Period of Division: 220-581 Buddhism: By the 6th century, Buddhism began to reach China. Gradually, the spiritual, moral, religious, and ethical views of the religion crept its way into China's day-of-life. Buddhism was often expressed in jar, decorations in upper-class tombs, and figurines of Buddha. Between 483-494, the Wei Dynasty began work on a massive cave temple dedicated to Buddha. These massive cave temples were never completed due to the a move in the capital city of the Wei Dynasty (Clunas, 89-95).
This is a picture taken by Steve Cadman of the Buddhist Cave Temple from Cave 20 at Yungang, Shanxi province. CC-BY-SA
Calligraphy: Calligraphy, throughout China's history, has been revered as one of the most valued and oldest artistic treasures. While it is a form of writing and communication, only those in the upper-class had the privilege of learning this artistic tradition. Calligraphy is a combination of writing, religion artist personality, and pictures. (Clunas, 135).
Late Imperial China: 1368-1911 Ming and Qing Paintings: The Ming Dynasty rose to power after years of civil wars ravaged China. During the Ming Dynasty, Chinese culture blossomed. Artwork during the Ming Dynasty introduced new, complicated elements like shading as well as new mediums due to Western and European influence. During the Qing Dynasty, art became more unified with the opening of the Shanghai School. The Shanghai School pushed Chinese art into a new era. For the first time, art was used as a representation of social change (Clunas, 66-72).
Communist and Socialist Art: 1950-1980 The Cultural Revolution: The Chinese Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, rose to power at the end of World War II. Chairman Mao implemented many policies and education plans that aimed at destroying China's past. During this time, many ancient Chinese artifacts were destroyed during the 'Destruction of the Fourolds,' and artists during this time were encouraged to emphasize socialism. Artists who failed to follow the orders of Chairman Mao faced severe punishment (Andrews,183).
The images above represent many of the artworks during the Cultural Revolution and Chairman's Mao time in power. All of the images above were taken by Kurt Groetsch under CC BY-NC
References: Andrews, J. F., & Shen, K. (2012). The Art of Modern China. Berkeley: University of California Press. Clunas, C. (2009). Art in China. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Early Imperial China: 581-1368 Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-960): During The Sui Dynasty, Buddhist culture played an intricate role in the architecture, paintings, and sculptures at court. The Tang Dynasty is often compared to its predecessor of almost 800 years, the Han Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty brought expansion as well as a melting pot of cultures as China began to open its borders. This cultural shift can be seen in their artwork (Clunas, 45-48)
"A Stroll about Spring" is a famous landscape painting during the Sui Dynasty. It was painted by Zhan Ziqian under public domain
"Pleasures of the Tang Court" was painted by Zhan Xuan in the 8th century. This picture, taken by Richard M. Bennet, is under public domain.
Song and Yuan Dynasties (960-1368): The Song Dynasty was a time for immense cultural change, dating back to end of Tang Dynasty rule. During this time, women's role in court and upper-class began to shift from seemingly endless opportunities at political power to oppression. During this time, the practice of foot-binding was increasing rapidly. The fall of the Song Dynasty led the Yuan Dynasty to rise to power, briefly, for they were soon conquered by the Mongols. Mongol emperors emphasized Buddhism throughout the art at court and introduced new mediums of art including weavings, textiles, and ceramics. (Clunas, 49-51,63-66)
Pictured above: "The Spinning Wheel", painted by Wang Juzheng during the Northern Song Dynasty, is a representation of the new inventions as well as the beginning of women's rights during the Song Dynasty. This image is under public domain. To the left, a wooded lacquer plate represents the change in art and culture during the Mongol invasion. This picture was taken by Sean Pathasema under CC BY-SA
New China Art: 1911-1949 The New Republic: 1911-1936 During the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, education became an important subject within the Chinese culture. Gao Jianfu and Gao Qifeng, two Chinese brothers, expanded the artistic perspective after traveling to Japan. Oil paintings were introduced into Chinese art as well as realism. Both brothers were revolutionary in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and leading the New Culture Movement (Andrews, 29-35).
Xu Beihong painted this using oil paints in 1929. This image is public domain.
This image was painted by Gao Jianfu in the 1910s. This image is public domain.
Art in Wartime: 1936-1945 The Japanese invasion on July 7, 1937 devastated China. Many of the art depicted during this time is propaganda against the Japanese as well as motivation for Chinese soldiers (Andrews, 115-119). To the left, a cartoon drawn by Ye Qianyu in 1939 titled 'Mr. Wang Joins the Army." This cartoon is public domain.
Modern Chinese Art: Present Day The redevelopment and growth of Chinese modern art is the most expressive and unique in China's history. Chinese modern art includes street art, photography, 3-D displays, as well as more traditional mediums like painting and sculptures. In China's ever-changing culture, the artistic community is constantly growing and molding to the society it represents.