To enter the history of Chinese painting is to travel to the past, and not only in a matter of time, but also our own history, our feelings and our own spirituality.
And it is that the past is the basis of the present and the future, and as such, it demands respect, a maxim that Chinese painters learn from very early on and of which they are constantly remembered by their teachers, who in this way facilitate their achievement. of the great objective of the traditional Chinese painter: to capture not only the external appearance of a body, but also its internal essence, its energy, life force and spirit.
A good Chinese painting reveals the character of the artist, who in turn contributes to the meaning of his work, thus to really understand a piece, It is useful to know about the artists and the time in which they lived, so before we move on to some of the most momentous in the next series, we'll take a brief look at the history that shaped some of the most fascinating painting talents in the world. Asia and the rest of the world.
It is true that the works of art of China They range from 200 BC to those that continue to be produced and can be considered traditional painting of the country. Traditional Chinese painting began to be carried out on paper or silk, using a variety of brushes and ink, regularly portraying people in their activities, landscapes, flowers, birds, animals and insects.
The first masters tested meticulous lines in their strokes, distinguishing themselves more as cartographers than painters by using a brush dipped in black ink or colored pigments, usually on paper or silk, to make their distinguished figures. The presentation of the works was done so much in sheets that they could be rolled up to medium-sized walls.
During this time, two main techniques emerged within Chinese painting:
- Gongbi (工笔), a meticulous style, rich in color and detailed brushstrokes where portraits and narrative themes were carried out.
- Xieyi (写意), which means "freehand", a more flexible style where landscapes were generally worked, although it also exhibited the artist's feelings. The use of watercolor became widespread.
These styles, so similar but varied at the same time, were perfected during several dynasties.
Since the dynasty He (206 BC - 220 AD) to Pliers (618-907), artists made many elaborate and detailed portraits for the royal court, as well as depictions of the courtly life of the emperors, their ladies, and their imperial horses.
The dinasty Song, which lasted until 1279, saw the beginning of individual freedom of interpretation of subjects, where landscape paintings reached a mythical quality with blurred outlines of mountains and fog.
Then the dynasty followed Yuan (1279-1368), where painters began adding poetry and calligraphy to their works to express thoughts and feelings. This facilitated the creation of illustrated books and manuals on Chinese painting techniques.
Then came the dynasty Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911), where great talent and ability for simplicity was expended in works that focused on the revelation of the spirit of the subject being painted, or of the artist himself in charge of its realization.
It was not until 1912 when the painting expressed the effects of modernization, the impact of Western art and the political, military and economic struggles of the time. Increasingly, and finally in the mid-1920s, young Chinese artists were drawn to their relationship with Japanese art, as well as the one that was being shown in Paris and in art centers in Germany.
Some of those who were able to study abroad, such as Li Tiefu, Yan Wenliang, Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian y Fang ganmin They returned to their land and incorporated the best of both cultures into their art.
Throughout the 1950s, political changes began to echo in China and in various social groups, including painters, and although the early 1960s were a time of political relaxation for artists, the Cultural Revolution 1966 to 1976 brought unprecedented difficulties with the passing of Mao.
The 1980s saw a resurgence of traditional Chinese painting with the birth of talents as new as Wu guanzhong y JiaYoufu, who started experience with new themes and techniques in his attempt to take Chinese painting to a new height.
However, the truth is that both new artists as ancient professionals shared a reverence for the past, and that is why everyone, regardless of their presence in the line of tiempo, manipulate and reinterpret ancient themes, to give historical resonance to their work.
The admiration of Chinese painting is to enter into a dialogue with the past. In addition, the act of unrolling a scroll or flipping through an album provides an additional physical connection to work, an intimate experience that is lost in the digital universe but has been shared and repeated over the centuries.