The Qing Dynasty | Boundless Art History - Lumen Learning

Under the Qing Dynasty, traditional forms of art flourished and many types of innovations were made at many levels. High levels of literacy, prosperous cities, ... Skiptomaincontent BoundlessArtHistory ChinaandKoreaAfter1279CE Searchfor: TheQingDynasty OrthodoxConfucianPaintingundertheQingDynasty TheearlyQingDynastydevelopedintwomainstrands,oneofwhichwastheOrthodoxschoolofConfucianpaintings. LearningObjectives DifferentiatetheworkoftheSixOrthodoxMastersoftheQingDynastyfromthatoftheirindividualistcontemporaries KeyTakeaways KeyPoints UndertheQingDynasty,traditionalformsofartflourishedandinnovationsweremadeatmanylevelsandinmanytypes.Highlevelsofliteracy,prosperouscities,asuccessfulpublishingindustry,andtheConfucianemphasisoncultivationallfedalivelyandcreativesetofculturalfields. TheearlyQingdynastydevelopedintwomainstrands:theOrthodoxSchoolandtheIndividualistpainters.BothapproachesfollowedthetheoriesofDongQichangbutstresseddifferentaspects. TheSixMastersoftheearlyQingperiodwereagroupofmajorOrthodoxartistswhoseartwasgenerallyconservative,cautious,subtle,andcomplex,incontrasttothevigorousandvividpaintingoftheirindividualistcontemporaries.TheFourWangs—WangJian,WangShimin,WangYuanqi,andWangHui—wereparticularlyrenownedintheOrthodoxSchoolandsoughtinspirationinrecreatingthepaststyles,especiallythetechnicalskillsinbrushstrokesandcalligraphyofancientmasters. KeyTerms “FourWangs”:AgroupofChinesepaintersoftheQingDynasty,particularlyrenownedintheç,whosoughtinspirationinrecreatingthepaststyles,especiallythetechnicalskillsinbrushstrokesandcalligraphyofancientmasters. Overview:QingDynastyPainting TheQingDynastywasthelastimperialdynastyofChina,rulingfrom1644to1912withabrief,abortiverestorationin1917.ItwasprecededbytheMingDynastyandsucceededbytheRepublicofChina.TheQingmulti-culturalempirelastedalmostthreecenturiesandformedtheterritorialbaseforthemodernChinesestate. UndertheQingDynasty,traditionalformsofartflourishedandmanytypesofinnovationsweremadeatmanylevels.Highlevelsofliteracy,prosperouscities,asuccessfulpublishingindustry,andtheConfucianemphasisoncultivationallfedalivelyandcreativesetofculturalfields.TheearlyQingdynastydevelopedintwomainstrandsofpainting:theOrthodoxSchoolandtheIndividualistpainters.BothschoolsfollowedthetheoriesofDongQichang,thoughemphasizingverydifferentaspects. OrthodoxPainting TheQingemperorswereoftenskilledinpaintingandofferedtheirpatronagetoConfucianculture.TheKangxiandQianlongEmperors,forinstance,embracedChinesetraditionsbothtocontrolthemandtoproclaimtheirownlegitimacy.UndertheOrthodoxSchool,courtpaintersmadenewversionsoftheSongmasterpiece,ZhangZeduan‘sAlongtheRiverDuringtheQingmingFestival,whosedepictionofaprosperousandhappyrealmdemonstratedthebeneficenceoftheemperor.Themostimpressiveaestheticworksduringthisperiodweredoneamongthescholarsandurbanelite.Calligraphyandpaintingremainedacentralinteresttobothcourtpaintersandscholar-gentrywhoconsideredtheFourArts(music,strategygames,calligraphy,andpainting)partoftheirculturalidentityandsocialstanding. ThepaintingoftheearlyyearsofthedynastyincludedsuchpaintersastheorthodoxSixMasters,includingtheFourWangs.The19thcenturysawsuchinnovationsastheShanghaiSchoolandtheLingnanSchool,whichusedthetechnicalskillsoftraditiontosetthestageformodernpainting. TheSixMasters TheSixMastersoftheearlyQingperiodwereagroupofmajorChineseartistswhoworkedinthe17thandearly18thcenturies.AlsoknownasOrthodoxmasters,theycontinuedthetraditionofthescholar-painter,followingtheinjunctionsoftheartist-criticDongQichanglateintheMingDynasty.TheworksoftheSixMastersaregenerallyconservative,cautious,subtle,andcomplexincontrasttothevigorousandvividpaintingoftheirindividualistcontemporaries. YunShouping,Peonies,Hangingscroll;inkandcoloronsilk(17th-18thcentury):Yun’sstylewasvibrantandexpressive;heattemptedtodisplaytheinnervitalityandspiritofhissubjectsinpainting. TheSixMastersincludetheflowerpainterYunShouping,thelandscapepainterWuLi,andtheFourWangs:WangShimin,WangJian,WangYuanqi,andWangHui.TheFourWangswereparticularlyrenownedintheOrthodoxSchoolandsoughtinspirationinrecreatingthepaststyles,especiallythetechnicalskillsinbrushstrokesandcalligraphyofancientmasters.TheyoungerWangYuanqi(1642–1715)ritualizedtheapproachofengagingwith,anddrawinginspirationfrom,theworkofanancientmaster.Hisownworkswereoftenannotatedwithhistheoriesofhowhispaintingsrelatetothemaster’smodel. WangHui,ClearingAutumSkyoveraFishingVilage,hangingscroll,inkandlightcolorsonpaper(1680):WangHuiandthethreeotherWangsdominatedOrthodoxartinChinathroughoutthelateMingandearlyQingperiods.OftheFourWangs,WangHuiisconsideredtobethebestknowntoday. IndividualistPaintingundertheQingDynasty DuringtheQingDynasty,paintersknownasIndividualistsrebelledagainstmanyofthetraditionalrulesofpaintingthroughfreebrushwork. LearningObjectives ExplainhowtheworkofIndividualistsoftheQingDynasty,suchasShitao,deviatedfromthetraditionalrulesofpainting. KeyTakeaways KeyPoints DuringtheearlyQingDynasty(1644–1911),twomainstrandsofpaintingdeveloped:theOrthodoxSchoolandtheIndividualistpainters. WhileOrthodoxpainterssuchastheSixMastersfocusedonastylethatwasconservative,cautious,subtle,andcomplex,Individualistpainterstendedtoproducemorevigorousandvividworksofart. TheIndividualistpaintersincludedBadaShanrenandShitao,whodrewmorefromtherevolutionaryideasoftranscendingthetraditiontoachieveanoriginal,individualisticstyle. TheartcreatedbyShitaowasrevolutionaryinitstransgressionsoftherigidlycodifiedtechniquesandstylesthatdictatedwhatwasconsideredbeautiful. KeyTerms QingDynasty:ThelastdynastyofChina,lastingfrom1644to1912. BadaShanren:(1626-1705)AChinesepainterofshuimohuaandacalligrapher. Shitao:(1641-1707)AChineselandscapepainterandpoetduringtheearlyQingDynasty. BreakingFromOrthodoxTraditions DuringtheearlyQingDynasty(1644–1911),paintersknownasIndividualistsrebelledagainstmanyofthetraditionalrulesofpaintingandfoundwaystoexpressthemselvesmoredirectlythroughfreebrushwork.WhileOrthodoxpainterssuchastheSixMastersfocusedonastylethatwasconservative,cautious,subtle,andcomplex,Individualistpainterstendedtoproducemorevigorousandvividworksofart. TheIndividualistpaintersincludedBadaShanren(1626–1705)andShitao(1641–1707),whobothdrewfromtherevolutionaryideasoftranscendingtraditiontoachieveanoriginalstyle.Inthisway,theyweremorefaithfullyfollowingthewayofDongQichangthantheOrthodoxSchool,whowereconsideredhisofficialdirectfollowers. TwoBirds byBadaShanren(1650–1705):BadaShanrenpaintingsfeaturesharpbrushstrokesthatareattributedtothesidewaysmannerbywhichheheldhisbrush. PaintingStyles ThepaintingsofBadaShanrenfeaturesharpbrushstrokes,whichareattributedtothesidewaysmannerbywhichheheldhisbrush.TheartcreatedbyShitaowasrevolutionaryinitstransgressionsoftherigidlycodifiedtechniquesandstylesthatdictatedwhatwasconsideredbeautiful.Inhistime,imitationwasvaluedoverinnovation,andalthoughShitaowasclearlyinfluencedbyhispredecessors(namelyNiZanandLiYong),hisartbreakswiththeirsinseveralnewandfascinatingways. PinePavilionNearaSpring byShitao(1675):ShitaoisoneofthemostfamousindividualistpaintersoftheearlyQingDynasty.Thearthecreatedwasrevolutionaryinitstransgressionsoftherigidlycodifiedtechniquesandstylesthatdictatedwhatwasconsideredbeautiful. Shitao’sformalinnovationsindepictionincludedrawingattentiontotheactofpaintingitselfthroughhisuseofwashesandbold,impressionisticbrushstrokes,aswellasaninterestinsubjectiveperspectiveandtheuseofnegativeorwhitespacetosuggestdistance.Thepoetryandcalligraphythataccompanyhislandscapesarejustasvividandirreverentasthepaintingstheycomplement.Hispaintingsexemplifytheinternalcontradictionsandtensionsoftheliteratiorscholar-amateurartist,andtheyhavebeeninterpretedasaninvectiveagainstart-historicalcanonization. ReminiscencesofQin-HuaiisoneofShitao’suniquepaintings.LikemanypaintingsfromthelateMingandearlyQingDynasties,itdealswithman’splaceinnature.Uponfirstviewing,thecraggypeakinthispaintingseemssomewhatdistorted.Whatmakesthispaintingsouniqueisthat,uponcloserinspection,itappearstodepictthemountainbowing.AmonkstandsplacidlyonaboatthatfloatsalongtheQin-Huairiver,staringupinadmirationatthestonegiant.Theeconomyofrespectthatcirculatesbetweenmanandnatureisexploredhereinasophisticatedstylereminiscentofsurrealismormagicalrealismandborderingontheabsurd.Shitaohimselfhadvisitedtheriverandthesurroundingregioninthe1680s,butitisunknownwhetherthealbumthatcontainsthispaintingdepictsspecificplaces. ReminiscencesofQin-HuaibyShitao:LikemanyofthepaintingsfromthelateMingDynastyandearlyQingDynasty,Shitao’sReminiscencesofQin-Huaidealswithman’splaceinnature. LicensesandAttributions CClicensedcontent,SharedpreviouslyCurationandRevision.Providedby:Boundless.com.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlikeCClicensedcontent,SpecificattributionPeoniesbyYunShouping.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Peonies_by_Yun_Shouping.jpg.License:PublicDomain:NoKnownCopyrightWangHui10.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wang_Hui10.jpg.License:PublicDomain:NoKnownCopyrightChineseart.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_art%23Early_Qing_painting.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlikeQingDynasty.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_Dynasty%23Arts_and_Culture.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlikeSixMastersoftheearlyQingperiod.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Masters_of_the_early_Qing_period.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlikeBoundless.Providedby:BoundlessLearning.Locatedat:http://www.boundless.com//art-history/definition/four-wangs.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlikeChuTa003.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chu_Ta_003.jpg.License:PublicDomain:NoKnownCopyrightShiTao-PinePavilionNearASpring.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ShiTao-Pine_Pavilion_Near_A_Spring.jpg.License:PublicDomain:NoKnownCopyrightShitao-Qinhuai.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shitao-Qinhuai.jpg.License:PublicDomain:NoKnownCopyrightShitao.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shitao.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlikeChinesepainting.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_painting%23Late_imperial_China_.281368.E2.80.931895.29.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlikeChineseart.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_art%23Early_Qing_painting.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlikeBadaShanren.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bada%20Shanren.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlikeShitao.Providedby:Wikipedia.Locatedat:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shitao.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlikeQingDynasty.Providedby:Wiktionary.Locatedat:http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Qing+Dynasty.License:CCBY-SA:Attribution-ShareAlike Previous Next