Senior University Chinese Painting Teaching Series: Birds and Animals

Author: Luo Jianhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Taoism in China emphasizes "purity and simplicity" as its core, opposing the dazzling beauty of vibrant colors. Thus, there are concepts such as "disrupting the eyes with five colors," "returning to simplicity," and "simplicity that no one can compete with in beauty." These ideas align with the aesthetic views of ancient painters who "abandoned five colors and replaced them with ink." The convergence and intersection of these two streams of aesthetic thought foretell the emergence of a new realm for Chinese painting—the rise of Chinese ink painting. Though flower-and-bird paintings of the Yuan Dynasty may not be as freely expressive as landscape paintings, the rendering of these works using ink instead of color gives them a unique charm and artistic conception—subtle, elegant, and tranquil. While pursuing the charm of brushwork and ink, as well as the "unity of calligraphy and painting" to express diversity, painters inherited and developed the aesthetic essence of Song Dynasty painting, along with their dedicated, introspective creative attitude. This resulted in works with a strong era-specific style and exceptional artistic excellence.