Author: Bai Wenhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Porcelain is a great invention of China and a symbol of its ancient civilization. The splendid ancient porcelain, such as the Cai Kiln of the Five Dynasties, the Five Great Kilns of the Song Dynasty (Gu, Ge, Ru, Ding, Jun), the Yuan blue-and-white porcelain of Jingdezhen, and the imperial kiln porcelain of the Ming and Qing dynasties, are admired for their vibrant colors, exquisite craftsmanship, elegant shapes, and diverse types, leaving people in awe. During the (Kangxi and Qianlong reigns), China's porcelain industry had reached its peak. However, from the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns onward, especially after the Opium War in 1840, with the decline of the Qing government, economic stagnation and depression, and domestic instability, the porcelain industry gradually declined, and the brilliant ancient ceramic culture of China lost its former brilliance. In terms of shape, body, glaze, pigments, and painting, modern porcelain fell far short of its ancient counterparts, unable to compare with the famous ancient porcelain.
However, the shallow red-and-white porcelain that emerged during the late Qing Dynasty, a dark period in China's feudal society, was like a ray of sunshine, bringing dazzling brilliance to the dim late Qing porcelain industry. It not only gained favor among contemporary people but also had a profound influence on the porcelain painting art of the Republican era.
Shallow red-and-white porcelain painting originated from a painting technique created by the Yuan Dynasty literati painter Huang Gongwang, who used ink and light-colored glazes to paint, resulting in a light and elegant palette. This aesthetic view of "the lighter the color, the richer the depth" greatly influenced the literati painters and porcelain painters of the late Qing Dynasty. They learned from the works of masters such as Huang Ziji, Shen Shitian, Hua Qiaoyue, Qiu Shizhou, Baishi Shanshan, Tang Bohu, Dong Xuanzai, the "Four Wangs," Wu Xun, and Shi Xi, drawing inspiration from the literati paintings of the Song and Yuan dynasties. They painted figures, landscapes, flowers and birds, and animals on white porcelain. The painting process began with ink outlines, followed by applying light ochre and minimal water green, grass green, and light blue to create a light, misty, and subtle effect, with a hint of charm. Adding inscriptions, captions, and seals further enhanced the scholarly atmosphere of the works.
This artistic realm of porcelain painting shares a harmonious similarity with Chinese painting on paper and silk.