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Incursion, Restoration, and Transformation The Art of Later China and Korea . Mary Catherine White, Allie Barton and Pooja Thekdi. China and Korea. Yuan Dynasty.
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Incursion, Restoration, and Transformation The Art of Later China and Korea Mary Catherine White, Allie Barton and Pooja Thekdi
Yuan Dynasty Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)- Founded by Chinese Emperor in 1279 after the Song Dynasty. The Yuan Dynasty affected the country's culture and art of painting. The Mongols, nomads from China’s northern borders, were the invaders of the Yuan Dynasty. In the late Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) chinese Literati (Scholar-Amateur) created paintings to express mood, philosophical ideals,and religious beliefs. This idea and styles re-appeared in the Yuan Dynasty. The thought of landscape was no longer an idyllic view but became powerful representation of the country. It was viewed as a place for reflection, relaxation and deep inner personal communication. Throughout Chinese History, close connections between writing and painting existed. Calligraphy was often seen in literati paintings. The characters flow together to help create the form of the image.
Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains exemplifies the concept of Literati painting by taking on the ideals of philosophy and depicting the mood. The landscape in the painting is not an escape, but reality. Gongwang replaced the misty atmosphere of the Southern Song landscape with forms of texture. Huang Gongwang, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains 1347-50
Fan Kuan, Travelers among Mountains and Streams Comparing Huang Gongwangs Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, to Fan Kuans 11th century Early Northern Song painting Travelers among Mountains and Streams reveals the expressivness presented in Gongwangs work. Gongwangs landscape presents an image of mass, whereas the landscape of Kuan presents a concept with dramatic lights and darks. Gongwang rejected the style of the Southern Song era and created a direct relationship with nature.
Throughout Chinese History, close connections between writing and painting existed. Calligraphy was often seen in literati paintings. The characters flow together to help create the form of the image. Wu Zhen’s painting of Bamboo is one example that Illustrates the use of Calligraphy in the work. The relationship between the Calligraphy and Bamboo is depicted in the art. The hanging leaves reflect the calligraphy to the left, echoing the shape and the grace of the characters.Bamboo was also a symbol for gentleman. Wu Zhen, Bamboo,Chinese Yuan dynasty, 1350
Chinese Porcelain By the end of the Yuan Dynasty, potters mastered the use of porcelain to create vases such as the Temple Vase from the Jingdezhen Kilns. The vase is one of the earliest examples of the use of fine porcelain with cobalt blue underglaze. The giant elephant handles on the vase symbolize strength. The vase is full of symbolism although the most significant are the dragan on the body of the vase and the phoenix on the lower part of the neck. These motifs suggest the donors high character or invoke prosperity of blessing.
Ming Dynasty Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) - The Mongol rulers were driven out by an uprising and the native Ming family ruled China for the next three centuries. Rulers from the Ming Dynasty led lives of luxury and loved lavish art. The period is notable for its style of court painting, porcelain, and furniture. The court established workshops to produce luxury goods. The most famous of these workshops was the Orchid factory.
Lacquer and the Orchid Factory Lacquer: produced from sap of lacquer brush and colored with mineral pigments to finish wood, particularly furniture. The Orchid Factory was the most popular place for lavish furnishings to be made. The only surviving piece today is the Table with drawers. This piece was built between 1426-1435, is 3’11” long and is finished with a cinnabar colored lacquer that is built up in numerous layers. The floral motfis and dragon and phoenix emblems represent popular motifs in art during this period. Other ways to decorate lacquer were inlaid metals and other materials (e.g. mother-of-pearl, gold) and these techniques became popular in Korea and Japan as well. Lacquer is still popular in China today.
Zhe School Zhe School painters were known for using elements of careful forms, sharp contrasts, and atmospheric perspective. Though they were careful in their details, they exhibited a larger range of freedom than other artists. The school was founded by Dai Jin, a court painter who was dismissed on a small charge and returned to his hometown of Hangzhou. He used the styles of the Song Dynasty to influence his work. In Fishermen, a handscroll (ink and color on paper), Dai Jin uses asymmetrical weighting in the foreground, lively arrangement of characters and nature, and spatial irregularity to portray a small fleet of fishing boats.
Radical Painting At the end of the Ming dynasty, Dong Qichang radicalized painting by idealizing the Literati and transforming their styles. As seen in Autumn Mountains, he wanted to reveal the inner structure of nature. To do this, he radically reorganized forms, tilted and shifted ground planes, and created abstract shapes. The landscape seems distorted, but the images of the mountains, rocks and trees is a powerful one.
Qing Dynasty Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) - More invaders, the Manchus of Manchuria, overran the Mings. Though they were foreign, the Qing emperors admired Chinese life and became influential patrons of the arts. During this time period, artistic development flourished. This period is noted for its continued achievements in pottery, developments in painting such as primordial line, decorative artworks and houses and gardens.
Pottery Overglaze decoration became a popular technique in the Qing dynasty. This technique is performed by applying enamel over the piece of pottery, which creates colors and decorations. In this piece, Dish with lobed rim, the artist uses enamel to create black, green, brown, yellow, and blue coloring on the images. The recurring themes of positive symbols often found in Chinese art are also seen here. For instance, the deer, cranes, and pine trees around the rim of the plate are symbols of a long life, while the three men in the center, Fu, Lu, and Shou, are the three star gods of happiness, rank, and longevity.
Primordial Line Painting As Literati painting died out, artists experimented with massed ink or individualized brushwork patterns to create bold expressions not seen before. This technique came to be known as primordial line or single brush stroke painting. The forerunner of this movement was Shiato. In his famous landscape painting, he does not depict the landscape as much as the emotions he sees in nature. This relates back to the earliest themes of Chinese painting, the life of nature.
Houses and Gardens During this time period, Chinese houses were designed based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Daoism, which had influenced Chinese art for many centuries. These two philosophies embrace contrasting harmony in nature and in mankind. In fact, they are contrasting in their beliefs; Confucianism stresses regularity, symmetry, balance and finiteness, while Daoism stresses irregularity, asymmetry, and instability. However, both work together to create balance in the Chinese home. Chinese houses are axial groupings of halls and courtyards within enclosures.
Confucian Houses Confucian houses are strictly arranged based on the fundamentals of the patriarchal society. The orientation of the building depends on the balance of forces of wind and water (fengshui). Placement of entrances and exists is also based on favorable/unfavorable spiritual forces. This house represents the Confucian ideals. It is modest, and its entrances and exits are adorned with inscriptions about happiness and warding off demons. It is laid out in the courtyard style.
Gardens Garden - “a place enclosed by walls, within which are buildings, waterways, rocks, trees, and flowering plants” Chinese gardens have practical purposes. The main purpose is to replicate nature at its finest for the soul to find tranquility and peace. They are irregularly arranged, as is found in nature. Pavilions are a common feature of gardens. Gardens are sanctuaries for the soul.
Modern China (1911-Present) • Qing dynasty is overthrown starting a new establishment of the Republic of China and a place for the traditional cultural in the modern world. • Asian painting was being taught regularly in schools, and developed as the basis of established art schools that now teach traditional technique Recluse Dwelling on Xixia Mountain- Huang Binhong 1954
Marxist Art • Breaks from traditional art • Social Realism • Intended purpose to serve the people in the struggle to liberate and elevate the masses • Awareness of old traditions that artists don’t believe in Rent Collection Courtyard- Dayi 1965 (only 11 years after Recluse Dwelling)
Xu Bing, A Book From Heaven Large installation of an enormous number of wood-block-printed texts in characters that look like Chinese but actually something altered- that the artist created • Xu points to the difficulties in making a place for old traditions in an increasingly international world dominated by American culture, and the rich benefits of it also
Korea Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) • Choson, the last of the native dynasties of Korea was known for its strict, formalistic neo Confucianism religious ruling. The long reign of Buddhism ended and more focus was placed on the public and worldly concerns, problems of daily life took control. • Ancient ideals of nature worship reemerged mingled in with Chinese Daoism. The artistic themes of local flora, fauna and landscape of the human environment became frequent in art pieces. • The Japanese invasion of the kingdom transferred many Korean potters away, starting the Japanese porcelain industry. Rustic Korean made bowls and dishes became even more valued in Japanese tea ceremonies because of their rarity and “cultural treasury”
Gateway to Seoul- Namdaemun • Large, grand, public building projects helped give new Korean state an image of dignity and power • Impressive monuments like this one in the capital of Seoul • Combines strength and stone foundation with sophistication of intricate bracketed wood structure • Elaborate gateways in Asia are a standard element in city designs as a symbol of magnificent authority- in this case as a reminder of Choson state power
The Kumgang Mountains, Chong Son • Many varieties of painting flourished during the Choson dynasty but formal art with heavy Chinese influence remained prominent • New artists like Chong Son studied literati styles and produced their own fusions • The Kumgang Mountains is a transformed scene of imaginative landscape captured by sharper, darker versions of brush strokes for the spiky like mountain tops • Contrast to softness of ancient art or Huang’s picture
The Importance of Portraiture • Ancestor worship and ceremonial practices for honoring teachers and leaders still had a vital role in east Asian cultures • Similar to religion icons, features of these icons were usually rendered to capture their position in society and as record • Portrait of Kang Yi-o is a picture of a local magistrate by Yi Chae Gwan (on the right) • Standard features of such paintings
Vocabulary Literati - scholar-amateur painters that created paintings to express mood, religious beliefs and philosophical observations Calligraphy - decorative writing where the figures flowed together to enhance an image Lacquer - produced from sap of lacquer brush and colored with mineral pigments to finish wood, particularly furniture Zhe School - painters who were known for using elements of careful forms, sharp contrasts, and atmospheric perspective (founded by Dai Jin) Overglaze decoration - pottery technique that is performed by applying enamel over the piece of pottery, which creates colors and decorations Primordial line - single brush stroke painting Fengshui - forces of water and wind; spatial arrangement that has to do with the flow of energy Parterres - raised flower beds
Works Cited Gardner, Helen. Art through the Ages. 11th ed. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1959. Print. Keay, John. China. London: Harper, 2009. Print. "Korean art". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2014 "Timeline of Chinese History and Dynasties | Asia for Educators | Columbia University." Timeline of Chinese History and Dynasties | Asia for Educators | Columbia University. Asia for Educators, Columbia University, 2009. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.
