Chinese painting, also known as brush painting or ink-wash painting, is one of the oldest art forms in the world. However, the unique styles, techniques and perspectives of Chinese painting are often unfamiliar to readers and art lovers in other parts of the world. This book aims to expound the aesthetic concepts behind some famous Chinese paintings and tell interesting stories about their creation and their creators. It may serve as a helpful guide in exploring the fabulous yet mysterious treasure house of great Chinese paintings.
About the Author
Born in Shanghai in 1949, ZHANG Ciyun (Peter) is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Shanghai Daily, a leading regional English-language daily newspaper on the Chinese mainland. He is also a prolific translator and writer.
Mr. Zhang graduated from Jilin Normal University in China, majoring in English language, and later from Stanford University in the United States with a master’s degree in journalism.
Starting from 1980, he had worked in several news agencies in China and helped bring into existence four English-language newspapers, including China Daily and Shanghai Daily.
T型帛画 T-Shaped Painting on Silk
女史箴图 Admonitions of the Court Instructress
步辇图 Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy
明皇幸蜀图 Emperor Xuanzong’s Journey to Shu
八十七神仙卷 Eighty-Seven Celestials
照夜白 Night-Shining White
捣练图 Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk
五牛图 Five Oxen
敦煌壁画 Dunhuang Murals
写生珍禽图 Sketches of Birds, Insects and Turtles
韩熙载夜宴图 Night Revels of Han Xizai
江行初雪图 Early Snow on the River
溪山行旅图 Travelers Among Mountains and Streams
春山瑞松图 Mountains and Pines in Spring
清明上河图 Along the River During the Qingming Festival
瑞鹤图 Auspicious Cranes
千里江山图 A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains
货郎图 The Knickknack Peddler
泼墨仙人Immortal in Splashed Ink
九龙图卷 Nine Dragons
红衣罗汉图 Monk in a Red Robe
永乐宫壁画 Yongle Palace Murals
富春山居图 Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains
杨柳青年画 Yangliuqing New Year Painting
庐山高图 Lofty Mount Lu
孟蜀宫妓图 Court Ladies in the Shu Palace
汉宫春晓图 Spring Morning in the Han Palace
墨葡萄图 Grapes
王士敏像 Portrait of Wang Shimin
西厢记版画插图 Woodblock Illustrations of a Novel
荷花双凫图 Lotus and Ducks
康熙南巡图 Emperor Kangxi’s Southern Inspection Tour
清王原祁仿黄公望富春山图 The Fuchun Mountains
百骏图 One Hundred Horses
远山烟竹图 Misty Bamboo on a Distant Mountain
梅花图 Plum Blossoms
奔马图 Galloping Horse
齐白石虾图 Shrimp
Traditional Chinese painting, also known as brush painting or inkwash painting, is not only an essential part of the Chinese culture, but also one of the oldest art forms in the world.
With a history of more than 5,000 years, Chinese painting has evolved from ancient rock paintings and pottery drawings to paintings on silk and later on rice paper and other media. Such paintings all boast unique and salient characteristics.
Through millenniums, the nation has not only brought forth numerous great artists, but also created a number of greatest masterpiece paintings in the world.
However, their unique styles, techniques, perspectives and nearly ubiquitous symbolisms are often very different from arts of other cultures.
For instance, a Chinese painting usually combines painting, calligraphy and poetry. And it is considered unfinished if it doesn’t have at least one seal on it.
Also, the tools and media employed by artists of traditional Chinese painting, such as inksticks, inkstones, rice paper and brushes, are unfamiliar to people in other parts of the world. As a result, Chinese paintings, including some masterpieces, may seem mysterious to many of our readers.
This book, jointly created by writer Zhang Ciyun and art editor Chen Jie, attempts to explain the aesthetic concepts behind Chinese paintings and tell some interesting stories about their creation and their creators. It also tries to decipher the often multiple-layer meanings hidden in Chinese paintings and obtain a better understanding of such works through visual analyses.
So, with rich and colorful illustrations, this book could provide readers a glimpse into the fabulous, yet mysterious world of great Chinese paintings.
