The Ming Dynasty
I chose to write about the Ming dynasty and specifically paintings of the time. Chinese painting advanced during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), building on the successes in painted art of the Song and Yuan dynasties. During this time, painting methods that had been invented and refined before the Ming period became classical. During the Ming era, more colors were utilized in the art. During this time, seal brown became much more popular, even overused. Many new painting skills and techniques were invented and perfected, and calligraphy and painting were much more tightly and flawlessly linked. In the mid and late-Ming dynasties, Chinese art reached a new peak. Painting evolved on a large scale, numerous new schools arose, and many notable masters emerged.
This painting is called "Two Hawks in a Thicket" and it was created in the 15th century. There is not an exact time of when the painting was made but it was during the mid-Ming dynasty by Ling Liang. Lin Liang, was a Chinese artist who specialized in strong, expressive grayscale portrayals of birds in the wild, was one of the main court painters of bird-and-flower scenes. I chose this work because of how great the details are in this piece. This work is amazingly detailed for the time it was created.
Lin's huge birds are embodiments of heroism, standing like monuments of power and fortitude on the highest snowy peaks blown by cruel winds, living in worlds that smaller species could not occupy. These great birds appear withdrawn and reclusive, inviolable and unreachable as if hidden in a dense forest of old trees and thick bamboo where no one could possibly approach them. I would love to own this painting myself, but it would definitely fit better in a museum.
This piece is called "Bamboo in Wind" and was created in 1460 during the Mind dynasty by a Chinese artist Xia Chang. I chose this piece because to me it seems like it is a classic piece of the Ming dynasty. There were many other similar works in this time but this stood out to me as the bamboo is in the center of it.
Bamboo has long been regarded as a symbol of strength and integrity due to its ability to bend without breaking. Scholar-painters from the Ming and Qing dynasties favored it as well. Xia Chang, a Suzhou native, had a successful governmental career that culminated in his appointment as minister of the Imperial Sacrifices Court in 1457. He developed Wang Fu's (1362–1416) bamboo painting style to become the most famous bamboo painter of his era, with fame extending to Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Xia Chang painted bamboo stalks in the antique seal-script style and bamboo twigs or cursive-script, style, using calligraphic techniques to paint according to Zhao Mengfu's (1254–1322) precepts. Many later Ming and Qing painters adopted Xia Chang's calligraphic style of bamboo painting.
This work is called "Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden" and it was created in 1437 by Xie Huan. This is one of two handscrolls attributed to Xie Huan that document a meeting of nine scholar-officials in Beijing on April 6, 1437. I chose this work because of how detailed it is. I am always impressed by the artists who could show great details so many years ago. This work also shows the culture of the time which seems very interesting to me. When looking at this work it makes me appreciate how developed and civilized the Chinese were so many years ago.
The original composition is now housed in the Zhenjiang Municipal Museum and was created for the party's host, Yang Rong (1371–1440), who is shown in the first group of sitting figures wearing a crimson robe. This painting is a condensed version executed by one of Xie Huan's associates and was most likely made for the senior visitor, Yang Shiqi (1365–1444), who is seated in a blue robe next to Yang Rong. Despite the subject's seeming informality, the picture is deliberately constructed to emphasize the officials' authority, prestige, and cultivation. The men's heavy robes and formal stances emphasize the grandeur of their positions, and their placement in the composition distinguishes their political ranks. The highest-ranking guests, Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong are near the center of the composition, while lower-ranking guests are closer to the scroll's edge. The antiques and educational memorabilia adorning the men's walls allude to their literary prowess and artistic discernment.
Sources:
Comments
Post a Comment