As a result, landscape painting and bird and flower painting became the mainstream of Chinese painting. During the Five Dynasties and the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties, the focus of figure painting shifted to the daily life of ordinary people, while religious paintings started to decline. Back then, figure painting mainly depicted the daily life of the nobility and had its unique way of characterization.

Landscape paintings, as well as bird and flower paintings, entered a mature stage of development, while religious paintings experienced their prime time and became more accessible to ordinary people. The Sui and Tang Dynasties witnessed the boom of Chinese painting. With all these new developments, a theoretical foundation based on which a painting was judged was also formed during this period. Meanwhile, landscape paintings and bird and flower paintings were in their burgeoning phase. During the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties and the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the theme of painting shifted to religion, while other paintings depicting historical figures and literary elements also accounted for a large proportion. All these works are characterized by the use of simple lines, laying a foundation for the future development of painting techniques. The earliest Chinese painting can be found in the images painted on the rocks and potteries of primitive society, and in the Warring States Period, people drew images on silk. It is also a reflection of the Chinese people’s understanding of nature and society as well as the related politics, philosophy, religion, morality and art. In terms of the theme and artistic form, Chinese painting embodies the ideology and aesthetic orientation of the Chinese nation. These unique painting techniques not only showcase the charm of Chinese painting but also enrich the world’s art treasury trove. The drawings are not limited to time or space but call for imagination and simplicity. The use of a writing brush, ink, and rice paper contributes to a unique theoretical system of Chinese painting. It lays an equal emphasis on both the art form and the spirit of the painted object. They were able to reflect the striking features of the animals and plants to show their aspiration and wishes for a better life.ĭeeply rooted in the cultural identity of the Chinese nation, Chinese painting constitutes a vital part of the traditional Chinese culture. The painting techniques found in these works were quite simple, yet demonstrated that the people back then had a basic mastery of portrait painting.

The history of Chinese painting can be traced back to the primitive society of the Neolithic Age when colored pottery and rock paintings made their way into the daily life of ordinary people. Over the past thousands of years, with the accumulative and innovative efforts of painters and craftsmen, among whom the majority are the Han Chinese while the others are ethnic minorities, a unique Chinese painting system has been formed featuring rich art forms of various ethnic groups, exerting a profound influence on the Oriental art circle and even that of the world. To draw a Chinese painting, a set of fixed rules and artistic forms are to be followed, which are passed down from generation to generation.Ĭhinese painting enjoys a time-honored history. It involves the use of a brush, ink, and paint. Chinese painting, commonly known as “dan qing/丹青” or “guo hua/国画” in Chinese (meaning the national painting), is mainly drawn on silk or paper and then framed in a scroll.

Chinese painting brush