges during the Northern dynasties. In the carriage-preparing scene, a female attendant holding a food box wears a narrowsleeved, Central Asian-style garment adorned with pearl-roundel brocade, a motif characteristic of Sasanian Persia, testifying to cross-cultural influences on daily life. (Author: Mo Yang)
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34
A Lady Playing Chess (weiqi) Tang dynasty (618–907 CE) H. 24.8 in (63 cm); W. 24.8 in (63 cm) Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum
This work is a surviving fragment of a painted screen. Screens were common furnishings in the Tang dynasty, with painting on silk-covered panels serving both decorative and practical purposes. This piece was unearthed in 1972 from Tomb No.187 at Astana, Turpan. The tomb belonged to a relative of Zhang, an official who served in the Anxi Protectorate during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. When excavated, the screen painting was already fragmented. After restoration, it revealed a nearly complete composition featuring 11 figures of women and children. At the centre sits a noble lady playing chess, surrounded by attendants, companions watching the game and children at play – a vivid portrayal of aristocratic women’s daily life rendered in meticulous brushwork and rich colours. The lady in the centre wears a high chignon, with bold eyebrows, red lips and a heart-shaped forehead ornament. She is dressed in a crimson blouse and a green skirt adorned with floral and bird motifs, covered by a translucent shawl. Jade bracelets on her wrists accentuate her fair skin. Both her attire and make-up reflect Tang fashion. Though unearthed far away in Xinjiang, this fragment of screen shows the same stylistic trends as those of Chang’an, demonstrating that fashion and cultural influences spread widely across the empire. (Author: Xu Yanyan)
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A Lady Playing Chess (weiqi) Tang dynasty (618–907 CE) H. 24.8 in (63 cm); W. 24.8 in (63 cm) Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum
This work is a surviving fragment of a painted screen. Screens were common furnishings in the Tang dynasty, with painting on silk-covered panels serving both decorative and practical purposes. This piece was unearthed in 1972 from Tomb No.187 at Astana, Turpan. The tomb belonged to a relative of Zhang, an official who served in the Anxi Protectorate during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. When excavated, the screen painting was already fragmented. After restoration, it revealed a nearly complete composition featuring 11 figures of women and children. At the centre sits a noble lady playing chess, surrounded by attendants, companions watching the game and children at play – a vivid portrayal of aristocratic women’s daily life rendered in meticulous brushwork and rich colours. The lady in the centre wears a high chignon, with bold eyebrows, red lips and a heart-shaped forehead ornament. She is dressed in a crimson blouse and a green skirt adorned with floral and bird motifs, covered by a translucent shawl. Jade bracelets on her wrists accentuate her fair skin. Both her attire and make-up reflect Tang fashion. Though unearthed far away in Xinjiang, this fragment of screen shows the same stylistic trends as those of Chang’an, demonstrating that fashion and cultural influences spread widely across the empire. (Author: Xu Yanyan)
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Fishing Village on a Clear Autumn Day Ni Zan (Yuan dynasty 1271–1368 CE) Ink on paper H. 37.8 in (96 cm); W. 18.5 in (47 cm) Shanghai Museum
This work was created by Ni Zan, one of the ‘Four Masters of the Yuan’ and the most distinctive in personality amongst the four. It was said that he was a reclusive and eccentric person, with an obsession for cleanliness. His family were all large landowners who had amassed considerable wealth over several generations, but Ni Zan had no interest in managing the family business. Instead, he spent his days in the company of Buddhist monks and Daoist priests, or visiting friends for discussions on painting. During the social upheaval at the end of the Yuan dynasty, he sold all his belongings, dismissed all his servants and travelled around the country. No one knows where he died. Ni Zan’s painting was an expression of his strong subjective feelings. He was opposed to classical craftsmanship and verisimilitude, instead advocating unrestrained brushwork and painting ‘only to amuse oneself ’. His paintings always impress viewers with a sense of desolation and expansiveness – simple and tranquil, akin to his inner pursuit of ultimate purity. This work possibly depicts a corner of Lake Tai (a lake in the Yangtze Delta). The foreground shows a sloping bank with several withered trees. In the middle ground stands a body of water without a ripple. The background shows low, gently undulating hills. This ‘one river, two banks’ composition appears in nearly all of Ni Zan’s works, becoming his unique hallmark, together with that sense of detached desolation. (Author: Chen Jingsha)
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Fishing Village on a Clear Autumn Day Ni Zan (Yuan dynasty 1271–1368 CE) Ink on paper H. 37.8 in (96 cm); W. 18.5 in (47 cm) Shanghai Museum
This work was created by Ni Zan, one of the ‘Four Masters of the Yuan’ and the most distinctive in personality amongst the four. It was said that he was a reclusive and eccentric person, with an obsession for cleanliness. His family were all large landowners who had amassed considerable wealth over several generations, but Ni Zan had no interest in managing the family business. Instead, he spent his days in the company of Buddhist monks and Daoist priests, or visiting friends for discussions on painting. During the social upheaval at the end of the Yuan dynasty, he sold all his belongings, dismissed all his servants and travelled around the country. No one knows where he died. Ni Zan’s painting was an expression of his strong subjective feelings. He was opposed to classical craftsmanship and verisimilitude, instead advocating unrestrained brushwork and painting ‘only to amuse oneself ’. His paintings always impress viewers with a sense of desolation and expansiveness – simple and tranquil, akin to his inner pursuit of ultimate purity. This work possibly depicts a corner of Lake Tai (a lake in the Yangtze Delta). The foreground shows a sloping bank with several withered trees. In the middle ground stands a body of water without a ripple. The background shows low, gently undulating hills. This ‘one river, two banks’ composition appears in nearly all of Ni Zan’s works, becoming his unique hallmark, together with that sense of detached desolation. (Author: Chen Jingsha)
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91
Landscape of Lin’an Huang Binhong 1950 Ink on paper H. 40.8 in (103.6 cm); W. 13.6 in (34.5 cm) Xiling Seal Art Society Huang Binhong’s landscape painting is often described in terms of two stylistic modes: the so-called ‘White Binhong’ and ‘Black Binhong’. The former is characterised by clarity, brightness and elegance, while the latter is dense, weighty and powerful. The transition from ‘white’ to ‘black’ is closely related to Huang Binhong’s evolving concept of ink. In his early years, Huang studied landscape painting primarily by copying Ming- and Qing-dynasty works. Paintings from this period favour light, refined ink tones, with an emphasis on pale washes. Huang later regarded this approach – “only able to use light ink instead of thick ink” – as a key reason why Qing paintings fell into the pursuit of delicacy and superficiality. Determined to remedy this weakness, he devoted himself to the study of Song and Yuan masterpieces, from which he traced a lineage of thick ink painting to counter the frailty of the painting world accumulated since the Qing period. This work depicts the mountainous scenery of Lin’an (now under the jurisdiction of Hangzhou) and is a representative example of Huang Binhong’s ‘Black’ style. The composition is dense and full, dominated by clusters of thick ink. The painter employed the technique of jimo (layered ink) to build up depth and density. Unlike traditional jimo methods that rely primarily on washes, Huang placed great emphasis on brushwork, repeatedly applying dots, strokes, texture strokes and rubbings to articulate the surfaces of rocks and vegetation. Ink is added, layer upon layer, growing progressively thicker. The tree crowns and mossy dots are rendered in especially heavy ink, with ink laid over ink, while the reserved blank spaces of the mountain paths make the surrounding rocks and foliage appear even darker by contrast. The entire composition is charged with vitality, as black and white intensify one another, creating a powerful visual impact. (Author: Nie Yiting)
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Landscape of Lin’an Huang Binhong 1950 Ink on paper H. 40.8 in (103.6 cm); W. 13.6 in (34.5 cm) Xiling Seal Art Society Huang Binhong’s landscape painting is often described in terms of two stylistic modes: the so-called ‘White Binhong’ and ‘Black Binhong’. The former is characterised by clarity, brightness and elegance, while the latter is dense, weighty and powerful. The transition from ‘white’ to ‘black’ is closely related to Huang Binhong’s evolving concept of ink. In his early years, Huang studied landscape painting primarily by copying Ming- and Qing-dynasty works. Paintings from this period favour light, refined ink tones, with an emphasis on pale washes. Huang later regarded this approach – “only able to use light ink instead of thick ink” – as a key reason why Qing paintings fell into the pursuit of delicacy and superficiality. Determined to remedy this weakness, he devoted himself to the study of Song and Yuan masterpieces, from which he traced a lineage of thick ink painting to counter the frailty of the painting world accumulated since the Qing period. This work depicts the mountainous scenery of Lin’an (now under the jurisdiction of Hangzhou) and is a representative example of Huang Binhong’s ‘Black’ style. The composition is dense and full, dominated by clusters of thick ink. The painter employed the technique of jimo (layered ink) to build up depth and density. Unlike traditional jimo methods that rely primarily on washes, Huang placed great emphasis on brushwork, repeatedly applying dots, strokes, texture strokes and rubbings to articulate the surfaces of rocks and vegetation. Ink is added, layer upon layer, growing progressively thicker. The tree crowns and mossy dots are rendered in especially heavy ink, with ink laid over ink, while the reserved blank spaces of the mountain paths make the surrounding rocks and foliage appear even darker by contrast. The entire composition is charged with vitality, as black and white intensify one another, creating a powerful visual impact. (Author: Nie Yiting)
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