art history

CHINESE PERIODS NAMED AFTER DYNASTIES QING DYNASTY COLLAPSED IN 1911; CHAOTIC RULE UNDER THE REPUBLIC; JAPANESE INVASION IN THE 1930S; COMMUNIST FORCES; INTERNAL STRUGGLES; CULTURAL REVOLUTION JAPANESE INVADED KOREA; DIVIDED THE NATION IN TWO; KOREAN WAR CHINA  CALLIGRAPHY IS THE CENTRAL ARTISTIC EXPRESSION IN TRADITIONAL CHINA; EMPERORS ACCOMPLISHED CALLIGRAPHERS, PAINTERS, AND POETS  ARTISTS WORK UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF RELIGION OR STATE  LITERATI, A COUNTERCULTURE, A GROUP THAT PAINTED FOR THEMSELVES; HIGHLY INDIVIDUALIZED WORKS, DID NOT CARE FOR PUBLIC OPINION DAOISM/CONFUCIANISM  PHILOSOPHIES OF ANCIENT CHINA  DOMINATE ALL ASPECTS OF CHINESE ART  DAOISM; WANDER; ESCAPE SOCIETAL PRESSURE; ACHIEVING SERENITY; ONENESS WITH NATURE; EMPHASIZE INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION; YIN/YANG  CONFUCIANISM; BEHAVIOR, RELATIONSHIPS, AND DUTY; SYSTEM OF MUTUAL RESPECT; THEMES OF LOYALTY, MORALITY, GENEROSITY AMD HUMANITY; RESPECT FOR TRADITIONAL VA...

Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan . Artist unknown; based on an oil painting by Liu Chunhua. c. 1969 C.E. Color lithograph.  Striding atop a mountain peak wearing a look of determination on his face, Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan shows a young Mao Zedong  Chinese Communist revolutionary, founding father of the People's Republic of China, and leader of China from 1949-76 Liu Chunhua celebrated Chairman Mao and his longstanding commitment to Communist Party ideals. Painted in 1967 at the dawn of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, this work uses socialist realism to portray Chairman Mao as a revolutionary leader committed to championing the common people. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), artists focused on creating portraits of Mao, or “Mao paintings,” which represented Mao’s effort to regain his hold after bitter political struggles within the party. the movement aimed to quell criticisms of Mao in drama, literature, and the visual arts. More broad...

Forbidden City. Beijing, China. Ming Dynasty. 15th century C.E. and later. Stone masonry, marble, brick, wood, and ceramic tile.    The Forbidden City is a large precinct of red walls and yellow glazed roof tiles located in the heart of China’s capital, Beijing. the Forbidden City is composed of more than 90 palace compounds including 98 buildings The Forbidden City was the political and ritual center of China for over 500 years. After its completion in 1420, the Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors, their families and servants during the Ming (1368–1644) and the Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. Although it is no longer an imperial precinct, it remains one of the most important cultural heritage sites   In order to solidify his power, the Chengzu emperor moved the capital, as well as his own army, from Nanjing in southeastern China to Beijing and began building a new heart of the empire, the Forbidden City.  While no major change has b...

The David Vases . Yuan Dynasty, China. 1351 C.E. White porcelain with cobalt-blue underglaze. These vases are among the most important examples of blue-and-white porcelain in existence, and are probably the best-known porcelain vases in the world. They were made for the altar of a Daoist temple; originally the vases, modeled after bronzes, had porcelain rings attached through the elephant head shaped handles.These vases were owned by Sir Percival David (1892–1964), who built the most important private collection of Chinese ceramics in the world.

Travelers among Mountains and Streams. Fan Kuan. c. 1000 C.E. Ink and colors on silk. Fan Kuan’s masterpiece is an outstanding example of Chinese landscape painting.  Bounded by mountain ranges and bisected by two great rivers—the Yellow and the Yangzi—China’s natural landscape has played an important role in the shaping of the Chinese mind and character. From very early times, the Chinese viewed mountains as sacred and imagined them as the abode of immortals.  During the tumultuous Five Dynasties period in the early 10th century; recluse scholars who fled to the mountains saw the tall pine tree as representative of the virtuous man gnarled pine trees and other symbolic elements were transformed into a grand and imposing landscape style. Fan Kuan painted a bold and straightforward example of Chinese landscape painting.  Nearly seven feet in height, the hanging scroll composition presents universal creation in its totality, and does so with the most economic ...

Terra cotta warriors from mausoleum of the first Qin emperor of China . Qin Dynasty. c. 221–209 B.C.E. Painted terra cotta. Qin Shihuang (259-210 B.C.E.) conquered much in this life, but his driving purpose was even greater; he sought to conquer death. In order to achieve immortality, he built himself a tomb—a vast underground city guarded by a life-size terracotta army including warriors, infantrymen, horses, chariots and all their attendant armor and weaponry. A sprawling citadel has been unearthed, complete with gardens and stables, bronze ritual vessels, jade jewelry, and a wealth of gold and silver ornaments. insight to the First Emperor’s worldview and enduring influence. During his reign, he introduced the standardization of currency, writing, measurements and more. He connected cities and states with advanced systems of roads and canals. He is also credited with continuing the construction of the Great Wall, which is perhaps the most widely-known symbol still as...