Noble Ladies in Tang Dynasty

"Noble Ladies in Tang Dynasty" are a serial of Chinese figure paintings drawn by Zhang Xuan and Zhou Fang, two of the most influential figure painters during the Tang dynasty (618–907), when the paintings of noble ladies became very popular.

The paintings depict the leisurely, lonely and peaceful life of the ladies at court, who are shown to be beautiful, dignified and graceful. Zhang Xuan was famous for integrating lifelikeness and casting a mood when painting life scenes of noble families. Zhou Fang was known for drawing the full-figure court ladies with soft and bright colors.

The paintings are spread around in the collections of museums nationwide.

Chinese figure paintings appeared before landscape or flowers-birds paintings. In the early times, the figure painting was aimed to server religious or political purpose. It can be divided into several ranges: Taoist-and Buddhist painting, Female images, Portrait, Genre painting, and History-story painting. The most remarkable artist of Chines figure painting was Gu Kaizhi who lived in the Six Dynasties period (220-589). His masterpieces Admonitions of Court Instructress, Nymph of the Luo River, Wise and Benevolent Women were all good examples of the Chinese figure paintings.

Beautiful Lady-Chinese Painting

Chinese landscape paintings, also named shanshui paintings, usually depicted mountains, water and mist. Chinese landscape painting began to appear in Jin Dynasty (265-420), and came to become the most popular style of paintings during the mid and late Tang Dynasty (618-906). The main purpose of Chinese landscape painting at this time was not to reproduce exactly the appearance of nature but to grasp an emotion or atmosphere so as to catch the rhythm of nature. Chines landscape painting went on to develop at the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Song Dynasty’s Zhang Zeduan painted Along the River During Qingming Festival which was a great landscape painting. It is also one of the most well-known masterpieces of Chines visual art.

Chinese flowers-birds painting can be traced back to the remote past of China. Patterns of flowers and birds on pottery, bronze vessels and phoenix paintings on silk were the early indications of the Chinese people’s interest on such subjects. But the flowers-birds painting did not become an independent art form until the mid and late Tang Dynasty (618-906). It reached maturity during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Chinese flowers-birds painting covers flowers, birds, fish and insects. Representatives of this style of paintings were many, such as Emperor Huizong in Song Dynasty, Tang Yin in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and Qi Baishi in Modem society.

Using women as the objects in Chinese painting is common in the long history of Chinese art. Its earliest record traces back to warring states period when it first appeared on silk. Every era in Chinese history expresses its idea of beauty in its particular version. Thus groups of great artists make big contributions to the art boom by creating many well-known paintings and through their artworks we are able to understand what life looked like in ancientChina.

Throughout the whole history of China, the paintings of the beauty were always restricted by the economy, culture and politics of the time. The painting of beauty became an independent style of figure painting since the early Southern and Northern Dynasties. The absolute protagonists in such paintings are all kinds of ancient beauties.

Lunch Break Girl

The Tang Dynasty was the most prosperous era of Chinese painting of beauty, which has stepped into a new stage. Especially during the 100 years of the mid-Tang Dynasty, stable politics, strong national strength, prosperous economy and harmonious ethnic contribute much to de development of the Chinese art. It is worth pointing out that one of the world’s most famous Chinese painting--Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers was created during this era. Zhou Fang---the painter of this painting became a representative artist of the time. Of course, there are many other outstanding painters apart from Zhou Fang, such as Zhang Xuan, Lu Lengjia and Sun Wei. There are over 200 famous painters emerged. Painters of the time put much emphasize on a rich mixture of society. As a result, the easygoing life of ancient women was especially displayed on the paintings. In a word, painting of the Tang Dynasty was apeak of Chinese painting history..

What do you know about the famous painting Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers? This painting was created by Zhou Fang, one of the most influential painters during the Tang dynasty. He was not an ordinary person; instead he had a noble background. Born and grew up in such a background, he was influenced so much that enable him to reflect his thoughts in his artworks. And most of his paintings of beautiful women are evaluated as incredible masterpieces. During the period is of Mid-Tang dynasty, Chinese painting has far-reaching significance at that time. Abundant techniques and topics were applied in the paintings. With passion to real life, outstanding creativity, and remarkable painting skills, large numbers of splendid painting were created.

Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers painted by Zhou Fang showed us the peaceful life of court ladies in the Tang Dynasty. In this painting, we can see there are five beauties wearing similar beautiful clothes, rambling in the garden, playing with pets or enjoy the colorful flowers. Under the depictions of Zhou Fang, the scene of leisurely life rouses our complex feelings. This kind of court life is the real reflection of the noble through the descriptions of beauties. The pattern of figure painting in the Tang dynasty altered from rough to delicate.

After the Tang dynasty, painting of beauty continued to make innovations in the descriptions of women in the Song dynasty. Women at the bottom of society start mounting the stage of figure painting. And then compared with the beauty of nature, paintings of beautiful women suffered a decline in Yuan dynasty. The stage of Traditional painting became mature in Ming dynasty. In Qing dynasty the beauty of femininity and morbid became a new theme.

Four: Flying white (feibai)：A method in Chinese Painting  of applying pressure to the brush, which causes the hair to separate, leaving streaks of white spaces. The effect is of speed and vigor. Very often the empty space in a Chinese painting is used to give balance, to harmonize the messages in the painting and to give prominence to concrete images.

Chinese Painting of Flower and Bird

Five: Dry brush: Ink is used sparingly with little moisture in the brush.

Six: Outline drawing (baimiao)

Outline drawing in ink without color, shading, or wash.

Outline sketching requires powerful strokes, just like The Postscript of Dadizi Inscription Poem written by Yuan Ji in the Qing Dynasty says: “sketching led by enlightened spirit, the brush lines are similar to that of seal character and official script.”

Seven: Splashed ink

A very wet, free application of ink resulting in ink blobs, broad strokes, or saturated areas of wash.

Chinese Painting of Philosopher

Eight: Broken ink

A method of “breaking” the wash with deeper or lighter ink tones while the rest layer of ink or color is still wet

The number “eight” in Chinese is a very lucky number. Good luck! Just knowing the definitions of these terms is far from available. In Chinese painting, each term has a very complex system, so if you really interested in Chinese culture and Chinese painting learning. Facts speak louder than words. The most quick and effective way is practicing to explore the profoundness of Chinese painting.