Figure Painting in Qing Dynasty

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The number of both painters and painting works of figure painting in Qing dynasty was smaller than other painting sort. Yet in terms of artistic level and its influence on pre-modern and modern painting field, figure painting in Qing dynastyhad the same significance with landscape painting and flower-and-bird painting. In some aspects, it had even made greater achievements and contribution to the development of Chinese painting. In the early period of Qing dynasty, Yu Zhiding, Wang Shugu, Xie Bin and Shangguan Zhou were famous for their figure portraits.

In middle Qing dynasty, some western missionary painters represented by Guiseppe Castiglione brought into China western painting, which was totally different from traditional Chinese painting. The ways of manifestation in western painting gave a huge strike to the Chinese painting field. They enriched ways of manifestation in Chinese painting. At the time, Jiao Binzhen, Leng Mei, Jin Tingbiao and Ding Guanpeng all learned more or less some western painting manifestation techniques so as to enhance the expressive power of their art works. The Eight Eccentrics in Yangzhou were most well known for their flower-and-bird paintings, yet some of them like Huang Shen, Jin Nong, Luo Pin, Min Zhen and Hua Yan were also famous for their figure portraits. Their portraits were with different styles and high artistic achievements. They painted ancient subject matters to reflect reality and to express their idea and sentiment. Ren Xiong, Ren Bonian and Xu Gu among the Eight Eccentrics in Yangzhou were also outstanding painters of figure painting.

Important painters of figure painting include the followings: Yu Zhiding(1674-1716) served the court with his painting during the years ofthe reign of Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722). He was good at painting landscapes, figures, flowers, birds and animals. He first learned from Lan Ying at the end of Ming dynasty and later followed styles of various painters in Song and Yuan dynasties before he gained great improvements in painting skills. His portrait paintings included two kinds: colored painting and line drawing painting. He made better achievements in line drawing portrait painting and was very influential atthe time. Many people with reputation and high officials asked him to do portraits for them. His portraits could usually depict vividly their appearance and facial expression. His representative works were Releasing Birds, Wang Yuanqi and Chrysanthemum.

Hua Yan(1682-1756) was good at figure painting since he was young. He had once painted four murals of figures in the ancestral temple in his hometown over onenight. His figure painting style followed Li Gonglin, Ma Hezhi, Cheng Hongshou andWang Shugu. The subject matters in his paintings varied from historical figures, literature figures and mythological figures, customs in the city and countryside and scenery of frontier fortress. He attached importance to the selection of scenario and romance of the scene. His paintings were full of both sense and sentiment of life and local features. The shape of figure was usually exaggerated yet the facial expression was always vivid and lifelike. He used clear, free and unconstrained strokes and bright hue and colors with diversification and individuality. His representative works were Snow Covered Tianshan Mountain, Village School and When Zhong Kui’s Sister Get Married.

Guiseppe Castiglione(1688-1766), whose Chinese name was Lang Shining, was an Italian. He was a member of the Jesus branch of the Catholic Church. In 1714, he was send to China by Portugal Jesus Missionary Department. He arrived at Macao, China in 1715 and gave himself a Chinese name Lang Shining. Later he went to Beijing andserved the court with his paintings. He was good at architecture design and had taken part in the design of European style architecture in Yuanmingyuan 01d Summer Palace. As a painter, he was highly cultivated in literature. During the time wher he was serving the court, he had created many painting works including figurepaintings, flower and bird paintings, animal paintings, landscape paintings and historical paintings. He had taught Chinese painters of western painting skills and also absorbed the painting skills from Chinese painting especially traditional paintings. His paintings were a combination of western painting and Chinese painting characteristics.

According to western painting skills, he paid attention to the anatomization of images and the change of hue because of the change of light. He also used gentle and light color and depiction of front face as used in Chinese painting. His paintings were favored by the imperial family and noble class people. His portraits of the emperors and empressess as well as court officials were with precise shape and lifelikeness. His representative works include Safe Message for Spring (in which were portraits of emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong in Han costumes) and Portraits of Emperor Qianlong and His Empress.

Huang Shen (1687-) was born in a poor family. He lost his father when he was very young and started to learn painting so that he could make a living in the future. He had followed Shangguan Zhou’s painting style in his early years. He visited Yangzhou for many times and had contact with Zheng Xie, Li Shan there. He excelled in figure painting, landscape painting, flower-and-bird painting as well as painting of building and pavilions, but was most famous for his figure painting. In his early years, his painting style was refined and meticulous. In his middle aged years, he learned to use cursive hand strokes from cursive script to depict the figure’s cheek, hair and clothes in a freer way. In his seemed disordered paintings there was always certain rules of arrangement. He liked to use heavy and imposingstokes. The figures he depicted were mainly from historical stories, immortals and Buddhism, wood choppers, fishermen, countrywomen and even beggars. He depicted the life situation of poor people living at the bottom of the society and expressed his sympathy to them for their painful life. It was with realistic significance. His representative works include: Ink Slab on a Rock, Su Dongpo Playing with Ink Base and The Drunk Monk.

Jiao Binzhen was learned in astronomy. He had been a student of a catholic missionary Johann Adam Schall von Bell and served as an officer in Qing Astronomical Bureau during the Kangxi years (1662-1722). He was well up in figure painting, landscape painting, building and pavilion painting with western painting skills. The figures he depicted were mainly court ladies. His paintings were refined and with preciseness. He used smooth and fluent lines and bright heavy colors. His representative works were Plowing and Weaving and Portrait for Zhang Zhao.

Min Zhen(1730-C.1788) sold paintings in Yangzhou. He had good relationship with the others Eight Eccentrics in Yangzhou. He was good at painting figures, landscapes, flowers and birds, but best known for his figure paintings. He mainly used water and ink to depict figure in thick, strong, simple lines. The subject matters were mainly from common people living at the bottom of the society. His paintings were with accurate shape, simple yet definite image, vivid and lifelike facial expression. He had Eight Children Enjoying the Lantern Festival left to the world today.