Chinese paintings: Then and now

I love art and art history. I wish I had majored in art history instead of sociology at the University of Hawaii. I would have been so happy being a curator of a museum or gallery.

Traditional Chinese painters typically used ink and colored pigments on silk or rice paper. Their technique was similar to Chinese calligraphy. Oil, which was common in European art, was not used at all.

Though artists often painted royal subjects and court life, landscapes were considered the epitome of traditional Chinese art. The human figure was just a speck next to towering mountains.

By Lu Han (1699). Ink and color on paper:

By Qian Zuan (1200s AD). Ink, color and gold on paper:

By Huang Jucai (1200s AD). Ink and color on silk:

Other traditional Chinese paintings (unattributed):

Then, during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), thousands of these priceless and valuable paintings were destroyed. The Red Guard attacked intellectuals and sent them to the farms to work as laborers. There developed a personality cult, based on the revolutionary ideals of Mao Tse Tung. After 10 years, this all came to a halt with the influence of Chou En Lai. However, the damage had been done. These priceless works of art are gone forever.

Now, a new crop of artists has emerged from the rubble. Contemporary Chinese artists have adopted modern techniques to express themselves.

These are examples of contemporary Chinese paintings:

The evolution of Chinese art is absolutely fascinating.

If you can’t attend art history classes at the university, you can always Google for information on the computer. It’s incredible what you can learn from the Internet.