The History of Chinese Brush Painting
According to the Asia-Art website, Chinese brush painting is an ancient form of art that originated in China around 4000 B.C. Typical subjects of Chinese brush painting include flowers, animals, birds and landscapes that are represented using the Chinese philosophy of Tao.
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History
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The introduction of Buddhism to China from India around 4000 B.C. is reported by the Asia-Art website as the starting point for Chinese brush painting. As Buddhism developed throughout China, temples and grottoes were decorated with murals, which developed into an art form that used brushes by the 1st century A.D. During the Chinese Song Dynasty of 960-1123 A.D., a variety of styles of Chinese brush painting began to develop and evolved into techniques similar to those used in the 21st century.
Types
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Throughout the history of Chinese brush painting, various forms of art have evolved. Landscape painting became an established art form by the 4th century A.D. Asia-Art explains that two forms of landscape painting developed: blue-and-green ink landscapes and ink-and-wash landscapes. Flower and bird painting developed from religious art to become a separate form of painting by the 9th century A.D. According to the Asia-Art website, flower and bird painting became a popular style of art during the Song dynasty. Famous Chinese artists of the Song dynasty include Wang Tingkuo and Chao Ch’ang.
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Calligraphy
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According to the Cultural China website, the development of Chinese brush painting and calligraphy were intertwined. In the majority of Chinese brush paintings, the artist uses an inscription or poem to help express the feelings the painting is intended to evoke. Each painting is signed with the artist's personal seal in red wax.
Materials
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The Chinese brush used for painting is similar to that used for calligraphy, with a small tip for use in a variety of different styles. It is similar to the Western watercolor brush but it has a finer tip, according to Asia-Art. Around the 1st century A.D., ink began to be used for both painting and calligraphy and would be mixed by the painter to create varying degrees of color and texture. Previous to the invention of paper, Chinese brush painting was done on silk. The paper used in Chinese brush painting was developed around the beginning of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) from rice plants. Rice paper has largely been replaced in contemporary painting by machine-produced papers.
Tao Philosophy
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Chinese brush painting reflects one of China’s most important philosophical movements, Tao. Washington State University reports that the Tao philosophy developed alongside Confucianism throughout Chinese history. In art, the Tao principle allows the artist to reflect his own feelings through the art he produces and become one with the subject. The subject is symbolic, rather than literal. For example, an entire plant is usually not painted; a few blossoms will represent the plant and, in Tao principle, all of life and the artist's connection to it, according to artist Nan Rae.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit painting brush image by peter Hires Images from Fotolia.com
