Characteristics of Ancient Chinese Figure Painting

The important characteristics of ancient Chinese figure paintings:

1. The depiction of figures in ancient Chinese figure paintings is not only to satisfy the resemblance of appearance, but also to emphasize the revelation of character and inner world, which is known as the so-called transmutation of spirit.

2. The unique tradition of ancient Chinese figure painting is also manifested in its ability to utilize the form of long scrolls to break through the limitations of time and space, and to depict real-life scenes and the activities of its characters in a realistic and detailed manner. In addition to the Han Xizai Night Banquet, which belongs to the traditional long-scroll figure painting, a more extensive scene should be pushed to Zhang Zeduan's Qingming Shanghe Tu of the Song Dynasty.

3. The unique tradition of figure painting in ancient China is also manifested in the high degree of diversity of brush and ink techniques and technologies.

For example, the figure paintings talked about above all belong to the work-brush painting in terms of painting method. Among them, there are work-brush heavy color, such as Gu Ma-zhong's Han Xizai Night Banquet, and there are work-brush light color, such as Zhang Zeduan's Qingming Shanghe Tu and Zeng Jie's Zhang Qingzi Portrait.

It should be noted that ancient Chinese figure paintings include both fine brushwork paintings such as those mentioned above, as well as simple brushstrokes or freehand drawings. The latter is best represented by Liang Kai's Li Bai Xing Yin Tu. A few brushstrokes to the great poet Li Bai that kind of talented style and charm, portrayed very vivid, can be said to be simple and concise.

The ancient Chinese figure paintings mentioned above are the works of famous painters. There are also many excellent works of figure paintings created by some unknown craftsmen in Chinese history. Ancient craftsmen gave full play to their ingenuity and created touching artistic images.

Expanded Information

Historical Development

1, the figure of dragon and phoenix and the figure of harnessing the dragon silk paintings unearthed in the tomb of Chu in the Warring States period are the earliest known works of figure painting alone. By the Han Dynasty, the development of figure painting has basically matured. In the creation of figure painting, there are not only modeling quasi-portraits, but also the shape of the God and exaggerated, deformed works. Many of the portraits were characterized by a distinctive sense of writing.

2. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the emancipation of thought, the introduction of Buddhism, the popularity of metaphysics, and the establishment of professional painters contributed to the refinement of figure painting, religious paintings were particularly prosperous, and the first masters of figure painting represented by Gu Kaizhi appeared, as well as the first figure painting theories represented by the Wei and Jin Shengliu Painting Praise and the Discourse on Painting, which laid down an important tradition of Chinese figure painting.

3. During the Tang Dynasty, Wu Daozi advanced the religious figure painting to a more expressive and vividly touching new state. The Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty were a period of intensive development of Chinese figure painting. With the establishment of the Palace Painting Academy, the figure painting with heavy coloring became more exquisite, and with the rise of literati painting, the folk manuscripts were improved by Li Gonglin into a style of painting known as white drawing.

4, the development of urban and rural economy in the Song Dynasty, the struggle between the Song and Jin, social customs and paintings of historical stories of real significance also flourished. Zhang Zeduan's masterpiece "Qingming Shanghe Tu" was produced during this period.

5. Since the Southern Song Dynasty, under the influence of Zen thought, Liang Kai's ink-splash and simple brushwork figure painting marked the emergence of figure painting, and Chinese figure painting began to develop in another direction. The paintings of ladies and high priests appeared in large numbers.

6. After that, Chen Hongshou at the end of the Ming Dynasty and Ren Yi at the end of the Qing Dynasty created many excellent works of figure painting. Modern Chinese figure painting, in-depth study of tradition, extensive absorption of foreign techniques, the expression of the new era of life, made an unprecedented contribution.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Figure Painting