Ming Dynasty painting theory

Author: Pan Yungao, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-11-01
Features: Ming Dynasty painting theory, closely linked with Ming Dynasty painting, is a theoretical summary of Ming Dynasty painting creation. Ming Dynasty painting, in the history of Chinese painting, can be considered as a small wave, with the achievements of literati painting being particularly outstanding. In the early Ming Dynasty, although the imperial court established painting academies, their achievements fell far short of those later formed by literati in the wilderness, creating the Wu painting school. Before the mid-Ming Dynasty, the Zhe school dominated the painting scene, with representative painters such as Dai Jin and Wu Wei achieving remarkable accomplishments in landscape painting and having a significant influence. However, as the Wu painting school rose in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, its influence gradually waned. The Wu painting school was represented by the four masters—Shen, Wen, Tang, and Qiu—whose landscape paintings each displayed unique styles but collectively formed a new literati painting style, opening up new horizons and dimensions in Ming Dynasty painting. Although the development of Ming Dynasty figure painting was relatively slow, it produced outstanding painters such as Qiu Ying and Chen Hongshou. The achievements of Bian Wenjin, Lin Liang, and Lü Ji in flower-and-bird painting were also significant. Especially noteworthy are Chen Chun and Xu Wei, whose expressive and ink-splashing freehand flower-and-bird paintings were particularly captivating to the eye.