Ink wash painting ( zh, t=水墨畫, s=水墨画, p=shuǐmòhuà) is a type of Chinese

ink brush A Chinese writing brush () is a paintbrush used as a writing tool in Chinese calligraphy as well as in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese which all have roots in Chinese calligraphy. They are also used in Chinese painting and other brush pain ...

painting which uses

wash Wash or the Wash may refer to: Industry and sanitation * WASH or WaSH, "water, sanitation and hygiene", three related public health issues * Wash (distilling), the liquid produced by the fermentation step in the production of distilled beverages ...

es of

black ink India ink (British English: Indian ink; also Chinese ink) is a simple black or coloured ink once widely used for writing and printing and now more commonly used for drawing and outlining, especially when inking comic books and comic strips. I ...

, such as that used in

East Asian calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

, in different concentrations. It emerged during the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

of China (618–907), and overturned earlier, more realistic techniques. It is typically

monochrome A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, mon ...

, using only shades of black, with a great emphasis on

virtuoso A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'', or ; Late Latin ''virtuosus''; Latin ''virtus''; 'virtue', 'excellence' or 'skill') is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as fine arts, ...

brushwork and conveying the perceived "spirit" or "essence" of a subject over direct

imitation Imitation (from Latin ''imitatio'', "a copying, imitation") is a behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's behavior. Imitation is also a form of learning that leads to the "development of traditions, and ultimately our cu ...

. Ink wash painting flourished from the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

in China (960–1279) onwards, as well as in Japan after it was introduced by

Zen Buddhist Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...

monks in the

14th century The 14th century lasted from 1 January 1301 (represented by the Roman numerals MCCCI) to 31 December 1400 (MCD). It is estimated that the century witnessed the death of more than 45 million lives from political and natural disasters in both Euro ...

. Some Western scholars divide Chinese painting (including ink wash painting) into three periods: times of representation, times of expression, and historical Oriental art. Chinese scholars have their own views which may be different; they believe that contemporary Chinese ink wash paintings are the pluralistic continuation of multiple historical traditions. In China, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Korea, ink wash painting formed a distinct stylistic tradition with a different set of artists working in it than from those in other types of painting. In China especially it was a gentlemanly occupation associated with poetry and

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

. It was often produced by the

scholar-official The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class. Scholar-officials were politicians and governmen ...

or literati class, ideally illustrating their own poetry and producing the paintings as gifts for friends or patrons, rather than painting for payment. In practice a talented painter often had an advantage in climbing the bureaucratic ladder. In Korea, painters were less segregated, and more willing to paint in two techniques, such as mixing areas of colour with monochrome ink, for example in painting the faces of figures. The vertical

hanging scroll A hanging scroll is one of the many traditional ways to display and exhibit East Asian painting and calligraphy. They are different from handscrolls, which are narrower and designed to be viewed flat on a table. Hanging scrolls are generally i ...

was the classic format; the long horizontal

handscroll The handscroll is a long, narrow, horizontal scroll format in East Asia used for calligraphy or paintings. A handscroll usually measures up to several meters in length and around 25–40 cm in height. Handscrolls are generally viewed startin ...

format tended to be associated with professional coloured painting, but was also used for literati painting. In both formats paintings were generally kept rolled up, and brought out for the owner to admire, often with a small group of friends. Chinese collectors liked to stamp paintings with their

seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...

and usually in red inkpad; sometimes they would add poems or notes of appreciation. Some old and famous paintings have become very disfigured by this; the

Qianlong The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. He reigned ...

Emperor was a particular offender. In

landscape painting Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction in painting of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a cohe ...

the scenes depicted are typically imaginary or very loose adaptations of actual views. The style of mountain landscapes are by far the most common, often evoking particular areas traditionally famous for their beauty, from which the artist may have been very distant.

Philosophy

East Asian writing on aesthetics is generally consistent in saying that the goal of ink and wash painting is not simply to reproduce the appearance of the subject, but to capture its spirit. To paint a horse the ink-wash painting artist must understand its temperament better than its muscles and bones. To paint a flower there is no need to perfectly match its petals and colors, but it is essential to convey its liveliness and fragrance. It has been compared to the later Western movement of

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

. It is also particularly associated with the Chán or Zen sect of Buddhism, which emphasizes "simplicity, spontaneity and self-expression", and

Daoism Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...

, which emphasizes "spontaneity and harmony with nature," especially when compared with the less spiritually-oriented

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...

. East Asian ink wash painting has long inspired modern artists in the West. In his classic book ''Composition'', American artist and educator

Arthur Wesley Dow Arthur Wesley Dow (April 6, 1857 – December 13, 1922) was an American painter, printmaker, photographer and an arts educator. Early life Arthur Wesley Dow was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1857. Dow received his first art training in 188 ...

(1857–1922) wrote this about ink wash painting: "The painter... put upon the paper the fewest possible lines and tones; just enough to cause form, texture and effect to be felt. Every brush-touch must be full-charged with meaning, and useless detail eliminated. Put together all the good points in such a method, and you have the qualities of the highest art". Dow's fascination with ink wash painting not only shaped his own approach to art but also helped free many American modernists of the era, including his student

Georgia O'Keeffe Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 March 6, 1986) was an American Modernism, modernist painter and drafter, draftswoman whose career spanned seven decades and whose work remained largely independent of major art movements. Called the "M ...

, from what he called a "story-telling" approach. Dow strived for harmonic compositions through three elements: line, shading, and color. He advocated practicing with East Asian brushes and ink to develop aesthetic acuity with line and shading.

Technique, materials and tools

Ink wash painting uses tonality and shading achieved by varying the ink density, both by differential grinding of the ink stick in water and by varying the ink load and pressure within a single brushstroke. Ink wash painting artists spend years practicing basic brush strokes to refine their brush movement and ink flow. These skills are closely related to those needed for basic writing in East Asian characters, and then for calligraphy, which essentially use the same ink and brushes. In the hand of a master, a single stroke can produce considerable variations in tonality, from deep black to silvery gray. Thus, in its original context, shading means more than just dark-light arrangement: It is the basis for the nuance in tonality found in East Asian ink wash painting and brush-and-ink calligraphy. Once a stroke is painted it cannot be changed or erased. As a result, ink and wash painting is a technically demanding art form requiring great skill, concentration, and years of training. The Four Treasures is summarized in a four-word couplet: "," (Pinyin: ) "''The four jewels of the study: Brush, Ink, Paper, Inkstone''" by Chinese

or literati class, which are also indispensable tools and materials for East Asian painting.Chinesetoday.com.
Chinesetoday.com
." ''趣談「文房四寶」.'' Retrieved on 2010-11-27.Big5.xinhuanet.com.

." ''走近文房四寶.'' Retrieved on 2010-11-27.

Brush

The earliest intact ink brush was found in 1954 in the tomb of a

Chu Chu or CHU may refer to: Chinese history * Chu (state) (c. 1030 BC–223 BC), a state during the Zhou dynasty * Western Chu (206 BC–202 BC), a state founded and ruled by Xiang Yu * Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty) (201 BC–70 AD), a kingdom of the H ...

citizen from the

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

(475–221

BCE Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the o ...

) located in an archaeological dig site near

Changsha Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...

. This primitive version of an ink brush found had a wooden stalk and a bamboo tube securing the bundle of hair to the stalk. Legend wrongly credits the invention of the ink brush to the later Qin general

Meng Tian Meng Tian (c. 250 BC – August or September 210 BC) was a Chinese inventor and military general of the Qin dynasty who distinguished himself in campaigns against the Xiongnu and in the construction of the Great Wall of China. He was the elder ...

. Traces of a writing brush, however, were discovered on the Shang jades, and were suggested to be the grounds of the

oracle bone script Oracle bone script is the oldest attested form of written Chinese, dating to the late 2nd millennium BC. Inscriptions were made by carving characters into oracle bones, usually either the shoulder bones of oxen or the plastrons of turtl ...

inscriptions.Cambridge History of Ancient China, 1999:108–112 The writing brush entered a new stage of development in the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

. First, the decorative craft of engraving and inlaying on the pen-holder appeared. Second, some writings on the production of writing brush have also survived. For example, the first

monograph A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published a ...

on the selection, production and function of a writing brush was written by

Cai Yong Cai Yong (132/133 – ), courtesy name Bojie, was a Chinese astronomer, calligrapher, historian, mathematician, musician, politician, and writer of the Eastern Han dynasty. He was well-versed in calligraphy, music, mathematics and astronomy. On ...

in the eastern Han dynasty. Third, the special form of "hairpin white pen" appeared. Officials in the Han dynasty often sharpened the end of the brush and stuck it in their hair or hat for their convenience. Worshipers also often put pen on their heads to show respect. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, a group of pen making experts emerged in

Huzhou Huzhou (, ; Huzhou dialect: Romanization of Wu Chinese, ''ghou² cieu¹'') is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province (Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou Plain, China). Lying south of the Lake Tai, it borders Jiaxing to the east, Hangzho ...

. They included Wu Yunhui, Feng Yingke, Lu Wenbao, Zhang Tianxi, and others. Huzhou has been the center of Chinese brush making since the Qing dynasty. At the same time, many famous brushes were produced in other places, such as the Ruyang Liu brush in Henan province, the Li Dinghe brush in Shanghai, and the Wu Yunhui in Jiangxi province. Ink wash painting

brushes A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped during u ...

are similar to the brushes used for calligraphy and are traditionally made from

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

with

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...

marten A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on ...

badger Badgers are medium-sized short-legged omnivores in the superfamily Musteloidea. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity rather than by the ...

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

and

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

hair. The brush hairs are tapered to a fine point, a feature vital to the style of wash paintings. Different brushes have different qualities. A small wolf-hair brush that is tapered to a fine point can deliver an even thin line of ink (much like a pen). A large wool brush (one variation called the 'big cloud') can hold a large volume of water and ink. When the big cloud brush rains down upon the paper, it delivers a graded swath of ink encompassing myriad shades of gray to black.

Inkstick

Ink wash painting is usually done on

rice paper Rice paper is a product constructed of paper-like materials made from different plants. These include: *''Thin peeled dried pith of Tetrapanax papyrifer'': A sheet-like "paper" material was used extensively in late 19th century Guangdong, China ...

(Chinese) or

washi is traditional Japanese paper processed by hand using fibers from the inner bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata shrub (''Edgeworthia chrysantha''), or the paper mulberry (''kōzo'') bush. ''Washi'' is generally tougher than ordinary ...

(Japanese paper) both of which are highly absorbent and unsized.

Silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

is also used in some forms of ink painting. Many types of Xuan paper and do not lend themselves readily to a smooth wash the way watercolor paper does. Each brush stroke is visible, so any "wash" in the sense of Western style painting requires partially sized paper. Paper manufacturers today understand artists' demands for more versatile papers and work to produce kinds that are more flexible. If one uses traditional paper, the idea of an "ink wash" refers to a wet-on-wet technique, applying black ink to paper where a lighter ink has already been applied, or by quickly manipulating watery diluted ink once it has been applied to the paper by using a very large brush. In ink wash paintings, as in calligraphy, artists usually grind

inkstick Inksticks () or ink cakes are a type of solid Chinese ink used traditionally in several Chinese and East Asian art forms such as calligraphy and brush painting. Inksticks are made mainly of soot and animal glue, sometimes with incense or medicina ...

over an

inkstone An inkstone is traditional Chinese stationery. It is a stone mortar for the grinding and containment of ink. In addition to stone, inkstones are also manufactured from clay, bronze, iron, and porcelain. The device evolved from a rubbing tool ...

to obtain black

ink Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. ...

, but prepared liquid inks ( in Japanese) are also available. Most inksticks are made of

soot Soot ( ) is a mass of impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. Soot is considered a hazardous substance with carcinogenic properties. Most broadly, the term includes all the particulate matter produced b ...

from

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

combined with

animal glue Animal glue is an adhesive that is created by prolonged boiling of animal connective tissue in a process called Rendering (animal products), rendering. In addition to being used as an adhesive, it is used for coating and sizing, in decorative co ...

. An artist puts a few drops of water on an inkstone and grinds the inkstick in a circular motion until a smooth, black ink of the desired concentration is made. Prepared liquid inks vary in viscosity, solubility, concentration, etc., but are in general more suitable for practicing

Chinese calligraphy Chinese calligraphy is the writing of Chinese characters as an art form, combining purely Visual arts, visual art and interpretation of the literary meaning. This type of expression has been widely practiced in China and has been generally held ...

than executing paintings. Inksticks themselves are sometimes ornately decorated with

landscapes A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

or flowers in

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

and some are highlighted with gold.

Xuan paper

Paper (Chinese: ''traditional'' , ''simplified'' ; Pinyin: ') was first developed in China in the first decade of 100 AD. Previous to its invention, bamboo slips and silks were used for writing material. Several methods of paper production developed over the centuries in China. However, the paper which was considered of highest value was that of the Jingxian in Anhui Province. Xuan paper features great tensile strength, smooth surface, pure and clean texture as well as a clean stroke; it has great resistance to crease, corrosion, moth, and mold. Xuan paper has a special ink penetration effect, which is not readily available in paper made in Western countries. originally appeared as "Analysis of modern Chinese paper and treatment of a Chinese woodblock print" in ''The Paper Conservator'', 1997, pp. 48–62 It was first mentioned in ancient Chinese books ''Notes of Past Famous Paintings'' and ''

New Book of Tang The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...

''. It was originally produced in the

in Jing County, which was under the jurisdiction of Xuan Prefecture (Xuanzhou), hence the name Xuan paper. During the Tang dynasty, the paper was often a mixture of

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...

(the first fiber used for paper in China) and mulberry fiber. The materials used in Xuan paper are closely related to the geographical environment of Jingxian. The bark of the ''

Pteroceltis tatarinowii ''Pteroceltis tatarinowii'' a species of tree endemic to China and the only extant member of the genus ''Pteroceltis ''Pteroceltis'' is a genus of small trees in the family Cannabaceae and containing the living species ''Pteroceltis tatarinowi ...

'', a common variety of

elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus ''Ulmus'' in the family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical- montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ...

, is used as the main material for the production of rice paper in this area. Rice and several other materials were later added to the recipe in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. In those dynasties

and

mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinat ...

began to be used to produce

as well. The production of Xuan paper is about an eighteen-step process – taken in detail over a hundred steps may be counted. Some paper makers keep their process strictly secret. The process includes cooking and bleaching the bark of ''Pteroceltis tatarinowii'' and adding various fruit juices.

Inkstone

The

is not only a traditional Chinese stationery device, but also an important tool of ink painting. It is a stone mortar used for the grinding and containment of

. In addition to stones, inkstones can be made of clay, bronze, iron and porcelain. This device evolved from the friction tool used to rub dyes about six to seven thousand years ago.

History and artists

Chinese painters and their influence on East Asia

Chinese painting Chinese painting () is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as , meaning "national painting" or "native painting", as opposed to Western styles of art which b ...

, brush painting was one of the "

four arts The four arts (), or the four arts of the Chinese scholar, were the four main academic and artistic talents required of the aristocratic ancient Chinese scholar-gentleman. They were the mastery of the ''qin'' (the guqin, a stringed instrument, ...

" expected to be learnt by China's class of

s. Ink wash painting appeared during the

(618–907), and its early development is credited to Wang Wei (active in the 8th century) and

Zhang Zao Zhang Zao (; December 29, 1962March 8, 2010) was one of the most important Chinese poets of the 20th century. He was considered one of the "Five Masters from Sichuan" () in the 80s' Chinese poetry scene, along with other famous poets Bai Hua (), O ...

, among others. In the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

Dong Qichang Dong Qichang (; courtesy name Xuanzai (玄宰); 1555–1636) was a Chinese art theorist, Calligraphy, calligrapher, Painting, painter, and politician of the later period of the Ming dynasty. Life as a scholar and calligrapher Dong Qichang was a ...

would identify two distinct styles: a clearer, grander

Northern School East Mountain Teaching () denotes the teachings of the Fourth Ancestor Dayi Daoxin, his student and heir the Fifth Ancestor Daman Hongren, and their students and lineage of Chan Buddhism. ''East Mountain Teaching'' gets its name from the East ...

( zh, s=北宗画, links=no, labels=no or zh, s=北画, p=Beizonghua, links=no, labels=no or zh, p=Beihua, links=no, labels=no,

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: or ), and a freer, more expressive

Southern School The Southern School () of Chinese painting, often called '' literati painting'' (), is a term used to denote art and artists which stand in opposition to the formal Northern School () of painting. The distinction is not geographic, but relates ...

( zh, s=南宗画, links=no, labels=no or zh, s=南画, p=Nanzonghua, links=no, labels=no or zh, p=Nanhua, links=no, labels=no, Japanese: or ), also called "Literati Painting" ( zh, s=文人画, p=Wenrenhua, links=no, labels=no, Japanese: ). Watson, William, ''Style in the Arts of China'', 1974, Penguin, p. 86-88,

Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties

Western scholars have written that before the Song dynasty, ink wash was primarily used for representation painting, while in the Yuan dynasty, expressive painting predominated. Chinese historical views have traditionally found it more appropriate to divide the general artistic features of this historical stage by the theory of

and

, as promulgated

in the Ming dynasty.

=Southern School and painters

( zh, c=南宗画, p=nán zōng huà, links=no, labels=no) of

, often called "

literati Literati may refer to: *Intellectuals or those who love, read, and comment on literature * Intelligentsia, a status class of highly educated people who consciously shape society *The scholar-official or ''literati'' of imperial/medieval China **Qin ...

painting" ( zh, c=文人画, p=wén rén huà, links=no, labels=no), is a term used to denote art and artists which stand in opposition to the formal

of painting. Representing painters are Wang Wei, Dong Yuan, and so on. The Southern School has had a profound impact on Japanese and Southeast Asian paintings. Wang Wei ( zh, t=王維, links=no, labels=no; 699–759), Zhang Zao ( or ) and

Dong Yuan Dong Yuan (, Gan: dung3 ngion4; c. 934 – c. 962) was a Chinese painter. He was born in Zhongling (钟陵; present-day Jinxian County, Jiangxi Province).Cihai: Page 599. Dong Yuan was active in the Southern Tang Kingdom of the Five Dynast ...

( zh, c=董源, p=Dǒng Yuán, w=Tung Yüan, links=no, labels=no,

Gan The word Gan or the initials GAN may refer to: Places * Gan, a component of Hebrew placenames literally meaning "garden" China * Gan River (Jiangxi) * Gan River (Inner Mongolia), * Gan County, in Jiangxi province * Gansu, abbreviated '' ...

: ; ) are important representatives of early Chinese ink wash painting of the Southern School. Wang Wei was a Chinese poet, musician, painter, and politician during the

, 8th century. Wang Wei is the most important representative of early Chinese ink wash painting. He believed that in all forms of painting, ink wash painting is the most advanced. Zhang Zao was a Chinese painter, painting theorist and politician during the

, 8th century. He created the method of using fingers instead of brush to draw ink wash painting. Dong Yuan was a Chinese

painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

during the Five Dynasties (10th century). His ink wash painting style is considered by

to be the most typical style of Southern School. Chinese ink wash painters such as

Li Cheng Li Cheng may refer to: *Li Cheng (painter) (李成; 919–967), Chinese painter * Li Cheng (Tang Dynasty) (李程; 761–837), official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty * Lê Trừng (黎澄; 1374–1446), Vietnamese official who later served in the Ch ...

( zh, c=李成, p=Lǐ Chéng, w=Li Ch'eng, links=no, labels=no; 919–967),

Courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

(),

Fan Kuan Fan Zhongzheng (c. 960 – c. 1030), courtesy name Zhongli, better known by his pseudonym Fan Kuan (), was a Chinese landscape painter of the Song dynasty. He was both a Daoist and a Neo-Confucianist. ''Travelers among Mountains and Streams'', ...

( zh, c=范寬, p=Fàn Kuān, w=Fan K'uan, links=no, labels=no, ),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

"Zhongli" and "Zhongzheng", better known by his pseudonym "Fan Kuan" and

Guo Xi Guo Xi () ( 1020 – c. 1090)Barnhart: Page 372. Guo Xi's style name was Chunfu (淳夫） was a Chinese landscape painter from Henan ProvinceCi hai: Page 452 who lived during the Northern Song dynasty. One text entitled "The Lofty Message of ...

( zh, c=郭熙, p=Guō Xī, w=Kuo Hsi, links=no, labels=no) () had a great influence on East Asian ink wash painting. Li Cheng was a

Chinese painter Chinese painting () is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as , meaning "national painting" or "native painting", as opposed to Western styles of art which b ...

of the Song dynasty. He was influenced by

Jing Hao Jing Hao (, also known as Hongguzi) (c. 855–915) was a Chinese landscape painter and art theorist of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Northern China. As an artist, he is often cited along with his pupil, Guan Tong, as one of the ...

, Juran. Li Cheng has a profound impact on Japanese and

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

painters. Fan Kuan was a Chinese

landscape painter Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction in painting of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a cohe ...

of the Song dynasty. He has a profound impact on Japanese and Korean paintings. Guoxi was a Chinese

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...

painter from

Henan Province Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Luo ...

who lived during the

Northern Song The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, endin ...

dynasty.Ci hai: Page 452 One text entitled "The Lofty Message of Forest and Streams" ( ) is attributed to him. As representatives of scholar painting (or "Literati Painting", the part of the Southern School), painters such as Su Shi, Mi Fu and Mi Youren, especially Muqi, had a decisive influence on East Asian ink wash painting.

Su Shi Su Shi ( zh, t=, s=苏轼, p=Sū Shì; 8 January 1037 – 24 August 1101), courtesy name Zizhan (), art name Dongpo (), was a Chinese poet, essayist, calligrapher, painter, scholar-official, literatus, artist, pharmacologist, and gastronome wh ...

( zh, t=蘇軾, s=苏轼, first=t, links=no, labels=no; 8 January 1037 – 24 August 1101), courtesy name Zizhan (Chinese: 子瞻), art name Dongpo (Chinese: 東坡), was a Chinese poet, writer, politician, calligrapher, painter, pharmacologist, and gastronome of the Song dynasty.

Mi Fu Mi Fu (Chinese language, Chinese: 米芾; 1051–1107)Barnhart: 373. He was born with the name 米黻, also pronounced Mi Fu. His courtesy name was Yuanzhang (元章) with several sobriquets: Nangong (南宮), Lumen Jushi (鹿門居士), Xiang ...

( zh, t=米芾 or 米黻, p=Mǐ Fú, links=no, labels=no, also given as Mi Fei, 1051–1107)Barnhart: 373. His courtesy name was Yuanzhang () with several sobriquets: Nangong (), Lumen Jushi (), Xiangyang Manshi (), and Haiyue Waishi () was a Chinese painter,

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

, and calligrapher born in

Taiyuan Taiyuan; Mandarin pronunciation: (Jin Chinese, Taiyuan Jin: /tʰai˦˥ ye˩˩/) is the capital of Shanxi, China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. It is an industrial base foc ...

during the Song dynasty. Mi Youren ( zh, t=米友仁, links=no, labels=no, 1074–1153) was a Chinese painter, poet, and calligrapher born in Taiyuan during the Song dynasty. He was the eldest son of Mi Fu.

Muqi Muqi or Muxi (; Japanese: Mokkei; 1210?–1269?), also known as Fachang (), was a Chinese Chan Buddhist monk and painter who lived in the 13th century, around the end of the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Today, he is considered to be one o ...

( zh, t=牧谿, labels=no; Japanese: Mokkei; 1210?–1269?), also known as Fachang ( zh, c=法常, labels=no), was a Chinese

Chan Buddhist Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit ''dhyāna in Buddhism, dhyāna'' (meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming especially popula ...

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

and painter who lived in the 13th century, around the end of the

Southern Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, endin ...

(1127–1279). Today, he is considered to be one of the greatest Chan painters in history. His ink paintings, such as the

Daitoku-ji is a Rinzai school Zen Buddhist temple in the Murasakino neighborhood of Kita-ku in the city of Kyoto Japan. Its ('' sangō'') is . The Daitoku-ji temple complex is one of the largest Zen temples in Kyoto, covering more than . In addition to ...

triptych A triptych ( ) is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all m ...

and ''

Six Persimmons ''Six Persimmons'' () is a 13th-century Chinese painting by the monk Muqi Fachang. It was painted during the Song dynasty. Muqi was one of the two great exponents of the spontaneous mode of Chinese painting (the other being Liang Kai). It features ...

'' are regarded as essential Chan paintings. Muqi's style of painting has also profoundly impacted painters from later periods to follow, especially monk painters in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty The Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty () is a name used to collectively describe the four Chinese painters: Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, Ni Zan, and Wang Meng, who were active during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). They were revered during the Min ...

( zh, c=元四家, p=Yuán Sì Jiā, labels=no) is a name used to collectively describe the four

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

painters

Huang Gongwang Huang Gongwang (born 1269, Changshu, Jiangsu province, China—died 1354), birth name Lu Jian (), was a Chinese painter, poet and writer born at the end of the Song dynasty in Changshu, Jiangsu. He was the oldest of the " Four Masters of the Yu ...

( zh, t=黄公望, 1269–1354),

Wu Zhen Wu Zhen is the name of: * Wu Zhen (historian) ( 11th century), Song dynasty historian *Wu Zhen (painter) (1280–1354), Yuan dynasty painter * Wu Zhen (politician) (born 1958), Chinese politician See also *Wuzhen Wuzhen ( zh, s=乌镇, p=Wūzh� ...

( zh, t=吳鎮, 1280–1354),

Ni Zan Ni Zan (; 1301–1374) was a Chinese painter during the Yuan Dynasty, Yuan and early Ming Dynasty, Ming periods. Along with Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen (painter), Wu Zhen, and Wang Meng (painter), Wang Meng, he is considered to be one of the Four M ...

( zh, t=倪瓚; 1301–1374), and Wang Meng (, Wáng Méng; ''Zi'': Shūmíng , ''Hao'': Xiāngguāng Jūshì ) (), who were active during the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

(1271–1368). They were revered during the

and later periods as major

exponent In mathematics, exponentiation, denoted , is an operation involving two numbers: the ''base'', , and the ''exponent'' or ''power'', . When is a positive integer, exponentiation corresponds to repeated multiplication of the base: that is, i ...

s of the tradition of "

literati painting Ink wash painting ( zh, t=水墨畫, s=水墨画, p=shuǐmòhuà) is a type of Chinese ink brush painting which uses washes of black ink, such as that used in East Asian calligraphy, in different concentrations. It emerged during the Tang dynas ...

" (), which was concerned more with individual expression and learning than with outward representation and immediate visual appeal. Other notable painters from the Yuan period include

Gao Kegong Gao Kegong (; 1248–1310) was a Chinese painter, and sometimes poet, born during the Yuan dynasty; he was known for his landscapes. He was a good friend and colleague of Zhao Mengfu, and his paintings showed an artistic combination between ...

( zh, t=髙克恭, s=高克恭, p=Gaō Kègōng, w=Kao K'o-kung, labels=no; 1248–1310), also a poet, and was known for his landscapes, and Fang Congyi.

=Northern School and painters

( zh, c=北宗画, p=běi zōng huà, labels=no) was a manner of Chinese landscape painting centered on a loose group of artists who worked and lived in Northern China during the Five Dynasties period that occupied the time between the collapse of the

and the rise of the Song. Representing painters are Ma Yuan, Xia Gui, and so on. The style stands in opposition to the Southern School ( zh, c=南宗画, p=nán zōng huà, labels=no) of Chinese painting. Northern School has a profound impact on Japanese and

Southeast Asian Southeast Asia is the geographical southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Australian mainland, which is part of Oceania. Southeast Asia is ...

paintings. Li Tang ( zh, c=李唐, p=Lǐ Táng, w=Li T'ang,

Xigu ( zh, t=晞古); c. 1050 – 1130) of the Northern School, especially

Ma Yuan Ma Yuan may refer to: * Ma Yuan (Han dynasty) (馬援; 14 BC – 49 AD), general of the Han dynasty * Ma Yuan (painter) (馬遠; 1160–1225), painter of the Song dynasty * Ma Yuan (judge) (:zh:馬原 (政治人物), 馬原; born 1930), a former V ...

( zh, c=馬遠, p=Mǎ Yuǎn, w=Ma Yüan, labels=no; ) and Xia Gui's ink wash painting modeling and techniques have a profound influence on Japanese and Korean ink wash paintings. Li Tang was a Chinese

who practised at

Kaifeng Kaifeng ( zh, s=开封, p=Kāifēng) is a prefecture-level city in east-Zhongyuan, central Henan province, China. It is one of the Historical capitals of China, Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and ...

and

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

during the

. He forms a link between earlier painters such as

and

and later artists such as

Xia Gui Xia Gui (; fl. 1195–1224), courtesy name Yuyu (禹玉), was a Chinese landscape painter of the Song dynasty. Very little is known about his life, and only a few of his works survive, but he is generally considered one of China's greatest ...

and

. He perfected the technique of "axe-cut" brush-strokes. Ma Yuan was a Chinese painter of the Song dynasty. His works, together with that of

, formed the basis of the so-called Ma-Xia () school of painting, and are considered among the finest from the period. His works has inspired both Chinese artists of the Zhe School, as well as the great early Japanese painters

Shūbun The traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. ''Qiūfēn'', ''Shūbun'', ''Chubun'', or ''Thu phân'' is the 16th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 180° and ends when it ...

and Sesshū.

( zh, c=夏圭 or 夏珪, w=Hsia Kui, labels=no;

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

1195–1225), courtesy name Yuyu (), was a Chinese landscape painter of the Song dynasty. Very little is known about his life, and only a few of his works survive, but he is generally considered one of China's greatest artists. He continued the tradition of Li Tang, further simplifying the earlier Song style to achieve a more immediate, striking effect. Together with

, he founded the so-called Ma-Xia () school, one of the most important of the period. Although Xia was popular during his lifetime, his reputation suffered after his death, together with that of all Southern Song academy painters. Nevertheless, a few artists, including the

ese master Sesshū, continued Xia's tradition for hundreds of years, until the early 17th century.

Liang Kai Liang Kai (; ''c''. 1140 - ''c''. 1210) was a Chinese painter of the Southern Song Dynasty. He was also known as Madman Liang because of his very informal pictures. He was born in Shandong and worked in Lin An (later Hangzhou). He is known to have ...

( zh, t=梁楷, s=梁楷, p=Liáng Kǎi, labels=no; ) was a Chinese painter of the Southern Song dynasty. He was also known as "Madman Liang" because of his very informal pictures. His ink wash painting style has a huge influence on East Asia, especially Japan.

Yan Hui Yan Hui (–481 BC) was a Chinese philosopher. He was the favorite disciple of Confucius and one of the most revered figures of Confucianism. He is venerated in Confucian temples as one of the Four Sages. Names Yan Hui is also known by his c ...

( zh, t=顏輝, s=颜辉, p=Yán Huī, w=Yen Hui, labels=no); was a late 13th century Chinese painter who lived during the Southern Song and early Yuan dynasties. Yan Hui's style of painting has also profoundly impacted the painters in Japan.

Ming and Qing dynasties

Four Masters of the Ming dynasty The Four Masters of the Ming dynasty () are a traditional grouping in Chinese art history of four famous Chinese painters that lived during the Ming dynasty. The group consists of Shen Zhou (1427–1509), Wen Zhengming (1470–1559), Tang Yin (14 ...

( zh, c=明四家, p=Míng Sì Jiā, labels=no) are a traditional grouping in Chinese art history of four famous Chinese painters of the

. The group are

Shen Zhou Shen Zhou (, 1427–1509), courtesy names Qinan () and Shitian (), was a Chinese painting, Chinese painter in the Ming dynasty. He lived during the post-transition period of the Yuan conquest of the Ming. His family worked closely with the gove ...

( zh, t=沈周, 1427–1509),

Wen Zhengming Wen Zhengming (28 November 1470 – 28 March 1559Wen Zhengming's epitaph by Huang Zuo indicate that he died on the 20th day of the 2nd month of the ''ji'wei'' year during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor. (嘉靖己未二月二十日，与严侍 ...

( zh, t=文徵明 , 1470–1559), both of the

Wu School Wu or Wumen School () is a group of painters of the Southern School during the Ming period of Chinese history. It was not an academy or educational institution, but rather a group united largely by the artistic theories of its members. Often cla ...

Tang Yin Tang Yin (; 6 March 1470 – 7 January 1524), courtesy name Bohu () and Ziwei (子畏), was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming dynasty period. Even though he was born during the Ming dynasty, many of his paintings, especially t ...

( zh, t=唐寅, 1470–1523), and

Qiu Ying Qiu Ying (; 1494–1552) was a Chinese painter of the Ming dynasty who specialised in the '' gongbi'' brush technique. Early life Qiu Ying's courtesy name was Shifu (), and his art name was Shizhou (). He was born to a peasant family in Tai ...

( zh, t=仇英, ). They were approximate contemporaries, with Shen Zhou the teacher of Wen Zhengming, while the other two studied with Zhou Chen. Their styles and subject matter were varied.Rawson, p. 340

Xu Wei Xu Wei (, 1521–1593), also known as Qingteng Shanren (), was a Chinese painter, playwright, poet, and tea master during the Ming dynasty. Cihai: Page 802.Barnhart: Page 232. Life Xu's courtesy names were Wenqing (文清) and then later Wenc ...

( zh, c=徐渭, p=Xú Wèi, w=Hsü Wei, labels=no, 1521–1593) and

Chen Chun Chen Chun (; 1483–1544), courtesy name Daofu and art name Baiyang Shanren, was a Ming dynasty artist, calligrapher, and poet. Born into a wealthy family of scholar-officials in Suzhou, he learned calligraphy from Wen Zhengming, one of the Four ...

( zh, t=陳淳, labels=no; 1483–1544) are the main painters of the bold and unconstrained style of literati painting, and their ink wash painting is characterized by the incisive and fluent ink and wash. Their ink wash painting style is considered to have the typical characteristics of the Historical Oriental art. Xu Wei, other department "Qingteng Shanren" ( zh, c=青藤山人, p=Qīngténg Shānrén, labels=no), was a

Chinese painter, poet, writer and dramatist famed for his artistic expressiveness.Cihai: Page 802. Chen Chun was a Ming dynasty artist. Born into a wealthy family of

scholar-officials The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class. Scholar-officials were politicians and governmen ...

Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...

, he learned

from

, one of the

. Chén Chún later broke with Wen to favor a more freestyle method of ink wash painting.

( zh, c=董其昌, p=Dǒng Qíchāng, w=Tung Ch'i-ch'ang; 1555–1636) of the Ming dynasty and the

Four Wangs The Four Wangs () were four Chinese landscape painters during the Qing dynasty in the 17th century, all with the surname Wang. They are best known for their accomplishments in ''shan shui'' painting. The painters They were Wang Shimin (1592 ...

( zh, c=四王, w=Ssŭ Wang, p=Sì Wáng, labels=no) of the Qing dynasty are representative painters of retro-style ink wash paintings that imitated the painting style before the Yuan dynasty. Dong Qichang was a Chinese painter,

calligrapher Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an exp ...

, politician, and art theorist of the later period of the

. He is the founder of the theory of

and

in ink wash painting. His theoretical system has a great influence on the painting concept and practice of East Asian countries, including Japan and Korea. Four Wangs were four Chinese landscape painters in the 17th century, all called Wang (surname Wang). They are best known for their accomplishments in painting.They were Wang Shimin (1592–1680), Wang Jian (1598–1677), Wang Hui (1632–1717) and

Wang Yuanqi Wang Yuanqi (; pinyin: Wáng Yuánqí; 1642–1715) was a Chinese painter of the Qing dynasty. Wang was born in Taicang in the Jiangsu province and tutored in painting by his grandfather Wang Shimin (1592–1680). His style name was 'Mao-chin ...

(1642–1715).

Bada Shanren Zhu Da (), also known by his pen name Bada Shanren (), was a late-Ming and early-Qing dynasty Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet. He was born in Nanchang, Jiangxi, in 1626, at during the Ming-Qing Transition. Zhu was mentally ill and disp ...

( zh, c=朱耷, p=zhū dā, labels=no, born "Zhu Da"; ),

Shitao Shitao or Shi Tao (; other department Yuan Ji (), 1642 – 1707), born into the Ming dynasty imperial clan as Zhu Ruoji (朱若極), was a Chinese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and landscape painter during the early Qing dynasty. Born in the ...

( zh, t=石濤, s=石涛, p=Shí Tāo, w=Shih-t'ao, labels=no; other department "Yuan Ji" ( zh, c=原濟, s=原济, p=Yuán Jì, labels=no), 1642–1707) and

Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou () is the name for a group of eight Chinese painters active in the eighteenth century who were known in the Qing Dynasty for rejecting the orthodox ideas about painting in favor of a style deemed expressive and individ ...

( zh, t=揚州八怪, s=扬州八怪, p=Yángzhoū Bā Guài, labels=no) are the innovative masters of ink wash painting in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Bada Shanren, other department "Bada Shanren" ( zh, c=八大山人, p=bā dà shān rén, labels=no), was a

Han Chinese The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...

painter of ink wash painting and a calligrapher. He was of royal descent, being a direct offspring of the

prince

Zhu Quan Zhu Quan (; 1378–1448https://web.archive.org/web/20161006082912/http://www.history.ubc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/readings/robinson_culture_courtiers_ch.8.pdf p. 398), the Prince of Ning (), was a Chinese historian, military comman ...

who had a feudal establishment in

Nanchang Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi, China. Located in the north-central part of the province and in the hinterland of Poyang Lake Plain, it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake. Because of its strate ...

. Art historians have named him as a brilliant painter of the period. Shitao, born into the

imperial clan as "Zhu Ruoji" , was one Chinese

in early Qing dynasty (1644–1912). Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou is the name for a group of eight Chinese painters active in the 18th century, who were known in the Qing dynasty for rejecting the orthodox ideas about painting in favor of a style deemed expressive and individualist. Xu Gu ( zh, t=虛谷, s=虚谷, p=Xū Gǔ, w=Hsü Ku, labels=no, 1824–1896) was a Chinese monk painter and poet during the Qing dynasty. His ink wash paintings give the audience a sense of abstraction and illusion.

Modern times

Modern and contemporary Chinese freehand ink wash painting is the most famous of the

Shanghai School ''Haipai'' (, Shanghainese: ''hepha'', ; literally " hangai style") refers to the avant-garde but unique "East Meets West" culture from Shanghai in the 20th and 21st centuries. It is a part of the culture of Shanghai. Etymology The term was coi ...

, and the most representative ones are the following painters.

Wu Changshuo Wu Changshuo (, September 12, 1844 – November 29, 1927, also romanised as Wu Changshi, ), born Wu Junqing (), was a Chinese calligrapher, painter, and seal artist of the late Qing Period. Life Wu was born into a scholarly family in Hu ...

( zh, c=吳昌碩, p=Wú Chāngshuò, labels=no 12 September 1844 – 29 November 1927, also romanised as Wu Changshi, zh, c=吳昌石, p=Wú Chāngshí, labels=no), born Wu Junqing ( zh, c=吳俊卿, p=Wú Jùnqīng, labels=no), was a prominent painter, calligrapher and seal artist of the late Qing period. He is the leader of the Shanghai School. Wu Changshuo's style of painting has profoundly impacted the paintings in Japan.

Pu Hua Pú Huá (Wade–Giles: P'u Hua, traditional: 蒲華, simplified: 蒲华, pinyin: Pú Huá); c. 1834–1911 was a Chinese landscape painter and calligrapher during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). Information Pu was born in Jiaxing in th ...

( zh, t=蒲華, s=蒲华, w=P'u Hua, p=Pú Huá, labels=no; ) was a Chinese landscape painter and calligrapher during the Qing dynasty. His style name was 'Zuo Ying'. Pu painted landscapes and ink bamboo in an unconventional style of free and easy brush strokes. He is one of the important representatives of the Shanghai School. Wang Zhen ( zh, c=王震, w=Wang Chen, labels=no; 1867–1938), commonly known by his courtesy name Wang Yiting ( zh, c=王一亭, w=Wang I-t'ing, labels=no), was a prominent businessman and celebrated modern Chinese artist of the Shanghai School.

Qi Baishi Qi Baishi (1 January 1864 – 16 September 1957) was a Chinese painting, Chinese painter, noted for the whimsical, often playful style of his works. Born to a peasant family from Xiangtan, Hunan, Qi taught himself to paint, sparked by the Ma ...

( zh, t=齊白石, s=齐白石, p=qí bái shí, labels=no, zh, t=齊璜, s=齐璜, p=qí huáng, labels=no 1 January 1864 – 16 September 1957) was a Chinese painter noted for the whimsical, often playful style of his ink wash painting works.

Huang Binhong Huáng Bīnhóng (; January 27, 1865– March 25, 1955) was a Chinese literati painter and art historian born in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. His ancestral home was She County, Anhui province.Cihai: Page 2056. He was the grandson of artist Hua ...

( zh, t=黃賓虹, p=Huáng Bīnhóng, labels=no; 1865–1955) was a Chinese literati painter and

art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...

born in

Jinhua Jinhua is a prefecture-level city in central Zhejiang province in eastern China. It borders the provincial capital of Hangzhou to the northwest, Quzhou to the southwest, Lishui to the south, Taizhou, Zhejiang, Taizhou to the east, and Shaoxin ...

Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

province. His

ancestral home An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...

was She County,

Anhui Anhui is an inland Provinces of China, province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiang ...

province. He was the grandson of artist Huang Fengliu. He would later be associated with

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

and finally

. He is considered one of the last innovators in the literati style of painting and is noted for his freehand landscapes. Important painters who have absorbed Western sketching methods to improve Chinese ink wash painting include Gao Jianfu, Xu Beihong and Liu Haisu, etc. Gao Jianfu (1879–1951; , pronounced "Gou Gim Fu" in Cantonese) was a Chinese painter and social activist. He is known for leading the

Lingnan School The Lingnan School () was an art movement active in the late Qing dynasty and Republic of China that sought to modernize Chinese painting through borrowing from other artistic traditions. Established by the brothers Gao Jianfu and Qifeng, to ...

's effort to modernize Chinese traditional ink wash painting as a "new national art." Gao Minglu, and Norman Bryson. ''Inside Out: New Chinese Art''. San Francisco: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1998, page 26.

Xu Beihong Xu Beihong (; 19 July 1895 – 26 September 1953), also known as Ju Péon, was a Chinese painter. He was primarily known for his Ink wash painting, Chinese ink paintings of horses and birds and was one of the first Chinese artists to articulat ...

( zh, t=徐悲鴻, w=Hsü Pei-hung, labels=no; 19 July 1895 – 26 September 1953), also known as "Ju Péon", was a Chinese painter. He was primarily known for his Chinese ink paintings of horses and birds and was one of the first Chinese artists to articulate the need for artistic expressions that reflected a modern China at the beginning of the 20th century. He was also regarded as one of the first to create monumental oil paintings with epic Chinese themes – a show of his high proficiency in an essential Western art technique. He was one of the four pioneers of Chinese modern art who earned the title of "

The Four Great Academy Presidents The Four Great Academy Presidents (or The Four Great Art Academy Presidents) is the title earned by four pioneers of Chinese modern art: Yan Wenliang, Lin Fengmian, Xu Beihong and Liu Haisu. These artists were revered in the early Republican Era ...

Liu Haisu Liu Haisu (; 16 March 1896 – 7 August 1994) was a prominent twentieth-century Chinese painter and a noted art educator. He excelled in Chinese painting and oil painting. He was one of the four pioneers of Chinese modern art who earned the titl ...

( zh, s=刘海粟, p=Liú Hǎisù, labels=no; 16 March 1896 – 7 August 1994) was a prominent 20th century Chinese painter and a noted art educator. He excelled in Chinese painting and oil painting. He was one of the four pioneers of Chinese modern art who earned the title of "The Four Great Academy Presidents". Pan Tianshou, Zhang Daqian and Fu Baoshi are important ink wash painters who stick to the tradition of Chinese classical Literati Painting.

Pan Tianshou Pan Tianshou (; March 14, 1897– September 5, 1971) was a Chinese painter and art educator. Pan was born in Guanzhuang, Ninghai County, Zhejiang Province, and graduated from Zhejiang First Normal School (now Hangzhou High School). He studied ...

( zh, t=潘天壽, s=潘天寿, p=Pān Tiānshòu, labels=no; 1897–1971) was a Chinese painter and art educator. Pan was born in Guanzhuang,

Ninghai County Ninghai County () is a county under the administration of Ningbo, in the east of Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It covers a land area of and a sea area of and has a coastline. It has four sub-districts, 11 towns, three townsh ...

Zhejiang Province ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

, and graduated from Zhejiang First Normal School (now

Hangzhou High School Hangzhou High School (), or Hanggao, established in 1899, is one of the most famous high schools in Southern China. It was the earliest-founded public high school in Zhejiang Province. Its history dates back to Yangzheng College founded by Lin Qi ...

). He studied

Chinese traditional painting Chinese painting () is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as , meaning "national painting" or "native painting", as opposed to Western styles of art which b ...

with

. Later he created his own ink wash painting style and built the foundation of Chinese traditional painting education. He was persecuted during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

until his death in 1971.

Zhang Daqian Chang Dai-chien or Zhang Daqian (; 10 May 1899 – 2 April 1983) was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century. Originally known as a '' guohua'' (traditionalist) painter, by the 1960s he was also renowne ...

( zh, t=張大千, w=Chang Ta-ch'ien, labels=no; 10 May 1899 – 2 April 1983) was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the 20th century. Originally known as a (traditionalist) painter, by the 1960s he was also renowned as a modern impressionist and expressionist painter. In addition, he is regarded as one of the most gifted master forgers of the 20th century.

Fu Baoshi Fu Baoshi (), or Fu Pao-Shih, (October 5, 1904– September 29, 1965) was a Chinese people, Chinese painter from Xinyu, Jiangxi Province. He went to Japan to study the History of Oriental Art in the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1933. He translated ...

( zh, s=傅抱石, p=Fù Bàoshí, labels=no; 1904–1965), was a

painter. He also taught in the Art Department of Central University (now

Nanjing University Nanjing University (NJU) is a public university in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. It is affiliated and sponsored by the Ministry of Education. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction. The univers ...

). His works of landscape painting employed skillful use of dots and inking methods, creating a new technique encompassing many varieties within traditional rules.

Shi Lu Shi Lu (; December 13, 1919– August 25, 1982), born Feng Yaheng (), was a Chinese painter, wood block printer, poet and calligrapher. He based his pseudonym on two artists who greatly influenced him, the landscape painter Shitao and writer Lu ...

( zh, t=石魯, s=石鲁, p=Shí Lǔ, labels=no; 1919–1982), born "Feng Yaheng" ( zh, t=馮亞珩, s=冯亚珩, p=Féng Yàhéng, labels=no), was a Chinese painter, wood block printer, poet and calligrapher. He based his pseudonym on two artists who greatly influenced him, the landscape painter

and writer

Lu Xun Lu Xun ( zh, c=魯迅, p=Lǔ Xùn, ; 25 September 188119 October 1936), pen name of Zhou Shuren, born Zhou Zhangshou, was a Chinese writer. A leading figure of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in both vernacular and literary Chinese as a no ...

. He created two different ink wash painting styles.

Other countries in East Asia

Since the Tang dynasty, Japan, Korea, and East Asian countries have extensively studied Chinese painting and ink wash painting. Josetsu ( zh, t=如拙) who immigrated to Japan from China has been called the "Father of Japanese ink painting". East Asian styles have mainly developed from the painting styles of

and

Korea

Ink wash painting was most likely brought to Korea during the

Goryeo dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

, although no confirmed examples are extant; a number of works preserved in Japanese Buddhist temples are possibly by Korean authors, but this is limited to speculation. Nonetheless, it would continue to develop as a major genre of

Korean painting Korean painting () includes paintings made in Korea or by overseas Koreans on all surfaces. The earliest surviving Korean paintings are murals in the Goguryeo tombs, of which considerable numbers survive, the oldest from some 2,000 years ago (mo ...

in the following

Joseon dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

as well. In Korea, the Dohwaseo or court academy was very important, and most major painters came from it, although the emphasis of the academy was on realistic decorative works and official portraits, so something of a break from this was required. However the high official and painter

Gang Se-hwang Kang Sehwang (; 1713–1791) was a high government official but also a representative painter, calligrapher and art critic of the mid Joseon period. He was born in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, the son of Kang Hyŏn. He entered royal service ...

and others championed amateur literati or painting in the Chinese sensibility. Many painters made both Chinese-style landscapes and

genre painting Genre painting (or petit genre) is the painting of genre art, which depicts aspects of everyday life by portraying ordinary people engaged in common activities. One common definition of a genre scene is that it shows figures to whom no identity ca ...

s of everyday life, and there was a tradition of more realistic landscapes of real locations, as well as mountains as fantastical as any Chinese paintings, for which the

Taebaek Mountains The Taebaek Mountains () are a mountain range that stretches across North Korea and South Korea. They form the main ridge of the Korean peninsula. Geography The Taebaek mountains are located along the eastern edge of the peninsula and run alon ...

along the eastern side of Korea offered plenty of inspiration.

An Kyŏn An Kyŏn (; ) was a Korean painter of the early Joseon period. He was born in Jigok, Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. He entered royal service as a member of the Dohwaseo, the official painters of the Joseon court. In 1447, he drew ', a land ...

was a painter of the early Joseon period. He was born in Jigok,

Seosan Seosan (; ) is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea, with a population of roughly 175,000 according to the 2017 census. Located at the northwestern end of South Chungcheong Province, it is bounded by Dangjin, Naepo New Town, Yesan- ...

South Chungcheong Province South Chungcheong Province (), informally called Chungnam, is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, province of South Korea in the Hoseo region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. South Chungcheong borders the provinces of Gyeonggi to ...

. He entered royal service as a member of the Dohwaseo, the official painters of the Joseon court, and drew () for Prince Anpyeong in 1447 which is currently stored at Tenri University. This piece is the oldest surviving Korean piece for which the author and date of composition are known. He was deeply influenced by the

( zh, c=南宗画, p=nán zōng huà) of

, especially

and

Byeon Sang-byeok Byeon Sangbyeok () was an 18th-century Korean painter of the Miryang Byeon clan during the late period of the Korean Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Byeon is famous for his precise depictions of animals and people in detailed brushwork. Biogr ...

, member of the

Miryang Miryang () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Neighboring cities include Changnyeong to the west, Cheongdo to the north, Ulsan to the east, and Yangsan, Gimhae, and Changwon to the sout ...

Byeon clan, was active during the latter half of the Joseon period (1392–1910). Byeon is famous for his precise depictions of animals and people in detailed brushwork. Byeon was deeply influenced by the

Court Painting A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and administer justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law. Courts general ...

( zh, c=院體畫, p=Yuàn Tǐ Huà) of

, especially Huang Quan. The Korean painters influenced by the Northern School in the Song dynasty include

Kang Hŭian Kang Hŭian (; –1464), art name Injae, was a prominent scholar and painter of the early Joseon period. He was good at poetry, calligraphy, and painting. He entered royal service by passing gwageo in 1441 under the reign of king Sejong (1397� ...

, Kim Hong-do, Jang Seung-eop and so on. Kang Hŭian (1417?–1464), pen name Injae , was a prominent scholar and painter of the early Joseon period. He was good at poetry, calligraphy, and painting. He entered royal service by passing

gwageo The () or ''kwagŏ'' were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo (918–1392) and Joseon (1392–1897) periods of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' ability of writing composition and knowledge ...

in 1441 under the reign of king

Sejong Sejong (; 15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), commonly known as Sejong the Great (), was the fourth monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He is regarded as the greatest ruler in Korean history, and is remembered as the inventor of Hangul, the n ...

(1397–1418–1450).

Kim Hong-do Kim Hong-do (, 1745–) was a Korean painter during the Joseon dynasty. He is mostly remembered for his depictions of the everyday life of ordinary people, in a manner analogous to painters of the Dutch Golden Age painting, Dutch Golden Age. He ...

(, born 1745, died 1806?–1814?), also known as "Kim Hong-do", most often styled "Danwon" (), was a full-time painter of the Joseon period of Korea. He was together a pillar of the establishment and a key figure of the new trends of his time, the 'true view painting'. Gim Hong-do was an exceptional artist in every field of traditional painting. His ink wash paintings of figures are deeply influenced by the

Jang Seung-eop Jang Seung-eop (; 1843–1897), commonly known by his art name Owon, was a Korean painter of the late Joseon period. He was one of the few painters to hold a position of rank in the Joseon court. His life was dramatized in the award-winning 2 ...

(1843–1897) (commonly known by his pen name "Owon") was a painter of the late Joseon dynasty in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. His life was dramatized in the award-winning 2002 film ''

Chi-hwa-seon ''Chi-hwa-seon'' or ''Chwi-hwa-seon'' (also known as ''Painted Fire'', ''Strokes of Fire'' or ''Drunk on Women and Poetry'') is a 2002 South Korean historical drama film directed by Im Kwon-taek. It stars Choi Min-sik as Jang Seung-eop (commonl ...

'' directed by

Im Kwon-taek Im Kwon-taek (; born December 8, 1934) is one of South Korea's most renowned film directors. In an active and prolific career, his films have won many domestic and international film festival awards, as well as considerable box-office success, ...

. He was also one of few painters to hold a position of rank in the Joseon court.

Jeong Seon Jeong Seon (; 1676 – 20 April 1759) was a Korean landscape painter, also known by the art names Gyeomjae and Nangok and courtesy name Wonbaek. His works include ink and oriental water paintings, such as ''Inwangjesaekdo'' (1751), ''Geumgang j ...

() (1676–1759) was a landscape painter, also known by his pen name "Kyomjae" ("humble study"), who is counted among the most famous Korean painters. His style was realistic rather than abstract, and he additionally is credited with advancing the ink-wash artform towards a more uniquely Korean direction. His works include ink and oriental water paintings, such as '' Inwangjesaekdo'' (1751), '' Geumgang jeondo'' (1734), and ''Ingokjeongsa'' (1742), as well as numerous "true-view" landscape paintings (진경산수화) on the subject of Korea and the history of its culture. This latter style, which was a subgenre of the ''shan-shui'' genre, was most prominent between the mid-18th century and mid-19th century, and was pursued by several other painters as well. Moreover, this style spread to Japan through Choe Buk and Kim Yu-seong as part of diplomatic missions to Japan, where it was sometimes known as "New Joseon ''Shan-shui'' painting" (新朝鮮山水畫), and influenced

Ike no Taiga was a Japanese painter and calligrapher born in Kyoto during the Edo period. Together with Yosa Buson, he perfected the ''bunjinga'' (or '' nanga'') genre. The majority of his works reflected his passion for classical Chinese culture and painti ...

and Uragami Gyokudō.

Japan

In Japan, the style was introduced in the 14th century, during the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

(1333–1573) through

monasteries, and in particular Josetsu, a painter who immigrated from China and taught the first major early painter

Tenshō Shūbun was a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk and painter of the Muromachi period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Shūbun''" in Biography Shūbun was born in the late 14th century in Ōmi Province and became a professional painter around 1403. He ...

(d. ). Both he and his pupil

Sesshū Tōyō , also known simply as , was a Japanese Zen monk and painter who is considered a great master of Japanese ink painting. Initially inspired by Chinese landscapes, Sesshū's work holds a distinctively Japanese style that reflects Zen Buddhist ae ...

(1420–1506) were monks, although Sesshū eventually left the clergy, and spent a year or so in China in 1468–69. By the end of the period the style had been adopted by several professional or commercial artists, especially from the large

Kanō school The is one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. The Kanō school of painting was the dominant style of painting from the late 15th century until the Meiji era, Meiji period which began in 1868, by which time the school had divided i ...

founded by

Kanō Masanobu was a Japanese painter. He was the chief painter of the Ashikaga shogunate and is generally considered the founder of the Kanō school of painting. Kano Masanobu specialized in Zen paintings as well as elaborate paintings of Buddhist deities an ...

(1434–1530); his son

Kanō Motonobu was a Japanese people, Japanese Japanese painting, painter and Japanese calligraphy, calligrapher. He was a member of the Kanō school of painting. Through his political connections, patronage, organization, and influence he was able to make the ...

was also very important. In the Japanese way, the most promising pupils married daughters of the family, and changed their names to Kanō. The school continued to paint in the traditional Japanese and other coloured styles as well. A Japanese innovation of the

Azuchi–Momoyama period The was the final phase of the in Japanese history from 1568 to 1600. After the outbreak of the Ōnin War in 1467, the power of the Ashikaga Shogunate effectively collapsed, marking the start of the chaotic Sengoku period. In 1568, Oda Nob ...

(1568–1600) was to use the monochrome style on a much larger scale in

folding screen A folding screen, also known as pingfeng (), is a type of free-standing furniture consisting of several frames or panels, which are often connected by hinges or by other means. They have practical and decorative uses, and can be made in a variet ...

s, often produced in sets so that they ran all round even large rooms. The of about 1595 is a famous example; only some 15% of the paper is painted. was one of the first ''

suiboku Ink wash painting ( zh, t=水墨畫, s=水墨画, p=shuǐmòhuà) is a type of Chinese ink brush painting which uses washes of black ink, such as that used in East Asian calligraphy, in different concentrations. It emerged during the Tang dynasty ...

'' (ink wash) style

Zen Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...

painters in the

(15th century). He was probably also a teacher of

at the

Shōkoku-ji , formally identified as , is a Buddhist temple in northern Kyoto, first founded in 1382 by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, with the existing temple complex having undergone several periods of extensive reconstruction and rebuilding in the succeeding eras. ...

monastery in

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

. A Chinese immigrant, he was naturalised in 1470 and is known as the "Father of Japanese ink painting".

, a Japanese ink wash painting genre, was born under the significant influence of Chinese Taoism and Buddhist culture. was the leader of Kano school, laid the foundation for the school's dominant position in Japanese mainstream painting for centuries. He was mainly influenced by Xia Gui (active in 1195–1225), a Chinese court painter of the Southern Song dynasty. He was the chief painter of the Ashikaga shogunate and is generally considered the founder of the

of painting. Kano Masanobu specialized in Zen paintings as well as elaborate paintings of Buddhist deities and Bodhisattvas. was a Japanese

monk and painter of the

. He was deeply influenced by the

( zh, c=北宗画, p=běi zōng huà, labels=no) of

and Josetsu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Shūbun''" in

(; Oda Tōyō since 1431, also known as ''Tōyō'', ''Unkoku'', or ''Bikeisai''; 1420 – 26 August 1506) was the most prominent Japanese master of

ink and wash painting Ink wash painting ( zh, t=水墨畫, s=水墨画, p=shuǐmòhuà) is a type of Chinese ink brush painting which uses washes of black ink, such as that used in East Asian calligraphy, in different concentrations. It emerged during the Tang dynas ...

from the middle

. He was deeply influenced by the

( zh, c=北宗画, p=běi zōng huà, labels=no) of

, especially Ma Yuan and

.Appert, Georges. (1888)
''Ancien Japon,'' p. 80.
After studying landscape painting in China, he drew "". This painting was drawn the landscape of Song dynasty in China. He painted the natural landscape of winter. The feature of this painting is the thick line that represents the cliff. and mainly imitated the ink wash painting styles of the Chinese Song dynasty monk painter

. Sesson Shukei was one of the main representatives of Japanese ink wash painting, a learned and prolific Zen monk painter. He studied a wide range of early Chinese ink wash painting styles and played an important role in the development of Japanese Zen ink wash painting. Colleagues of Chinese ink painter

(active in 13th century) first brought Muxi painting to Japan in the late 13th century. Japanese Zen monks follow and learn the gibbon pictures painted by Chinese monk painter Muqi. By the late 15th century, the animal image of Muqi style had become a hot topic in large-scale Japanese painting projects. The smaller, more purist and less flamboyant

Hasegawa school The Hasegawa school (長谷川派, ''-ha'') was a school (discipline), school (style) of Japanese painting founded in the 16th century by Hasegawa Tōhaku and disappeared around the beginning of the 18th century. The school painted mostly ''fusu ...

was founded by

Hasegawa Tōhaku was a Japanese Painting, painter and founder of the Hasegawa school. He is considered one of the great painters of the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1573-1603), and he is best known for his folding screens, such as ''Shōrin-zu byōbu, Pine Trees ...

(1539–1610), and lasted until the 18th century. The (meaning "Southern painting") or ("literati") style or school ran from the 18th century until the death of

Tomioka Tessai was the pseudonym for a painter and calligrapher in imperial Japan. He is regarded as the last major artist in the '' Bunjinga'' tradition and one of the first major artists of the ''Nihonga'' style. His real name was Yusuke, which he later cha ...

(1837–1924) who was widely regarded as the last of the artists. Hasegawa Tōhaku was a

and founder of the

. He is considered one of the great painters of the

(1573–1603), and he is best known for his ''

byōbu are Japanese folding screens made from several joined panels, bearing decorative painting and calligraphy, used to separate interiors and enclose private spaces, among other uses. History are originated in Han dynasty China and are tho ...

'' folding screens, such as ''

Pine Trees A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

'' and ''Pine Tree and Flowering Plants'' (both registered

National Treasures A national treasure is a structure, artifact, object or cultural work that is officially or popularly recognized as having particular value to the nation, or representing the ideals of the nation. The term has also been applied to individuals or ...

), or the paintings in walls and sliding doors at

Chishaku-in Chishaku-in (智積院) is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan. It is affiliated with Shingon-shū Chizan-ha Buddhism. It was established in 1601. The temple has a historic garden that was said to be a favourite of Sen no Rikyū. ...

, attributed to him and his son (also National Treasures). He was deeply influenced by

of the

, especially

and

."Suiboku-ga."
Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 10 Dec. 2009
Mibura-Dera Temple Website. 10 Dec 2009 The ink wash paintings of

and his son had a profound influence on Japanese ink painters, and Ike no Taiga is one of them. was a

painter and calligrapher born in

during the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. Together with

Yosa Buson was a Japanese poet and Painting, painter of the Edo period. He lived from 1716 – January 17, 1784. Along with Matsuo Bashō and Kobayashi Issa, Buson is considered among the greatest poets of the Edo Period. He is also known for completing ...

, he perfected the (or '' nanga'') genre. The majority of his works reflected his passion for classical Chinese culture and painting techniques, though he also incorporated revolutionary and modern techniques into his otherwise very traditional paintings. As a (, literati, man of letters), Ike was close to many of the prominent social and artistic circles in Kyoto, and in other parts of the country, throughout his lifetime.

Notes

References

* Cihai Editorial Committee (辭海編輯委員會), ''

Cihai The ''Cihai'' is a large-scale dictionary and encyclopedia of Standard Mandarin Chinese. The Zhonghua Book Company published the first ''Cihai'' edition in 1938, and the Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House revised editions in 1979, 1989, ...

, zh, T=辭海'', Shanghai:

Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House () is a publishing house in mainland China, specialized in publishing reference works. Its precedent was the Ci Hai Editing Institute affiliated to Zhong Hua Book Co. (中华书局辞海编辑所), founded ...

(上海辭書出版社), 1979. * Dunn, Michael, ''The Art of East Asia'', ed. Gabriele Fahr-Becker, Könemann, Volume 2, 1998. * Farrer, Anne, in Rawson, Jessica (ed). ''The British Museum Book of Chinese Art'', British Museum Press, 2007 (2nd edn). * * * Jenyns, Soame, ''A Background to Chinese Painting'' (with a Preface for Collectors by W. W. Winkworth), 1935, Sidgwick & Jackson, Ltd. * Little, Stephen; Eichman, Shawn; Shipper, Kristofer; Ebrey, Patricia Buckley, ''Taoism and the Arts of China'',

University of California Press The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...

, 2000-01-01. * Loehr, Max, ''The Great Painters of China'', Oxford: Phaidon Press, 1980. * Rawson, Jessica (ed). ''The British Museum Book of Chinese Art'', British Museum Press, 2007 (2nd edn). * Sickman, Laurence, in: Sickman L. & Soper A., ''The Art and Architecture of China'', Pelican History of Art, Penguin (now Yale History of Art), 3rd ed 1971. LOC 70–125675 *Stanley-Baker, Joan, ''Japanese Art'', Thames and Hudson,

World of Art ''World of Art'' (formerly known as ''The World of Art Library'') is a long established series of pocket-sized art books from the British publisher Thames & Hudson, comprising over 300 titles as of 2021. The books are typically around 200 page ...

, 2000 (2nd edn). *

External links

Transcultural Ink

The Palace Museum

National Palace Museum

Shanghai Museum

James Cahill

Hasegawa Tohaku's Pine Trees at the Tokyo National Museum

Sumi-e Beppe Mokuza, Inc.

Sumi-e Society of America, Inc.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ink And Wash Painting Chinese art Chinese painting East Asian art Japanese painting Korean painting Painting techniques Zenga