How can you understand the art of traditional Chinese painting？
2 min readChinese painting is a pure art.It is lyrical enough to stand on an equal footing with poetry and contemplative thought.It has incomparable refinements of design and reveals subtle insights into nature and human beings.Painting in thetraditional style involves essentially the same techniques as calligraphy.It is done with a brush dipped in black or colored ink；oils are not used.The line drawn by a brush has remained the core medium of Chinese painting throughout its history.
Painters give ever-greater emphasis to the brush-line itself，taking it as their primary descriptive and expressive means.
In dynastic times，painting and calligraphy were the most highly appreciated arts in court circles and were produced almost exclusively by amateurs-aristocrats and scholar-officials who alone had the sensibility and leisure to perfect the technique necessary for great brushwork.A piece of painting normally consists of the painting itself，calligraphic writing and seal stamps.As with calligraphy，paintings by famous painters have been greatly valued throughout China’s history. They are mounted on scrolls which can be hung or rolled up，but some are done in albums or on walls，lacquerwork，and other media.
Can you give a brief introduction of the history of traditional Chinese painting？
Chinese painting originated in the remote period，dating back to 6，000 to 7，000 years ago.At the primitive stage，from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period，paintings decorated bronze ritual vessels and other bronze wares；and the concept of”beauty”was first applied，not to art，but to ancestral sacrifices.
Paintings on silk first appeared during the Warring States Period.But after the invention of paper in the lst century A.D.，silk was gradually replaced by this new，cheaper material.
Wall painting developed during the Qin and Han dynasties.Apart from wall paintings in palaces and temples，there were a great number of Chinese murals in the tombs of that period.During the Three Kingdoms Period，the main subject of painting was Buddhist figures and paintings executed according to Daoist concepts.Beginning in the Tang Dynasty，the landscape painting came to the fore.The purpose was not to reproduce exactly the appearance of nature，but to grasp an emotion or atmosphere in such a way as to catch the”rhythm”of nature.In the Song Dynasty，landscapes of more subtle expression appeared.Emphasis was placed on the spiritual qualities of the painting and on the ability of the artist to reveal the inner harmony between human and nature.
The Yuan Dynasty is known for its outstanding ink-wash paintings.During the Ming and Qing dynasties，painting developed along two distinct lines.One，represented by Wang Shimin and Wang Jian ，faithfully followed olc masters.The other，represented by Zhu Da and the Yangzhou School ，emphasized the expression of personal feeling.The latter’s unique endeavors and appealing taste have been accepted by famous modern artists like Qi Baishi ，Xu Beihong and Pan Tianshou .
