Landscape painting, the core carrier of Eastern art, is not only the depiction of scenery but also the projection of philosophy and emotion. From its nascent stage in the Wei and Jin Dynasties to its peak in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and then to the experimental expressions of contemporary times, this article will sort out the evolution of Chinese landscape painting and explore the cultural codes behind it.
I. Origin: The Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties (3rd - 6th centuries)
1. From character backgrounds to independent painting genres
Gu Kaizhi's "The Ode to the Luo River Goddess" : The landscape serves as an accompaniment to the characters' stories, but the proportions are not yet harmonious.
Zong Bing's "Preface to Landscape Painting" : He proposed "purifying one's mind to observe the Tao", laying the theoretical foundation for landscape painting.
Feature: The naive "man is greater than the mountain and the water cannot flood", symbolizing more than being realistic.
Ii. Maturity: Sui and Tang Dynasties (6th - 10th centuries)
The splendor of the green and blue landscape
Zhan Ziqian's "Spring Outing" (Sui Dynasty) : The earliest existing independent landscape scroll, with green and blue colors, and the spatial layers are beginning to emerge.
Li Sixun and Li Zhaodao (Tang Dynasty) : The landscape is resplendent and magnificent, like the "Painting of River Sails and Pavilions".
2. The budding of ink wash painting
Wang Wei: "Poetry is like painting, and painting is like poetry." He pioneered the technique of breaking ink and set the precedent for freehand brushwork.
Key words: Court Splendor vs. literati seclusion.
Iii. Peak: The Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty (10th - 13th Centuries)
The grandeur of the North vs. the warmth of the South
Jing Hao, Guan Tong (Five Dynasties) : The perilous Chiseling of the "Kuanglu Painting" 皴.
Dong Yuan, Ju Ran (Southern Tang) : The "Xiaoxiang Painting" is covered with 皴, misty and hazy.
2. Panoramic landscapes of the Northern Song Dynasty
Fan Kuan 's "Journey by Streams and Mountains" : Monumental composition, raindrops 皴 represent the weightiness of the Qinling mountains.
Guo Xi's "Early Spring Painting" : A theoretical summary of the "Three Distances Method" (high distance, deep distance, and Level distance).
3. The Charm of the Corners of the Southern Song Dynasty
Ma Yuan's "Ma Yijiao" : The blank space in "Treading Song" is ethereal.
Xia GUI's "Xia Banbian" : The ink-wash painting in "Clear and Distant Streams and Mountains" is vivid and vigorous.
The core of philosophy: The observation of nature under the Neo-Confucian principle of "investigating things to acquire knowledge".
Iv. Transformation: Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties (13th - 19th Centuries)
The Revolution of literati painting in the Yuan Dynasty
Zhao Meng ð« youdaoplaceholder4 ¯ : "Calligraphy and painting have the same origin." The ancient and simple "Autumn Scenery of Que Hua
The Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty (Huang Gongwang, Ni Zan, Wu Zhen and Wang Meng) : The carefree and detached style of "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains".
2. Disputes among schools of thought during the Ming Dynasty
Zhe School (Dai Jin) : The vigor of the imperial style.
The Wu School of Painting (Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming) : The refined interest in the study, the literati sentiment in "High Picture of Lushan Mountain".
3. Orthodoxy and Rebellion in the Qing Dynasty
The Four Wangs (Wang Shimin, etc.) : A comprehensive collection of techniques that imitate ancient styles.
Shi Tao and Bada Shanren: Liberating individuality, "Searching through all the strange peaks to make a draft."
V. Modern and Contemporary: Tradition and Experiment (20th Century - Present)
1. Shanghai School and Lingnan School
Wu Changshuo: Engraving on metal and stone, bold and vigorous.
Fu Baoshi: The Political Landscape of "The Land Is So Beautiful".
2. Exploration of Contemporary Ink Painting
Xu Bing's "The Story Behind" : Deconstructing Mountains and Waters with Light and Shadow.
Gu Wenda: Zen Landscapes in Installation Art.
Vi. The Aesthetic Code of Landscape Painting
From "feasible and desirable" to "enjoyable and habitable" : The Song people pursued an immersive experience, while the Yuan people yearned for a reclusive ideal.
Brush and ink represent spirit: Texture strokes are not only techniques but also a form of temperament (as Fan Kuan's "raindrops" correspond to firmness and fortitude).
Blank space is the universe: boundless vitality lies in the void.
Conclusion
From green and blue to ink wash, from realism to expressing the heart, landscape painting has always been a visual epic of the Chinese people's "harmony between man and nature". In today's era of AI-generated art, we still need the profound meanings within those ink colors - for mountains and waters are not merely landscapes but reflections of one's state of mind.