Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MAWAR BERDURI
NAME STUDENT ID CLASS
20 DECEMBER 2018
1.0 List of Contents
1. Cover 1
2. List of Contents 2
3. Introduction 3
4. Artworks Analysis
5. Conclusions 12
6. References 13
2
2.0 Introduction
The ancient character Qi (炁) is made with the upper radical Wu (无) and the
bottom radical Huo (火). Wu means no, nothing, without, empty, emptiness, and the
primordial state of nature or the Universe. Chi also means “breath” or “air” and is often
In a landscape painting, empty space often indicates cloud, mist, sky, water or
smoke. Nonetheless, the empty space refers to qi (chi), a cosmological term which is
formless, but bestows life to Chinese painting. In Chinese painting, the intermediate
spaces are eloquent and aesthetically significant. Thus, the space (‘emptiness’) becomes
of great importance. For it is in the separation of elements, the space serves to give
definition to the forms themselves. Emptiness is a concept at the very heart of Chinese
valleys. Without the valleys, there would be no mountains, and without the mountains
there would be no valleys, the two are wholly interdependent. In painting terms the
empty spaces are immeasurable, born of spirit and dream. Emptiness is not a negation,
rather it brings definition and clarity, it also allows change and transition to unfold.
3
3.0 Artworks Analysis
Eight Views of Mount Huang, Zheng Ming, 1681, Album on nine leaves of
A little bit about the artist, Wen Zheng Ming was born in Wen Bi near
(88-89) years old. Wen Zheng Ming would later be known by his courtesy name,
Zheng Ming. He was leading Ming dynasty painter, calligrapher, poet and
scholar. He was regarded as one of the Four Masters of Ming painting. Wen
Zheng Ming was one of a number Ming dynasty literati artist who set
4
The Eight Views of Mount Huang is one of the types of Chinese painting
which is the period in Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911). Painted by Wen Zheng
The artwork was painted for a specific patron in 1681. The presents was
very detail implemented views of Mount Huang. So, including the majestic
Heavenly Citadel Peak that shown here, while facing pages are inscribed with
the artists poetic accounts of the famous sites. The painted was from memory
years after his two visits to the region, and the artwork was balance sensitive
description detail and lyrical abstraction to achieve a vision of the scenery that
How the artwork was created, that was happen in 1681, Wen Zheng
Ming was approached by a younger friend Chuzen, who is asked the master to
paint 2 artworks which is one for him and one for a friend. He obliged that the
painting for Chuzen in the hopes of spurring his interest in Mount Huang where
the young man had never been. So, Zheng Ming himself had been there only
twice, the most recent trip more than seven years earlier. He just painted the
Eight Views of Mount Huang from his memory only. By the relatively little
known artist Zheng Ming, the ranks among the best Huangshan artworks, it is
distinct part.
The artist, Zheng Ming was combined the signature dry brush technique
of the Anhui School’s founder Hongren with the subtle in washes that is to
create a less austere, more descriptive style. Furthermore, adding to the artworks
appeal is the artists lengthy inscription on the leaf, which is explains the story
5
Zheng Ming explains the circumstances of its creation. In his inscription, he
writes that “in the future, after all his children get married, if Chuzen ever travels
there, I hope he will take this artwork with him to check against the actual sites
6
3.2 Walking on A Mountain Path in Spring (1190-1225)
cm x 43.1 cm
generation painter for the Royal Court and was well known artist not just in his
homeland China but also Japan and throughout the Sino sphere. He founded the
Ma-Xia school of painting along with fellow painter Xia Gui, of which his
school would later gave rise to many great Chinese and Japanese artists such as
which emphasizes on the Shi instead of based on real life landscape. One of the
7
focuses only one half of the painting while the other half remained empty but
The painting depicts two men, one who stand still watching the
an Emperor himself watches and appreciates the nature that surrounds him, the
mountains, the streams, and two birds that is one sitting on a branch and another
one flies away to escape from Humans. The other man who holds the zither is
possibly his servant or guardian. On the top right the poem reads “The wild
they shun the presence of people” referring to the presence of the two men
which caused one of the bird to flew away. It was written by Emperor Ningzong,
8
3.3 Early Spring (1072)
Early Spring, Guo Xi, 1072, Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, 108.1 cm x
158.3 cm
on 1072, Sung Dynasty from 11th century. The medium used were ink and
(R.O.C).
auspicious clouds on an early spring day that appear enveloping the landscape
right after the winter. It is full of potential for life and renewal. That is why Guo
Xi entitled his most famous painting as Early Spring. For them, the cloud is
always associated with gods and their legendary creatures like dragons, treasure.
That is why it represents the meaning of holiness, and it also means luck. Forms
emerged from the mist showed the land seems to awaken as the trees spring
9
forth. Guo Xi developed a style which is depicting multiple perspectives called
“the angle of totality”. Because for him, a painting is not a window. There is no
natural world such as yin and yang must be balanced. In fact, the Chinese
express the concept of landscape with the term Shan Shui or derived
forms (sea, river and mist) is evident throughout Chinese landscapes. Both of
these elements of Shan Shui are present in Early Spring. The main elements of
the monumental landscape were arranged by Guo Xi along the central axis of
used to inscribe scrolls. The resultant lines show dormant energy of swirling
beneath the surface of the painting. The natural forces these lines to maintain in
shows mountains could not exist without water. Guo Xi has arranged the
position of his scene to draw the viewer’s eyes up to the mountain, which appear
straight to heaven. In this artwork, we can find the eye progresses up the
mountain and earthly reality is left behind. While the lower state of the scene, a
The “S”- shape of the middle ground was connected by the large
landforms and pine tree in the foreground. A break with the mist, the slope
climbs up and continues into the winding central mountain in the back. The
10
penetrated of the deep distance to either side of the mighty mountain as a windy
lofty halls and pavilions are tucked deep in the mountains to the right. The ink
applied were light but rich. While the combination of the composition and
techniques of tall, deep and flat distances making this painting as an ideal
landscape for walking, viewing, living and travelling in the imagination. What
Guo Xi was trying to convey and painted was understood and felt by the viewers
11
4.0 Conclusion
The first canon of Chinese painting describes its rhythmic vitality, which refers
qi dwells or flows. Without qi, empty space cannot be differentiated from blank space.
The first canon of Chinese painting describes its rhythmic vitality, which refers to qi, a
Since air is essential for us to breathe, qi has been considered as the principle of
life in painting, and if qi is lacking, a painting will appear lifeless. Qi comes from an
artist’s inner self, it is a result of the interaction between the artist and the object. When
qi is still, a painting appears tranquil; when qi moves then a painting is dynamic and
full of life. This is the true definition and method of qi applied in the painting which
shown a real meaning of the real life that breathe on the painting to make it alive to the
Thus, we can understand that the application of qi in the painting not only to
enriched the uses of space but also the breathe of the painting itself. It also means the
completion of the artwork even it is empty spaces. Qi in the painting symbolizes a great
picture of the spirit and energy in the painting through mountain, mist, clouds or even
sky and path in a mountain. The energy represents the living painting that beyond the
thought of the painter that they did not even stay put to draw or create the image but
12
5.0 References
Master Zhongxian Wu. (Sep 2, 2016). The Meaning of Qi. Qi Encyclopedia. Retrieved
from http://qi-encyclopedia.com/
Yogapedia Editors. Chi. Yogapedia. Retrieved from https://www.yogapedia.com/
Weimin He. The Mystery of Empty Space. Retrieved from
The Mystery of Empty Space.
Robert Ketchell. (Oct 9, 2013). On Chinese Landscape Painting and Japanese
Gardens. Part 4/5. Robert Ketchell’s Blog. Retrieved from
http://robertketchell.blogspot.com/
Wikipedia. (2018). Wen Zheng Ming. Wikipedia. Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wen_Zhengming
The MET. Eight views of the Yellow Mountains. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/
Professor Hartman. Chinese Painting. Albany Edu. Retrieved from
https://www.albany.edu/
Sally Whitman Coleman. (Feb 16, 2016). Ma Yuan: Landscape and Poetry. The Art
Minute. Retrieved from http://www.the-art-minute.com/
It’s Artalicious. (Mar 14, 2015). Walking on A Mountain Path in Spring – Ma Yuan.
Wordpress. Retrieved from https://itsartalicious.wordpress.com/
32minutes. (Sep 15, 2016). Looking at Ma Yuan’s Walking on a path in spring.
Wordpress. Retrieved from https://32minutes.wordpress.com/
China Online Museum. (2018). Early Spring. China Online Museum. Retrieved from
http://www.comuseum.com/
Robert E. Harrist. (2017). Early Spring. Annenberg Learner. Retrieved from
https://www.learner.org/
The Famous Artist. (2010). Early Spring. Retrieved from
http://www.thefamousartists.com/guo-xi/early-spring
Duende by Madam Zozo. (2015). Chinese Symbols: Lucky Clouds. Retrieved from
https://duendebymadamzozo.com/chinese-symbols-lucky-clouds/
13