Chinese Painting Blog » Figure painting

Folk Life in Chinese Genre Paintings

CNArtGallery — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 16:35:22 +0000

Genre painting is one of important subjects of Chinese figure paintings that usually takes folks’ daily life as its content. As a distinctive form of Chinese paintings, genre painting is extraordinarily close to the life of the mind of masses as well as aesthetically needs for it grows out of folk art.

The general public had strong consumer demand and spending power on genre painting which pay more attention to their day-to-day life. Thus, genre painting became the most representative part of figure painting in Chinese arts of worldly Song Dynasty.

Chinese genre paintings

Eight Immortals the Chinese gods in Paintings

CNArtGallery — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 16:29:39 +0000

Each Immortal has a magic tool that can give life or destroy evils. Tieguai Li had an iron crutch and gourd, Zhang Guolao always rode the donkey back to front, Han Zhongli waved his palm-leaf fan, Lan Caihe carried his flower basket, Han Xiangzi played his flute, He Xiangu always appeared with lotus flowers, Lv Dongbin had a sword, and Cao Guojiu held a jade tablet. Their eight tools together are called "Covert Eight Immortals" or "Eight Treasures". It's also said that the Eight Immortals in Chinese paintings represent male, female, the old, the young, riches, honor, the poor, and the lowly respectively. So the Eight Immortals with their tools are one of the most popular elements in the secular Chinese culture.

It's said that, one day the Eight Immortals went to celebrate the birthday of the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens. When they prepared to cross the East Sea, one of the immortals, Lv Dongbin, proposed that they each cross the East sea using their own magic tools, instead of flying over it on a cloud. The other immortals agreed with him. Then each of them threw their own magic tools to the sea and stood on the tools. They sailed through winds and sea waves, and finally they all went together to the birthday banquet of the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens.

Eight Immortals- Chinese Painting

Great Painter in Chinese Figures Paintings

CNArtGallery — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 02:37:57 +0000

From Qin Dynasty to Three Kingdoms, figure painting was expressed in the forms of mural and lacquer painting with bold strokes and strong colors. After Jin Dynasty, especially during Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties, technique in figure painting were constantly developing, and figure painting with exact delineation and enriched colors became highlight. In Song Dynasty, with a wide diversity of style and subject, figure painting reached its maturity.

The great Tang painter Wu Daozi is considered to be the eternal father of Chinese Figure painting, also known as the Sage Painter, he inspired and influenced generations of artists with his fine, long and clear outlines. Wu Daozi transformed the once un-refined, crude and symbolic figures into real people, conveying emotions and depicted in a detailed and intricate manner.

Beautiful Ladies-Chinese Painting

The Ancient Figures in Chinese Paintings

CNArtGallery — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:35:23 +0000

In the eyes of Chinese people, wine and tea are the two most important things to express their emotion and voice their mind. Especially in ancient China, drinking wine usually can show people’s strong feelings to sorrow or happiness. As a Chinese proverb goes, one drunk answers thousands of sorrows. It seems that the drunk man in this Chinese painting is deeply immersed in his thoughts with two red cheeks obviously visible to us. Although we do not know whether he drinks wine for sorrow or for happiness, maybe other things in this figure painting will tear us.

With the warm-toned colors, this panting is pleasant to our eyes and mind. Through the author’s gentle strokes, the scene that a drunk man lying in the ground behind a river is enlivened to us. Especially, the teapot on his left reveals that the man is easy and relaxing now. Usually, it needs a lot time for a man before he can really savor the pleasant taste of the tea. Of course, it is impossible for a man suffering from distress or sorrow to taste tea after drinking wine. Then the bamboo flute in his hand represents that the man is free and easy in his mind, and must have an open mind toward the world. In despite of the simple composition of this picture, a kind of tranquil feeling has came out of this painting.

Drunk man - Chinese painting

Ancient Beauty in Chinese Paintings

CNArtGallery — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:10:20 +0000

At the first sight, you may be attracted by this Chinese painting because it really reveals another kind of beauty to us. As you can see from this painting, the beauties are all fat and plump and in modern age, they are anything but beauty. However, different times have different standards for beauties. Actually, what kind of women can be referred to as beauty? It will still remind a problems as the development of this world.

Beautiful lady, Playing music - Chinese Painting

From their costume, we can know their are ancients beauties in China. This Chinese figure painting has vividly depicted the scene when they are playing various ancient musical instruments together. From the expressions in their faces, we know that they are enjoying the joy from playing instruments. Actually, as observed from their hair style, it is possible that these beauties lives in Tang Dynasty which harbors various musics and can be regarded as the age of music. What’s more important, the standard for beauty is fat, round and plump. With fine and bright colors, this painting is pleasant to eyes. With the hand of the author, the scene has been enlivened. In front of this painting, it seems that the sound of music played by these beauties will gently come to your ears.