Chinese Landscape and Nature Painting

Question 1

Answer 1

• Name: Travelers Among Mountains and Streams
• Artist: Fan Kuan
• Date: c. 1000
• Uses Fan Kuan’s “Raindrop Brushstroke” technique

Question 2

Answer 2

• Name: Solitary Temple amid Clearing Peaks
• Artist: Li Cheng
• Date: c. 960
• Uses Li Cheng’s famous “Crabclaw Brushstroke” technique

Question 3

Answer 3

• Name: Early Spring
• Artist: Guo Xi
• Date: c. 1072

Question 4

Answer 4

• Name: 5 Colored Parakeet
• Artist: Emperor Huizong
• Date: c. 1110
• Painted using the Literal Style of the Imperial Painting Academy
• Stylistic emphasis on precision, linearity, decorative pattern, use of color vs. ink

Question 5

Answer 5

• Name: Walking on a Mountain Path in Spring
• Artist: Ma Yuan
• Date: c. 1300
• Uses the “Lyric Style” of Southern Song, less expansive, monumental views but more intimate experience of nature

Question 6

Answer 6

• Name: Six Persimmons
• Artist: Mu Qi (What Michiru says when she’s mad)
• Date: c. 1300
• Painted using the “Spontaneous Style” of Chan Buddhist painting, reflects the need to be intuitive, spontaneous and introspective, monochromatic technique is a reflection of Yin and Yang

Question 7

Answer 7

• Name: Sheep and Goat
• Artist: Zhao Mengfu
• Date: c. 1300
• Showcases the importance of inscriptions and seals to the asthetic merit and documentation of a painting

Question 8

What were the five major approaches to interpreting landscape painting in the Song Dynasty?

Answer 8

1. Courtly Style: A decorative style associated with academic court art from the Tang Dynasty, emphasis on blue and green coloration, a traditional approach to landscape
2. Monumental Style: Landscape concieved as an immeasurable expression of the universe
3. Literal Style: Bird and flower paintings, emphasis on precision, linearity, decorative pattern, and use of color vs. ink
4. Lyric Style: Less expansive, monumental views; more intimate experience of Nature, asymmetrical compositions based on a diagonal complex corner vs. “void”
5. Spontaneous Style: Reflects the need to be intuitive, spontaneous and introspective, monochromatic technique is a reflection of Yin and Yang

Question 9

What is a Shan Shui

Answer 9

• A Shan Shui is the symbolism a “Mountain Water Picture”

Question 10

What is a Literati?

Answer 10

• A Literati is an educated man in the Neo Confucianist movement, most of whom were encouraged to become government officials and scholars.
• A Gentlemanly Scholar