The Art of Later China and Korea 1279 to the Present

Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, Huang Gongwang, China, Yuan Dynasty, The painter has replaced the misty atmosphere of the Southern Song landscapes with massive forms richly textured with fibrous brush strokes. The rhythmic play of brush and ink renders the landscape’s inner structure and momentum.

Autumn Mountains, Dong Qichang, Ming Dynasty, China, early 17th century Dong Qichang ( ) works were true to his ideal of transforming old styles, rather than imitating them. In Dong’s landscapes, he attempted to reveal the inner structure and momentum of nature, often radically reorganizing forms.

Dish with lobed Rim, China, Qing Dynasty, ca Qing potter continued to expand on the Yuan and Ming achievements in developing fine porcelain pieces with underglaze and overglaze decoration. All of its colors-- black, green, yellow, and even blue --come from applying overglaze enamels.

Temple vase, China, Yuan Dynasty, White porcelain with cobalt blue underglaze The vase was part of an altar set donated to a Buddhist temple as a prayer for peace, protection, and prosperity for the donor’s family. It is one of the earliest examples of fine porcelain with cobalt blue underglaze decoration. It reveals the foundations for the potters and decorators of Jingdezhen, which during the Ming Dynasty became the official source of porcelains for thegovernment and court.

Two Riders Searching for Plum Blossoms, 16th century, Ming dynasty ( ) Hanging scroll mounted on panel; ink and color on silk, China This unsigned work is a typical example of Zhe School painting, which flourished during the early to mid-Ming dynasty (1368–1644) in the area of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the former imperial capital of the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). With the Zhe School revival of Song styles in the early Ming dynasty, monumental ink-landscape paintings with heavily contoured and sculpted mountain forms became more common, while the expressive possibilities of brushwork and the evocation of mood generally took precedence over technical niceties.

Landscape, Shitao, China, Qing Dynasty, late 17th century Shitao’s writings called for a return to wellsprings of through the use of the “single brush stroke” or “primordial line” as the root of all phenomena and representation. The figure inthis album leaf are surrounded by colored dots and sinuous lines.

Fishermen, Dai Jin, China, Ming Dynasty, 15th century, Detail of handscroll, ink and color on paper As seen in Fishermen, the Zhe School painters adopted elements of the academic style developed in the Song Dynasty, especially the careful rendering of forms, sharp contrasts in ink tonalities, and a concern for atmosphere.

Recluse Dwelling on Xixia Mountain, Huang Binhong, 1954 Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper Some Chinese artists continue to produce works based on old traditions. They continue to maintain the calligraphic tradition with vitality.

Lin Yuan (Lingering Garden), Jiangsu Province, China Chinese gardens are sanctuaries where people commune with nature in all its representative forms and as an ever-changing and boundless prescence.

Wangshi Yuan (Garden of the Master of the Fishing Nets) One important aspect of garden design has been the replication in miniature of nature’s fullness in all its variety -- the production of an environment for the soul to immerse itself and find tranquility and peace. Chinese architects often built verandas over ponds and pavilions on stilts rising above the water. Stone bridges, paths, and causeways encourage wandering through ever-changing vistas of trees, rocks, flowers, and their reflection in the ponds.

Taihe Dian, Imperial Palace, Forbidden City, Beijing, China, 17th century and later The red walls, pillars and yellow glazed roof-tiles, and the dougong and beams decorated with dark-green designs of dragons, phoenixes and geometric figures, are conspicuous against the grey background of Beijing. Twenty-four emperors lived in and ruled China from the Forbidden City over nearly 500 years."

Bamboo, Wu Zhen, Yuan Dynasty, 1350 The pattern of bamboo leaves, like that of calligraphic script, provided painters with an excellent opportunity to display brushwork proficiency.

Marxism inspired a social realism in art that broke drastically with the traditional Chinese art. The intended purpose of such art is to serve the people in the struggle to liberate and elevate the masses. This can be seen in Rent Collection Courtyard, a life size tableau located in Dayi. An anonymous crew of sculptors portrayed the peasants, worn and bent by their toil, bringing their taxes to the courtyard of the merciless landlord.

The Nandaemun, or Seoul’s south gate into the city combines the Imposing strength of its impressive stone foundations with the sophistication of the intricately bracketed wooden superstructure. In eastern Asia, elaborate gateways, often in a processional series, were a standard element in city designs, as well as royal and sacred compounds, all usually surrounded by walls.

Chong Son, The Kumgang Mountains, Korea, Hanging scroll, ink on paper (1734) The artist transformed an actual scene into an imaginative land- scape using sharper, darker versions of the fibrous brush strokes much favored by Chinese painters.

Yi Chae-Gwan, Portrait of Kang Yi-o, Korea, Choson Dynsaty, early 19 th century This picture of a local magistrate shows the standard features of such paintings. The artists meticulous rendering of garments and other attributes indicates the sitter’s social identity in his official position. The winged silk hat is unmistakably that of a Korean official.