Posted 2017/8/23
The painting of the Song Dynasty developed on the basis of the achievements of the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties. Apart from the enormous amount of paintings and calligraphic works by professional court painters, the literati painting, first appearing in the Tang Dynasty, also developed very quickly during this period. The court painting and the literati painting, with their interactive influences, constitute the rich and colorful landscape of the Song Dynasty painting.
Court painting of the Song Dynasty is precise and conscientious, exhibiting an obvious aristocratic artistic feature. The literati painting, on the other hand, focuses on the expression of man's personality. Inscriptions of poems on the painting initiated a completely new area of calligraphic and painting creations. Accordingly, the art of calligraphy has been introduced into painting.
Figure paintings in Song Dynasty emphasize the capture of human being's spiritual existence and moving aspects. The painters took great pains to bring out artistic images with sharp characters. Painting of flowers and birds and painting of landscape seek the beautiful and moving artistic conceptions and sentiments. Attentions are paid for a real and ingenious artistic expression. And efforts are made to refine the images. Thus the painting possesses a highly realistic capacity.
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, Zhang Zeduan, Wang Ximeng, Li Gonglin and Su Shi are among the outstanding painters of this period.
