Note the main features of Chinese painting. Chinese art

Introduction

Fine art originated in China back in the Neolithic era (about 6 thousand years ago). This is evidenced by archaeological excavations near the city of Xi'an, where items depicting humans, animals and plants of that period were found.

The charm of Chinese painting lies in the depth of its poetic penetration into the life of nature. This art tells the story of the changing seasons, gives the viewer the opportunity to look into the world of forest thickets, and introduces him to the eternal secrets of the earth.

Relevance of the topic due to the fact that in our time people are awakening more and more interest in Asian culture. China is no exception. Chinese painting is distinguished by great originality and is completely different in material, technique and artistic means from European painting.

An object: Chinese fine art.

Item: examples of paintings and descriptions of writing techniques.

The purpose of this work is to identify features of Chinese painting, interpretation of images and symbols, study of the stylistics of paintings using the example of the work of Qi Baishi.

The purpose of the work defines the following tasks:

1. Based on the studied literature, identify the features of Chinese painting;

2. Based on the analysis of literature, consider the concept of image and symbol in Chinese literature;

3. Based on the analysis of literature, highlight the features of Chinese painting and differences from European fine art;

4. Based on an analysis of the work of the artist Qi Baishi, highlight the distinctive properties of Chinese fine art.

The goals and objectives set in the study determined research methods and techniques. This study combines several approaches to the phenomenon under study. During the writing of the first chapter, the method of comparative analysis, descriptive and logical-conceptual methods were used. To write the second chapter, the method of component analysis, as well as techniques of cultural analysis, were used.

Work structure determined by the goals and objectives of the study. The work consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion and a list of references.

Base of empirical material served as paintings by the master of Guohua painting, artist Qi Baishi.

Features and varieties of Chinese painting

Basic techniques and distinctive features of Chinese painting

chinese painting artistic qi baishi

Chinese national painting Guohua appeared in ancient times. It is distinguished by great originality and is completely different in material, technique and artistic means from European painting. Chinese paintings are painted with ink, mineral and vegetable paints such as watercolors on silk (sometimes on cotton or hemp fabric) or on special paper made of soft thin fiber and have the form of scrolls - horizontal for viewing on the table and vertical for decorating walls. Artists use brushes of different sizes, from very thin to very thick (from 5 millimeters to 5 centimeters). A stroke can be as light as a cloud or as powerful as a dragon. One of the distinctive features of Chinese painting is that the images in it are created through linear drawing, while in European painting the images are expressed using volumes and shapes, color and chiaroscuro 1.

In China, they have long talked about the closeness of painting and calligraphy. Painters and calligraphers use the same materials and tools (brush, paper and ink) and the same linear writing method. There are so many similarities between Chinese calligraphy and painting that they are considered sisters. Developing in stylistic unity, they are interconnected and move each other forward. This suggests that the basis of Chinese fine art is line. With the simplest lines, Chinese painters created works of high artistic perfection.

In painting, a special ink is used, completely different from that used in the West. In China, for writing and drawing, they always use slabs of first-class, black lacquered ink, in the preparation of which the Chinese have achieved great perfection. By rubbing tiles with water to a thick or thin consistency, ink is obtained, with which artists create a wide variety of tones. Thanks to the washes of diluted ink, painters convey the finest shades from thick black to transparent pale gray. In China, writing instruments: brush, ink, paper and ink were considered the “four jewels” [wen fan si bao].

Chinese painting is characterized by multi-point and diffuse perspective, a laconic and clear composition of spots of local color with expressive and rhythmic contours, as well as planar painting without chiaroscuro modeling. A Chinese artist can reproduce a river on a long and narrow paper or silk scroll, creating a feeling of infinity of the river expanse seen from above or from the side, as well as many landscapes seemingly hidden from viewers by the horizon line. This cannot be achieved using focal perspective. The multifaceted perspective of Chinese painting allows the artist to give full play to his imagination and create an artistic world without being bound by a limited horizon of space.

The realistic principle of direct observation of reality is combined in Chinese painting with a number of conventional canons. Its majestic simplicity and noble severity do not exclude the subtlety of decorative details.

Chinese painting also called traditional Chinese painting. Traditional Chinese painting dates back to the Neolithic period, about eight thousand years ago. Colored pottery with painted animals, fish, deer, and frogs found in excavations shows that the Chinese had already begun to use brushes for painting during the Neolithic period.

Chinese painting– an important part traditionally th Chinese culture and priceless A treasure of the Chinese nation, it has a long history and glorious tradition in the field of world arts.

Chinese painting and chinese calligraphy tes but are related because both art forms use lines. The Chinese developed simple lines into highly developed art forms. Lines are used not only to draw contours, but also to express the artist’s concept and feelings. Different lines are used for different objects and purposes.

They can be straight or curved, hard or soft, thick or thin, pale or dark, and the paint can be dry or flowing. The use of lines and strokes is one of the elements that gives Chinese painting its unique qualities.

Traditional Chinese painting is a combination in one picture of several arts - poetry, calligraphy, painting, engraving and printing. In ancient times, most artists were poets and masters of calligraphy.

For Chinese “Painting in poetry and poetry in painting” was one of the criteria for beautiful works of art.

Inscriptions and seal impressions helped explain the artist's ideas and moods, as well as add decorative beauty to the painting. China.

In ancient Chinese paintings, artists often depicted pine trees, bamboo and plum trees. When inscriptions were made on such drawings - “exemplary behavior and nobility of character,” then the qualities of people were attributed to these plants and they were called upon to embody them. All Chinese arts - poetry, calligraphy, painting, engraving and printing - complement and enrich each other.

Chinese painting styles

According to the means of artistic expression, traditional Chinese painting can be divided into complex painting style, liberal painting style, and complex liberal painting style. Complex style - The painting is drawn and painted in a neat and orderly manner, the complex painting style uses an extremely refined brushwork to paint objects.
In comparison, the liberal style of painting uses loose writing and brief strokes to describe the appearance and spirit of objects, and to express the artist's feelings. When painting in the liberal style of painting, the artist must place the brush exactly on the paper, and each stroke must be skillful in order to be able to express the spirit of the painting. The complex liberal painting style is a combination of the two previous styles.

Masters of Chinese Painting

(1863–1957) is one of the most famous Chinese artists of our time. He was a versatile artist, he wrote poetry, was a stone carver, was a calligrapher, and also dabbled in painting.

Through many years of practice, Qi found his own special, personal style. He was able to depict the same theme in any style. His works are distinguished by the fact that in one picture he could combine several styles and methods of painting.

The traditions of Chinese painting throughout the history of its development are tightly connected with graphics and calligraphy; it is in this art form that such a means of artistic expression as line is of great importance. Many paintings written in the traditions of Chinese painting are done in very restrained colors. The reason for this is that in the old days, craftsmen used mineral paints, which initially had delicate tones.

Painting in China, like calligraphy, enjoyed great respect and honor among people of all classes; many emperors and high dignitaries were excellent artists. Over the centuries-old history of China, the art of painting has developed, artists of various generations either abandoned ancient traditions, creating new schools of fine art, or again returned to their roots. Chinese painting is still valued by connoisseurs, and modern technologies make it possible to purchase original works by Chinese artists in the Land of the Rising Sun without intermediaries.

Genres of Chinese painting

There are several traditional genres in Chinese painting that have evolved over centuries and are still characteristic of the art of this country. One of them is portraiture; people in such paintings were painted in full growth, surrounded by natural forms or united by some kind of storyline.

Watch the video genres and philosophy of Chinese painting

Also in Chinese painting, the “flowers and birds” genre is still very popular. In works made in this genre, artists depicted beautiful birds and various plant forms. The master puts a certain symbolic meaning into the image of each flower or bird, which makes the interpretation of such a painting deeper and more interesting. Another popular one genre of Chinese painting– animalistic, in which Chinese artists reached the heights of skill in depicting animals in a very unique style. This genre also includes paintings with a phoenix bird and a dragon.

Where can you buy Chinese paintings online?

The easiest and most convenient option to purchase Chinese paintings is to order from an online store that specializes in supplying goods of this type from China. If you want to buy Chinese painting,

Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

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Introduction

An object: Chinese fine art.

Item: examples of paintings and descriptions of writing techniques.

The purpose of this work is to identify features of Chinese painting, interpretation of images and symbols, study of the stylistics of paintings using the example of the work of Qi Baishi.

The purpose of the work defines the following tasks:

1. Based on the studied literature, identify the features of Chinese painting;

2. Based on the analysis of literature, consider the concept of image and symbol in Chinese literature;

3. Based on the analysis of literature, highlight the features of Chinese painting and differences from European fine art;

4. Based on an analysis of the work of the artist Qi Baishi, highlight the distinctive properties of Chinese fine art.

Work structure determined by the goals and objectives of the study. The work consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion and a list of references.

Base of empirical material served as paintings by the master of Guohua painting, artist Qi Baishi.

1. Features and varieties of Chinesepainting

1.1 Basics techniques and distinctive featuresChinese painting

1.2 Images and genres

Deep philosophical ideas are often embodied in the images of Chinese painting. At various periods in the development of painting, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism left their imprints on it. The founder of the theory of painting, Se He, in his “Notes on the Categories of Ancient Painting” (490), formulated six basic principles that should guide artists. And the very first of them was the requirement to convey in painting the “spiritualized rhythm of living movement,” which is inherent in everything in nature, to convey its essence, and not an external naturalistic image.

In traditional Chinese painting, certain genres have been established: landscape “mountains and waters”, painting “flowers and birds”, portrait and animalistic genre.

The images of Chinese painting were given symbolic meaning associated with the ideas of ancient cosmogony. The structure of a pictorial scroll is determined by the most important principles - Heaven and Earth, between which the main actions unfold that determine the internal dynamics of the picture. Treatises on the art of composition taught the artist: “Before you lower your brush, be sure to determine the place of Heaven and Earth... Carefully place the landscape between them.” The dualistic structure of the world, established in ancient times, was represented as two opposing principles of the universe visibly embodied in Heaven and Earth: male power - [yang] and female power - [yin]. The interaction of these forces gave rise to five primary elements: water, fire, wood, metal and earth, which formed everything real, everything that exists.

The annual cycle embodied the cycle of birth and death of things. “The Four Seasons” is a favorite motif of Chinese artists. The culmination of this cycle was the day of the winter solstice, when the power of yang experienced the greatest tension, when the mystery of the merger of Heaven and Earth took place, when light was born in the depths of darkness. Therefore, the winter, snowy landscape was considered the best form in expressing the essence of existence.

In Chinese landscapes, mountains were considered the personification of the male light principle of yang, and water - the female dark principle of yin, from the combination of which, according to ancient ideas, the universe arises. Mountains are the bones of the earth, streams of water are veins, blood pulsating, carrying life and movement. The artist sought to convey the essence, world harmony, and rhythm underlying natural phenomena. Therefore, naturalism and the desire for external similarity were alien to him.

In Chinese painting there is an aesthetic cult of wood. The willow is especially often depicted, which is a symbol of modest beauty and sophistication. She is a sign of spring in nature, an attribute of the goddess of motherhood Guanyin and therefore a symbol of beauty and kindness. Feminine grace is always compared to the flexibility of willow.
Pine is especially popular in Chinese painting, representing both Confucian restraint and fortitude, and the Taoist ideal of “usefulness of the useless,” that is, curved, knotty and unsuitable for crafts, and the ancient idea of eternal youth. Trees, like stones, are perceived as living. A special section of the “flowers and birds” genre is the painting of the so-called “four noble ones”: orchids, wild plum meihua, bamboo and chrysanthemum. Among these plants, meihua carries a cosmogonic idea. The monochrome painting of bamboo contains the meaning of Confucian ethics and Taoist philosophy. Orchids and chrysanthemums have a more personal, hidden meaning. The orchid embodies simplicity, purity and hidden nobility. Chrysanthemum is beautiful, modest and chaste, the embodiment of the triumph of autumn. This flower is a symbol of sublime loneliness.

One of the most favorite objects of aesthetic embodiment in painting is bamboo. In Chinese paintings, bamboo is not just a plant, but a symbol of human character. Depicting bamboo, the artist glorifies a real husband of high moral qualities, sometimes comparing his own character with him.

The popularity of bamboo is rivaled only by the image of a branch bearing the soft pink, white or yellow flowers of the wild meihua plum. It also symbolizes a proud person of crystal purity, inflexibility and perseverance, since living juices are preserved in trees even in frosts. The flower means the solar principle of yang, and the tree itself, the trunk and branches, filled with the juices of the earth, personify its yin power. The symbolism of meihua is specific: the peduncle is the absolute beginning; the cup supporting the flower is drawn with three strokes, as it embodies three forces - Heaven, Earth and Man. The flower itself is the personification of the five primary elements and is therefore depicted with five petals. All parts associated with a tree have an even number of elements, which reflects stability - a property of the Earth 3.

The image of the “three friends of cold winter” (meihua, bamboo and pine) together with the orchid, making up the “four perfect ones,” symbolized pure noble people whose friendship and mutual support had passed all tests. The language of symbols, devoid of objective reality, is close and understandable to a true connoisseur of Chinese art. Anyone who does not understand the meaning of allegories cannot comprehend Chinese painting. Let's name some more popular symbols in fine art: the dragon and the phoenix bird are symbols of power, might and strength, and the dragon is also a symbol of the emperor, and now China and masculinity; phoenix - empress, feminine principle; lion is a symbol of power and nobility; tiger protector from evil spirits; crane, turtle old stones - symbols of longevity; bat, magpie - symbols of happy news; the dove, a symbol of peace, appeared recently; a drake with a duck, two fish, two butterflies, two lotus flowers on one stem - symbols of marital happiness; lotus - a symbol of inner purity; peony is a symbol of human beauty, wealth, abundance, honor and splendor; peach is a symbol of longevity and immortality; carp fish - a symbol of wishes for happiness and success; pomegranate - a symbol of the wish for large male offspring; many flowers are a symbol of the flourishing of Chinese art.

The portrait and, in general, the image of a person played a noticeable role only at the early stage of the formation of the aesthetic phenomenon of Chinese painting. After the Tang period (618-907), portraiture began to be given a less significant role until it took last place. In portrait art, two directions can be distinguished. One came from the Confucian official tradition of the social and ethical significance of a person, the other was based on the Taoist-Buddhist philosophy of the value of the individual and therefore sought to reveal the unique character traits and properties of a given person. Artists of the first movement most often depicted memorial portraits of historical and statesmen, high dignitaries, members of their families and court beauties. Artists belonging to the second direction created images of poets, hermits, and fantastic portraits of saints. The former most often worked in color, in a detailed, meticulous manner. The latter gave preference to drawing with ink, sometimes resorting to light shading, in a free, sketchy manner.

1.3 Stylistics

In Chinese painting, there are two styles of writing: gongbi - diligent brush and sei - painting of ideas. The first style is characterized by a subtle and detailed graphic style of painting with careful application of paints. The second is a free sketch style of writing with a wide brush.

Artists of this style strive to convey not the external similarity of an object, but its essence, which is the main goal of the master. These two styles complement each other. But the basis for the development of this style is the style of writing gunbi. This millennium has developed its own capacious and laconic artistic language, with the help of which the artist expresses the inner essence of the subject and, thus, his thoughts and feelings. This is what real art strives for.

In Chinese painting, there is a special type of paintings - huafu or huajuan scroll paintings. They are rolled into a roll called juan cheyuu and stored in special elegant cases 4 . This method is convenient for storing and collecting paintings. Ancient paintings - scrolls, thanks to the then-existing high technology of pasting paintings and methods of storing them, even after a millennium retain their pristine freshness, which allows you to admire them in museums.

The source of the emergence of paintings - scrolls were the Bihua frescoes, paintings on Pinghua screens, which appeared before our era.

The emergence of this kind of paintings was associated not only with the purpose of ease of storage, but also with the emergence of the wenjunhua style of painting - painting by scientists. Wenrenhua masters, like ordinary painters, disdained to paint palaces and temples. Their paintings and scrolls were hung in offices and were intended for viewing by friends, writers, scientists and the service class.

Wenrenhua combines painting with poetry and calligraphy. The grace of the hieroglyphs and the poetry of the verse not only complemented and emphasized the main content and idea of the picture, but also, in combination with each other, gave it special beauty and completeness. This style has become a prominent feature of Chinese painting and is popular in China today.

Another feature of Chinese paintings is that they are marked with the artist’s personal seal, replacing his signature. It is made of metal, stone (jasper, jade), rock crystal, wood, ivory, and now plastic. The seal is most often square in cross-section. On its surface are embedded or raised hieroglyphs, usually in ancient writing, mottos or good wishes. The print is made using a special red mastic (made from cinnabar, glue and wormwood pulp). Seal making is a special branch of art. The seal can be decorated with carved figures and stored in a special case.

At present, Guohua national painting has emerged from the narrow framework of traditional themes, following the times. Modern paintings executed in the Guohua style have been filled with new content and a living spirit of the times.

2. Traditional Chinese painting using the example of Qi Baishi's work

2.1 Traditions and innovationorality in the works of Qi Baishi

A traditional painting in ancient China had to include five basic elements. The first is an interesting plot or story that will be captured in the picture. The second is the artist's skill, which is acquired through years of hard work. The third element is a poem or phrase that conveys the deep meaning of the painting, which was part of the overall composition and written in one of the calligraphy styles. The fourth is the artist’s personal stamp.

And finally, the painting was rolled into a scroll so that it could be conveniently carried and shown to viewers. Only when all five components are present does a real work of art emerge.

Prominent representatives of traditional Chinese painting are the paintings of the great artist Qi Baishi (see Appendix, Fig. 1). His works attract the attention of viewers of all generations. Old people and children, men and women - no one will remain indifferent to the paintings of this great master.

What is so fascinating about the work of Qi Baishi and what fundamentally new did he bring to the usual images of birds and insects, plants and animals, simple tools of peasant labor? What do the events of our time have in common with sheets of paper or long scrolls depicting mustachioed crabs, nimble tadpoles, flowers, fruits or village pitchforks?

Under the brush of Qi Baishi, works were born imbued with sympathy for the people. 3 Concerning the fate of the peasants, the inscription to the picture, which depicts an ordinary pumpkin ripening in the sun, sounds: “This pumpkin is sweet and fragrant. In a good year it can serve as a delicacy, and in a hungry year it can replace rice. In the spring, don’t forget to plant it and water it well!” (see Appendix Fig. 2)

Qi Baishi, like a wizard, made silent objects “speak.” Mushrooms or cabbage, bindweed exposing its bright head to the sun, chickens fighting over a worm, painted with amazing skill and knowledge of life, are perceived as part of the larger natural world. Through small details, Qi Baishi talks about the tastes, habits and customs of his people. Wise, sometimes humorous, full of anxiety and sadness, caustic and satirical inscriptions accompanying his works complement their figurative meaning. At times, the poetic inscriptions of Qi Baishi burned with anger, scourging the oppressors of the Chinese people. For example, his paintings depicting bureaucratic officials with the following texts are known: “There is a white fan in his hands, and a black soul. Oh, how much self-satisfaction there is in this nonentity! “Or: “It’s better to live in poverty than to be an extortionist official!” 5 For his progressive views, the master was repeatedly attacked by the reactionaries of old China.

2.2 Artistic techniques

chinese painting artistic qi baishi

Qi Baishi's artistic techniques are both traditional and new. He, like all the masters of national painting "Guohua", paints quickly with a damp brush on easily wet paper, and not a single stroke can be erased or corrected. This kind of work requires precision of the eye and hand. The artist’s creative style is characterized by impetuosity, temperament, scope and courage. With his quick, seemingly random sketches, he evokes thoughts and images stored in the memory of every person. Looking at his paintings, where a bright flower opens and reaches for the light, where swamp frogs sing their trills, and dragonflies flutter their light wings over lotus leaves, the viewer begins to feel close to the natural world and participation in its secrets. He feels himself not so much as an outside observer, but as if he were a co-author of the works of the great master.

Qi Baishi revealed and made many secrets of Chinese art more understandable and accessible to people around the globe. He managed to reveal the very essence of natural life, to convey the hidden meaning of its phenomena. Discarding the secondary, the master sought to reveal the soul of the subject. Thus, when drawing a pumpkin, he conveys not so much its structure as the feeling of ripeness and juiciness of the fruit, the glossiness of the skin, and the velvety roughness of the leaves. When depicting a flower, the artist also shows not so much the structure of the petals, but rather reveals its fragrant freshness and tenderness. Drawing a lake, with a few strokes he transforms a sheet of paper into the surface of water and the expanse of heaven. Fiction and reality are intertwined in his work. That’s why Qi Baishi’s landscapes, sketches and sketches have such a meaningful capacity and contain so much poetry and feeling. The master’s artistic solutions seem unusually bold and unexpected, born easily and freely, like improvisation. In fact, behind every stroke, seal, and bend of a hieroglyphic inscription there are years of work and close study of nature.

Qi Baishi maintains the balance between truth and fiction very accurately in his paintings. The visible world of nature, transformed by his imagination, fascinates with its understatement. And although at times the master’s artistic decisions seem unexpected, they convey a deep truth of life and emotional uplift. Let us take as an example an album sheet on which Qi Baishi depicted in black ink a hut on the shore of a pond overgrown with blooming lotus. “Lotus Pond” (see Appendix Fig. 3) evokes a feeling of rural silence, peace and quiet. It is perceived as a complete landscape, although everything in it is not completed and is conveyed by hint. After all, the viewer sees neither the sky, nor the earth, nor the borders of the picture, and the hut itself, depicted in the corner of the composition, can only be guessed. We understand perfectly well that black ink spread in blots on a white sheet of porous paper that easily absorbs moisture is not an accurate image of a lotus pond. But these soft, velvety streaks of ink, completed with subtle strokes, easily and naturally scattered across a white field, have an independent picturesque charm.

Qi Baishi allows the viewer to feel the distance that separates the world of art from a photographic copy that does not allow poetic generalizations. The artist masterfully brings out the soul of nature in the landscape. Unlike his predecessors, the masters of old Chinese painting, he depicts the natural world, which is not separated from man, but is close to him, warmed by the charm of the artist’s personality.

Qi Baishi's paintings are poems full of bright musical images. The great sage and philosopher is revered by the whole world and everyone who loves nature and art. Under the brush of Qi Baishi, works were born imbued with sympathy for the people. 3 Concerning the fate of the peasants, the inscription to the picture, which depicts an ordinary pumpkin ripening in the sun, sounds: “This pumpkin is sweet and fragrant. In a good year it can serve as a delicacy, and in a hungry year it can replace rice. In the spring, don’t forget to plant it and water it well!” 6

Let us take as an example an album sheet on which Qi Baishi depicted in black ink a hut on the shore of a pond overgrown with blooming lotus. “Lotus Pond” evokes a feeling of rural silence, peace and quiet. It is perceived as a complete landscape, although everything in it is not completed and is conveyed by hint. After all, the viewer sees neither the sky, nor the earth, nor the borders of the picture, and the hut itself, depicted in the corner of the composition, can only be guessed. We understand perfectly well that black ink spread in blots on a white sheet of porous paper that easily absorbs moisture is not an accurate image of a lotus pond. But these soft, velvety streaks of ink, completed with subtle strokes, easily and naturally scattered across a white field, have an independent picturesque charm.

Conclusion

In connection with this goal, the characteristic features of Chinese painting were identified:

1. Paintings are created through a linear drawing, while in European painting images are expressed using volumes and shapes, color and chiaroscuro.

2. Chinese fine art has a huge variety of images that embody philosophical ideas and thoughts.

3. There are two styles of writing: gunbi - diligent brush and sei - painting of ideas. The first style is characterized by a subtle and detailed graphic style of painting with careful application of paints. The second is a free sketch style of writing with a wide brush.

Chinese classical painting has made a significant contribution to the artistic culture of mankind. Anyone who spares no effort in penetrating its meaning will discover a rich and complex world.

Listliterature

1. Gorbachev B.N. Russian-Chinese phrasebook, 1994

2. Zavadskaya E.V. Qi Baishi. M.: Art, 1982

Malyavin.V.V. Chinese civilization. - M.: Astrel, 2000. - 627 p.

3. Samosyuk K.A. Guo Xi. - M.: Art, 1978.

4. Encyclopedia for children. T. 7: Art. Part 1. - 2nd ed., revised. / ch. ed. M.D. Aksenov. - M.: Avanta+, 1998. - 688 p.

5. http://asiapacific.narod.ru/countries/china/art.htm

6. http://nnm.ru/blogs/natasha571/kartiny_kitayskogo_hudozhnika_ci_bay-shi

7. http://www.tonnel.ru/? l=gzl&uid=831

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The difference between Chinese painting and European painting

The visual tradition combines painting, graphics and calligraphy. This is the main thing difference between Chinese painting and European painting. For centuries, Chinese masters created their masterpieces on a narrow strip of thin paper or silk using a brush and ink. Such paintings were never framed like European paintings. They were kept in scrolls and taken out only to demonstrate the masterpieces to guests or admire them. Horizontal scrolls were intended for contemplation on a table, vertical scrolls were intended for hanging on a wall.

How to understand Chinese painting

The talent of the artists, unsurpassed technique of execution, thrifty attitude towards the created works, towards tradition, the work of the artist, the ability of an entire people to understand and see what the master reflected on his canvas, from century to century formed this unique phenomenon in world art.

To understand Chinese painting, it is not enough just to be able to mechanically draw smooth lines with a brush. You need to learn to see the beauty of the world around you, to feel it. Learning Chinese painting is a leisurely process, imbued with spirituality and meditative calm. Guohua canvases are not painted, but written. The plot is not considered, but read. Please note that all the stories told by the artists on these canvases carry only a positive spark.

mountains and water;
flowers and birds;
portraits;
animals;
plants.

Is it worth mentioning that guohua is symbolic. Each plot is filled with deep meaning and metaphor.

Chinese painting courses will help you discover more than just your creative potential. Learn to enjoy fleeting moments, see beauty and poetry in the blowing wind, in a blooming garden, hear music in the murmur of a stream. It is the philosophical perception of existence that best tunes in Chinese painting training, to understand plots and techniques.

Guohua does not recognize sketches. All drawings are written immediately without rough sketches or sketches. Even the paper traditionally used for such work will not allow you to draw with a pencil, erase and redraw. Xuanzhou paper absorbs ink very well. It is thanks to this property that the magnificent works of ancient Chinese artists have survived to this day.

And if you want to admire your work several years or decades later, then you will have to learn to control ink and brush as gracefully and deftly as Chinese artists do. And they will help you with this in Chinese painting courses. It should be noted that brushes for Chinese painting, which are made according to ancient tradition, are no less important than rice paper. And ink pots, designed for rubbing ink sticks, are themselves works of art.