UNIFIED SCHOOLS OF ARCHDIOCESE OF LIPA

SAN GUILLERMO ACADEMY

TALISAY, BATANGAS

S.Y. 2020 – 2021

Learner’s Module in ARTS 8

Second Quarter
UNIT 2: ARTS OF EAST ASIA
LESSON 6: ARTS OF CHINA
I. Overview

In this chapter, you will get to know about the different categories of arts in China like Chinese
paintings, Traditional Chinese painting, Timeline of Chinese painting, and Chinese calligraphy.

II. Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: 

1. analyzes elements and principles of art in the production of arts and crafts inspired by the cultures
of East Asia
2. identifies characteristics of arts and crafts in specific countries in East Asia: China (Chinese
painting and calligraphy); Japan (origami, woodblock printing, theater masks, face painting, and
anime and manga); and Korea (theater masks, drums, and K-pop)
3. reflects on and derive the mood, idea or message from selected artifacts and art objects
4. appreciates the artifacts and art objects in terms of their utilization and their distinct use of art
elements and principles
III. Discussion of Content
LET’S STUDY!!

CHINESE PAINTING
Is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. The materials used in Chinese
painting, brush and ink on paper and silk, have determined it’s character and development
over thousands of years. Derived from calligraphy, it is essentially a linear art, employing
brushwork to evoke images and feelings. Once on paper, brushstrokes cannot be erased or
corrected, so a painter must have a complete mental concept of the painting before even lifting
the brush. Chinese painting is closely related to Zen Buddhist and Daoist ideals of total
concentration in the act of the very moment, and harmony between man and nature. The
painter must work with speed, pitch, liveliness, confidence, and technical mastery, infusing
spiritual energy into the brushstrokes.
Chinese paintings do not attempt to capture the actual physical appearance of a subject, but
rather it’s essential nature or character.

There are three main subjects of Chinese painting: HUMAN FIGURES, LANDSCAPES, AND
BIRDS AND FLOWERS.

TRADITIONAL CHINESE PAINTING

Traditional Chinese painting involves essentially the same techniques as calligraphy and is
done with a brush dipped in black or colored ink, typically on paper or silk. The finished work is
then mounted on scrolls, which can be hung or rolled up. Traditional painting also is done in
albums and on walls, lacquerwork, and other media. Chinese painting and calligraphy are
judged by the same criteria, the vitality and expressiveness of the brushstrokes and the
harmony of the composition.
There are two main techniques in Chinese painting:
Meticulous or Gong-bi, often referred to as “court-style” painting, or “fine-line” painting. This
style of painting incorporates delicate Chinese Calligraphy strokes and close attention to
detail. Fine brushes are first used to create an outline of the subject, and the the artist goes
back with softer brushes to apply layers of color washes until the desired effect is achieved.
Freehand of Shui-mo loosely termed “watercolour” or “brush” painting. The Chinese character
“mo” means ink and “shui” means water. This style is also referred to as “xie yi” or freehand
 style.
The two styles are combined in varying degrees. A third style, xi hua is a fusion of Chinese
and Western painting techniques, incorporating elements of impressionism and Western
perspective.
Once on paper, brushstrokes cannot be erased or corrected, so a painter must have a
complete mental concept of the painting before even lifting the brush. Painters practice
stereotypes brushstrokes for painting leaves, grasses, trees, flower petals, bamboo,
mountains, rocks, fish, water, boats, and any number of individual elements. Once the painter
mastered these techniques, he can transcend technicality and freely express his genius in his
own style. This event, when an artist breaks free from mere technique and conveys his living
genius into the brushstrokes on paper, is called “flight of the dragon.”

TIMELINE OF CHINESE PAINTING

221 B.C.E – 220 C.E
Early Imperial China- painting and calligraphy were highly appreciated arts in court circles and were
produced almost exclusively by amateurs-aristocrats and scholar-officials-who had enough leisure
time to perfect the technique and possessed the sensibility necessary for great brushwork.

(220-581)
Six Dynasties Period- paintings illustrating Confucian moral themes, such as the proper behaviour of
a wife to her husband or of children to their parents, incorporated flowing lines and graceful figures.

(581-960)
Sui and Tang Dynasties- painting styles were mainly inherited from the previous Sui dynasty. Figure
paniting, the “painting of the people” became highly developed during this period, especially in
Buddhist painting and “court painting” depicting the Buddha, monks, nobles and other famous figures.
Brothers Yan Liben and Yan Lide were two major figures from this period.

(960-1368)
Song and Yuan Dynasties- During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), landscapes of more subtle
expression appeared; immeasurable distances were conveyed through the use of blurred outlines,
mountain contours disappearing into the mist, and impressionistic treatment of natural phenomena.

(1279-1895)
Late Imperial China- During the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), painters combined the arts of painting,
poetry, and calligraphy by inscribing poems on their paintings. These three arts worked together to
express the artist’s feelings more completely than one art could do alone.

(1859-1900)
The Shanghai School- after the bloody Taiping rebellion broke out in 1853, wealthy Chinese refugees
flocked to Shanghai where they prospered by trading with Bristish, American, and French merchants
in the foreign concessions there. Their patronage encouraged in groups and art associations and
developed a new Shanghai style of painting. The style presented new cultural environment, a rich
combination of traditional and modern Western and Chinese lifestyles.

(1900-1950)
The Lingnan School- Along with new political ideas, a distinct style of Cantonese painting began to
evolve in the nineteenth century, and came into national prominence during the first part of the
twentieth century.

(1979-Present)
Modern China- following the Cultural Revolution in 1976, art schools and professional organizations
were reinstated. Exchanges were set up with groups of foreign artists, and Chinese artists began to
experiment with new subjects and techniques. Brightly colored “peasant paintings,” a form of Chinese
folk art featuring traditional decorative elements borrowed from other crafts such as embroidery, batik
and paper-cutting, are widely produced in rural areas.

CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY
Chinese calligraphy is the stylized artistic writing of Chinese characters. It is the written form of
Chinese that unites the languages (many mutually unintelligible) spoken in China. Because
calligraphy is considered supreme among the visual arts in China, it sets the two arts which
are closely related.
The early Chinese written words were simplified pictorial images, indicating meaning through
suggestion or imagination. These simple images were flexible in composition, capable of
developing with changing conditions by means of slight variations.
The earliest known Chinese logographs are engraved on the shoulder bones of large animals
and on tortoise shells. For this reason the script found on these objects is commonly called
jiaguwen or shell-and-bone script. It seems likely that each of the ideographs was carefully
composed before it was engraved. Although the figures are not entirely uniform in size, they
do not vary greatly in size. They must have evolved from rough and careless scratches in the
 still more distant past.
Jiaguwen is also known as oracle bone script. Archaeologists and paleographers have
demonstrated that this early script was widely used in the Shang dynasty.
It was said that Cangjie, the legendary inventor of Chinese writing, got his ideas from
observing animals’ footprints and birds’ claw marks on the sand as well as other natural
phenomena.
Technically speaking, there is no mystery in Chinese calligraphy. The tools for Chinese
calligraphy are few-an ink stick, an ink stone, a brush, and paper of technical skill and
imagination, must provide interesting shapes to the strokes and must compose beautiful
structures from them without any retouching or shading and, most important of all, with well-
balanced spaces between the strokes. This balance needs years of practice and training.
The fundamental inspiration of Chinese calligraphy, as of all arts in China, is nature. In regular
script each stroke, even each dot, suggests the form of a natural object. As every twig of a
living tree is alive, so every tiny stroke of a piece of fine calligraphy has the energy of a living
thing. Printing does not admit the slightest variation in the shapes and structures, but strict
regularity is not tolerated by Chinese calligraphers, especially those who are masters of the
caoshu. A finished piece of fine calligraphy is not a symmetrical arrangement of conventional
shapes but, rather, something like the coordinated movements of a skilfully composed dance-
impulse, momentum, momentary poise, and the interplay of active forces combining to form a
balanced whole.
IV. Self-Check Test and Evaluation Activities
Time to Check your Understanding!!

A. Write a brief explanation for each item.

1. Flight of the dragon

2. Shanghai School

3. Lingnan School

B. Write Yes or No on the blank.

_____1. Zhenshu (kaishu) or the regular script is the fifth stage of the Chinese calligraphy.
_____2. Cangjie was the legendary inventor of Chinese writing.
_____3. Jiaguwen or shell-and-bone script is also known as the running script.
_____4. Caoshu takes its name from its resemblance to windblown grass.
_____5. Lishu is thought to have been invented by Cheng Miao.

V. References

JOURNEY TO MAPEH 8 (Maria Fe L. Esposo)

Prepared by: Ms. Mahjerly B. Navarro