Transcript Recluse Dwelling on Xixia Mountain

The Art of Later China and Korea
1279 to the Present
Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, Huang Gongwang,
China, Yuan Dynasty,1347-1350
The painter has replaced the misty atmosphere of the
Southern Song landscapes with massive forms richly
textured with fibrous brush strokes. The rhythmic play of
brush and ink renders the landscape’s inner structure and
momentum.
Autumn Mountains, Dong Qichang, Ming Dynasty, China,
early 17th century
Dong Qichang (1555-1636) works were true to his ideal of
transforming old styles, rather than imitating them. In Dong’s
landscapes, he attempted to reveal the inner structure and momentum
of nature, often radically reorganizing forms.
Dish with lobed Rim,
China, Qing Dynasty,
ca. 1700
Qing potter continued to
expand on the Yuan and
Ming achievements in
developing fine porcelain
pieces with underglaze
and overglaze decoration.
All of its colors-- black,
green, yellow, and even
blue --come from
applying overglaze
enamels.
Temple vase, China, Yuan Dynasty,
1351. White porcelain with cobalt
blue underglaze
The vase was part of an altar set
donated to a Buddhist temple as a
prayer for peace, protection, and
prosperity for the donor’s family. It
is one of the earliest examples of
fine porcelain with cobalt blue
underglaze decoration. It reveals the
foundations for the potters and
decorators of Jingdezhen, which
during the Ming Dynasty became the
official source of porcelains for
thegovernment and court.
Two Riders Searching for Plum
Blossoms, 16th century, Ming dynasty
(1368 - 1644) Hanging scroll mounted on
panel; ink and color on silk, China
This unsigned work is a typical example of
Zhe School painting, which flourished
during the early to mid-Ming dynasty
(1368–1644) in the area of Hangzhou,
Zhejiang Province, the former imperial
capital of the Southern Song dynasty
(1127–1279). With the Zhe School revival
of Song styles in the early Ming dynasty,
monumental ink-landscape paintings with
heavily contoured and sculpted mountain
forms became more common, while the
expressive possibilities of brushwork and
the evocation of mood generally took
precedence over technical niceties.
Landscape, Shitao,
China, Qing Dynasty,
late 17th century
Shitao’s writings
called for a return to
wellsprings of through
the use of the “single
brush stroke” or
“primordial line” as
the root of all
phenomena and
representation. The
figure inthis album
leaf are surrounded by
colored dots and
sinuous lines.
Fishermen, Dai Jin, China, Ming Dynasty, 15th century,
Detail of handscroll, ink and color on paper
As seen in Fishermen, the Zhe School painters adopted elements of
the academic style developed in the Song Dynasty, especially the
careful rendering of forms, sharp contrasts in ink tonalities, and a
concern for atmosphere.
Recluse Dwelling on Xixia Mountain,
Huang Binhong, 1954
Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper
Some Chinese artists continue to produce
works based on old traditions. They
continue to maintain the calligraphic
tradition with vitality.
Lin Yuan (Lingering Garden), Jiangsu Province, China
Chinese gardens are sanctuaries where people
commune with nature in all its representative forms and
as an ever-changing and boundless prescence.
Wangshi Yuan (Garden of the
Master of the Fishing Nets)
One important aspect of garden
design has been the replication
in miniature of nature’s fullness
in all its variety -- the production
of an environment for the soul to
immerse itself and find tranquility
and peace. Chinese architects
often built verandas over ponds
and pavilions on stilts rising
above the water. Stone bridges,
paths, and causeways encourage
wandering through ever-changing
vistas of trees, rocks, flowers, and
their reflection in the ponds.
Taihe Dian, Imperial
Palace, Forbidden City,
Beijing, China, 17th
century and later
The red walls, pillars and
yellow glazed roof-tiles,
and the dougong and
beams decorated with
dark-green designs of
dragons, phoenixes and
geometric figures, are
conspicuous against the
grey background of
Beijing. Twenty-four
emperors lived in and
ruled China from the
Forbidden City over
nearly 500 years."
Bamboo, Wu Zhen, Yuan Dynasty, 1350
The pattern of bamboo leaves, like that of calligraphic script, provided
painters with an excellent opportunity to display brushwork proficiency.
Marxism inspired a social realism in art that broke drastically with the
traditional Chinese art. The intended purpose of such art is to serve the
people in the struggle to liberate and elevate the masses. This can be seen
in Rent Collection Courtyard, a life size tableau located in Dayi. An
anonymous crew of sculptors portrayed the peasants, worn and bent by
their toil, bringing their taxes to the courtyard of the merciless landlord.
The Nandaemun, or Seoul’s south gate into the city combines the
Imposing strength of its impressive stone foundations with the
sophistication of the intricately bracketed wooden superstructure. In
eastern Asia, elaborate gateways, often in a processional series, were a
standard element in city designs, as well as royal and sacred compounds,
all usually surrounded by walls.
Chong Son,
The Kumgang Mountains, Korea,
Hanging scroll, ink on paper (1734)
The artist transformed an actual
scene into an imaginative landscape using sharper, darker
versions of the fibrous brush
strokes much favored by Chinese
painters.
Yi Chae-Gwan,
Portrait of Kang Yi-o, Korea,
Choson Dynsaty, early 19th century
This picture of a local magistrate
shows the standard features of such
paintings. The artists meticulous
rendering of garments and other
attributes indicates the sitter’s social
identity in his official position. The
winged silk hat is unmistakably that
of a Korean official.