Art Appreciation 2014 - 2015

February 2015 China

A Trip Around the World

Art Appreciation - A Trip Around the World

5th Stop: CHINA

Charlotte, NC

#1: Latin America

#2: Africa

#3: MediterraneanMediterranean Sea

#4: Russia

#5: China

Chinese Art

Calligraphy

Four Anecdotes, c 1310Zhao MengfuHandscroll, ink on paperMET, New York• Calligraphy was seen as the highest of all art forms in traditional China

• Chinese has no alphabet; instead made up of “characters” that stand for individual syllables or words

• Over 50,000 Chinese characters exist; the average literate Chinese person knows around 3,000

• The author of this piece was considered to be the most skilled in all of China at the time and highly favored by Chinese Emperor Renzong

Chinese Art

Calligraphy

Wang Xizhi Watching Geese, c 1295Qian Xuan

Handscroll; ink, color, and gold on paperMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York

• When viewing this piece, the Chinese focus mainly on the calligraphy; the colorful painting and the poem expressed by the calligraphy are afterthoughts

• This was created by a highly skilled calligrapher in 1295 to honor another calligrapher, Wang Xizhi. Wang was born in 303 AD and is regarded as one of the most talented calligraphers in all of Chinese history

• Wang was said to have learned to gracefully move his wrist while writing by observing the neck movements of the geese he raised

Chinese Art

Modern Calligraphy

Grazing Horse, 1932Xu Beihong Hanging scroll; ink on bark paperMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York

• Calligraphy continues to be highly valued in China but modern influences can be seen as well

• This scroll combines the traditional(calligraphy and the use of only ink and brush) and the modern (horse drawn with quick strokes highlighting areas of light and dark similar to impressionism)

• In 1919 Xu Beihong became the first Chinese government-sponsored student to go to Europe to study art

Chinese Art

Sculpture - Buddhism

Bodhisattva Manjushric 1403-1424 (Ming dynasty)Gilt brassMetropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Buddha, likely AmitabhaEarly 7th century (Tang Dynasty)

Dry lacquer with gilt and pigmentMetropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

• Buddhists believe that all human existence is suffering, that the cause of suffering is desire, that freedom from suffering is nirvana, which frees a person for the endless cycle of death and rebirth

• Buddhism first came to China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and has helped shape Chinese culture ever since

• Buddhist statues vary greatly in size and materials used but all pay homage to Buddha (one who has reached nirvana) or Bodhisattva (one who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so to help others)

Chinese Art

Sculpture – Terracotta Army

Terracotta Army, Late 3rd Century BCApprox. 700,000 unknown Chinese

workmenMausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Lintong District, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China

• Sculpture has been part of Chinese art tradition for over 5,000 years

• This massive collection of sculptures was created for the burial site of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China, to protect him in the afterlife

• The site contains over 9,000 individual sculptures including soldiers, chariots & horses

Chinese Art

Sculpture – Terracotta Army

• Note how the faces of these two soldiers differ from each other. Each statue was constructed to be unique

• The statues were created during the late 3rd century BC – over 1,700 years ago

• The site was buried with the emperor and forgotten; it was rediscovered in 1974 by farmers drilling a well

• The site now hosts over 2 million visitors a year

Chinese Art

Painting

Listening to the Wind, c. 1246Ma LinIndia ink on silkNational Palace Museum, Taipei City, Taiwan

• Traditional Chinese painting involves many of the same techniques as calligraphy and is done with a brush dipped in black or colored ink; oil paints are not used

• Artists had no desire to depict “changeable” characteristics such as light and shadow; color was often avoided and seen as a distraction

• Hanging scrolls such as this one are common with the foreground at the bottom of the scroll while the middle and far distances are at the middle and top respectively

• The traditional craft involved in creating a blank hanging scroll is considered an art in itself

Chinese Art

Painting

Narcissus, c 1199Zhao MengjianHandscroll; ink on paperMet Museum, New York

Early Autumn, 13th centuryQian XuanInk and colors on paper Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, MI

• Landscape painting has always been (and continues to be) the most highly prized type of painting in China

Chinese Art

Folding Screen (Pingfeng) Armorial Screen, Qing dynasty, 1720–1730Wood, lacquer, goldPeabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

• Often beautifully decorated, the folding screen originated in China in the 7th century

• Originally created to block cold drafts in homes - Chinese name: píng ( 屏 "screen; blocking") and feng ( 風 "breeze, wind")

• By the 17th century Europeans were importing screens from China to decorate their homes; a practice that continues worldwide today

Chinese Art

Folding Screen (Pingfeng)

Modern Chinese Folding ScreenGuimet Museum of Asian Art, Paris

Art Appreciation - A Trip Around the World

Next Stop: India

Charlotte, NC

#1: Latin America

#2: Africa

#3: MediterraneanMediterranean Sea

#4: Russia

#5: China

#6: India