The History and Uniqueness of Traditional Chinese Painting
Traditional Chinese painting has a history of about 6,000 years. It bears its own characteristics and has formed a unique style.
Traditional Chinese painting is highly regarded throughout the world for its theory, expression, and techniques. Different from Western paintings, Chinese painting is not restricted by the focal point in its perspective. Riverside Scene at Tomb-sweeping Day painted by one of the Song Dynasty’s greatest artists, Zhang Zeduan about 980 years ago, provides a good example. In the picture the artist painted all the scenes along the river on the Tomb-sweeping Day on a long and narrow piece of paper. One can see what people are doing both outside and inside the courtyard and the house. It can be said that the adoption of shifting perspective is one of the characteristics of Chinese painting.
The Reason for Shifting Perspective in Chinese Painting
Chinese artists emphasize the shifting perspective because they want to break away from the restriction of time and space and to include in their pictures both things which are far and near. Also, the artists find that in life people view their surroundings from a mobile focal point. As one walks along a river or in a garden, one sees everything on the way. The shifting perspective enables the artist to express freely what he wants.
Chinese Painting in the 20th Century and Notable Artists
In the 20th century, Chinese artists create a new visual language that embodies aspects of traditional Chinese art while responding to a time of great transition. Their artworks express personal beliefs, national pride, and international awareness.
Xu Beihong (1895—1953), a famous modern Chinese painter, is primarily known for his Chinese ink paintings of horses and birds and one of the first Chinese artists to articulate the need for artistic expressions that reflect a modern China at the beginning of the 20th century. He is also regarded as one of the first to create monumental oil paintings with epic Chinese themes—a show of his high proficiency in an essential Western art technique. He is one of the four pioneers of Chinese modern art who earned the title of “The Four Great Academy Presidents”.
Since 1978, Chinese artists have begun to experiment with new subjects and techniques. More and more artists have conducted innovations in Chinese painting.
Wu Guanzhong (1919–2010) is a contemporary Chinese painter widely recognized as a founder of modern Chinese painting. He is considered to be one of the greatest contemporary Chinese painters. Wu’s artworks have both Western and Eastern influences, such as the Western style of Fauvism and the Eastern style of Chinese calligraphy. Wu has painted various aspects of China, including much of its architecture, plants, animals, people, as well as many of its landscapes and waterscapes in a style reminiscent of the impressionist painters of the early 1900s.
