Visual Art Media of Ancient China

Visual Art Media of Ancient China

Visual arts refer to art forms which form works which can only be expressed through the eye. Examples include; drawings, paintings, sculpture, and ceramics among others. China is rich in visual artworks which originate from the Ancient China. Some of those works are traditional Chinese paintings, chop engravings, calligraphy, and pottery and porcelain. The works are like treasures to the Chinese people because they portray Chinese civilization. Visual art media of Ancient China is very distinct and unique from the rest of the World. The art of Ancient China was used in many ways and for different purposes. This paper presents a description of Ancient China's visual art media, its uses, and purposes. The presented visual arts media are painting, pottery & porcelain, and calligraphy (Cunningham & Reich 132).

Painting in Ancient China commenced during the Tang Dynasty which lasted from 618-907 AD. The paintings were based on themes such as landscape and human figure. In fact, this period was referred to as the golden age of human figure because of its drawings. Later, flower and bird paintings started rising. Most of the paintings showed fields, mountains, forests, and gardens. They were made with an aim of capturing the attention of their viewers and transferring them from a real world to an ideal world of total peace. The landscape paintings were especially adored by the literati and officials in Ancient China (Cunningham & Reich 159).The period that lasted from 960-1279AD saw Ancient China's painting develop its theme into political and educational. An academy of painting was established during the Sung Dynasty. Talented painters were sought and trained; hence, painting was improved by a great margin. An example is The Splashed-Ink Immortal by Liang K'ai of the Sung dynasty.

Many literati trained and commenced painting as time went by. As a result, literature became very influential on painting. By 11th century, a school that trained literati on painting had already been founded. However, painting academies declined during the Mongol Yuan dynasty which lasted from 1271-1368 AD. This decline gave "Literati schools" an opportunity to shine.

Calligraphy was referred to as a "Unique Gem of Oriental Culture." Ancient China's calligraphy was used as a means of expressing emotions by applying form and design. Calligraphy was also used as abstract art to show the rhythm and harmony of flow in music. Ancient Chinese applied different calligraphy styles in their works; for instance, Ts'ao Shu (Cursive Script), K'ai Shu (Regular Script), Hsing Shu (Running Script), Chuan Shu (Seal Script), and Li Shu (Official Script). Ancient China's calligraphy also incorporated landscape as a theme. Some of the ancient calligraphic arts reflected figurative views which artists painted using a few swift