Chinese art

Chinese art
anonymous · CC BY 4.0 · source
Name	Chinese art
Caption	Traditional hanging scroll and blue-and-white porcelain
Period	Neolithic–present
Medium	Painting, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, architecture, textiles
Culture	Chinese

Chinese art is the visual arts produced in the geographical area historically dominated by Chinese-speaking polities from the Neolithic to the present. It encompasses a wide range of media and practices associated with dynasties, courts, literati, religious institutions, and urban markets, reflecting interactions with neighboring cultures and global networks. Major centers and patrons include Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Xi'an, Guangzhou, and influential figures such as Emperor Huizong of Song, Qianlong Emperor, Zhang Zeduan, Wang Xizhi, and Wu Daozi.

History and Periods

The development of Chinese art spans prehistoric cultures like the Yangshao culture and Longshan culture, through imperial eras such as the Han dynasty, Tang dynasty, Song dynasty, Yuan dynasty, Ming dynasty, and Qing dynasty, and into Republican and contemporary periods tied to events like the Xinhai Revolution and the founding of the People's Republic of China. Key cultural shifts occurred during the spread of Buddhism via the Silk Road and during dynastic court patronage exemplified by the Tang capital Chang'an and the Forbidden City. Movements and schools include the Gu Kaizhi tradition, the Zhe School, the Wu School, and the modern influences of the May Fourth Movement and the Cultural Revolution.

Painting and Calligraphy

Ink painting and calligraphy developed through masters such as Wang Xizhi, Zhao Mengfu, Mi Fu, Dong Qichang, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and Qi Baishi. Literati painting associated with the Song dynasty and the Yuan dynasty emphasized brushwork seen in works by Fan Kuan, Ma Yuan, Xia Gui, and Guo Xi; court painting flourished under patrons like Emperor Huizong of Song and Qianlong Emperor. Famous paintings include the handscroll Along the River During the Qingming Festival by Zhang Zeduan, the landscape scrolls attributed to Guo Xi, and the bird-and-flower paintings of Bian Jingzhao. Calligraphic scripts evolved from inscriptions on oracle bones and bronze vessels through clerical script popularized in the Han dynasty to cursive and semi-cursive works by Zhang Xu and Huaisu.

Sculpture and Ceramics

Sculpture ranges from the cave carvings at Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes to monumental Buddhist statuary in the Tang dynasty exemplified by Emperor Taizong's patronage. The development of ceramics includes Neolithic pottery of the Yangshao culture, proto-porcelain from Jian ware, the celadon of Longquan kilns, and the blue-and-white porcelains of Jingdezhen which became prized in trade with Portugal, the Netherlands, and England. Notable sculptors and ateliers acted under imperial commissions from the Ming dynasty court and the Qing dynasty court, producing imperial bronzes, lacquerwares, and Buddhist images found at sites like Mogao Caves.

Architecture and Garden Design

Architectural traditions include imperial projects such as the Forbidden City and urban layouts like those of Kaifeng and Hangzhou. Temple architecture is represented by the Shaolin Monastery and the Temple of Heaven, while vernacular wooden construction follows patterns codified in the Yingzao Fashi. Garden design reached high expression in the classical gardens of Suzhou and the imperial gardens of the Summer Palace, where designers referenced works by literati and employed borrowed scenery from surrounding landmarks like Tiger Hill. Structural and landscaping practices interacted with influences from contacts via the Maritime Silk Road and diplomatic exchanges with the Mongol Empire.

Decorative Arts and Textiles

Decorative media include lacquer, cloisonné, enamel, jade carving, and metalwork produced for imperial treasuries and merchant markets. Jade traditions trace back to ritual objects of the Shang dynasty and elite lapidary work under the Han dynasty; notable jade carvings appear in museum holdings associated with the Mogao Caves and tombs like those of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Textile arts include silk brocades from Hangzhou and patterned weaves used in court robes regulated by sumptuary codes in the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty; embroiderers worked in centers such as Suzhou and Nanjing, producing pieces for export via ports like Guangzhou.

Influence, Exchange, and Modern Developments

Chinese visual traditions influenced and were influenced by interactions with Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Tibet, Central Asia, and European powers including Portugal and the Netherlands. Export goods like Jingdezhen porcelain and lacquerware shaped global tastes alongside missionary introductions of optical techniques and materials in the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. In the 20th and 21st centuries, artists such as Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, Ai Weiwei, Cai Guo-Qiang, and institutions like the Shanghai Biennale and the National Palace Museum have negotiated traditions and modernity amid events like the May Fourth Movement and policies arising after 1949. Contemporary Chinese art circulates through global venues including the Venice Biennale and major museums in New York City, London, and Paris.

Category:Art by country