Landscape painting of China - Essay Example

LANDSCAPE Landscape is an important component a genre of Chinese paintings as it ranges from Tang to Sony dynasties. The technique of landscaping had developed as an independent credible aspect in the history of Chinese art. The main reason as to why landscaping rose to the current eminence in the in Chinese art is due to the fact that the artists could showcase and represent deeper emotions, political messages, philosophies and ideas. Similarly, they could also articulate and represent the beauty of the natural environment and landscape by extension to the society.

Monumental landscape was ordinarily depicted to express power and dominance. In principle, their encompassed mountains as the dominant feature and other features belittled to reduce their significance. Also, it showed or compared the insignificant nature of the natural human being relative to the natural grandeur. It is safe to assert that the natural power and eminence could be compared to political power. The metaphoric aspect of the landscape on the other hand, was used to show the hierarchy and social structures of the human society.

For instance, “A solitary Temple amid Clearing Peaks,” was associated and attributed to Li Cheng had a gigantic mountain in the background and a temple in the middle of picture. There is also other features of people on the lower periphery of the picture being depicted as little and insignificant at the might of the ruling political class. Li Cheng was a ruling family in the political imperialism of Sony dynasty. Thus, the painting had deep political meaning and symbolism. Generally, the painting symbolized political stability and peace of the Sony dynasty.

It is important to note and mention that the huge structure of the mountain is express and easy to notice. The mountain represented the power of the emperor, the ruling class and political might. The situation was deliberate so as to compare of juxtapose the little figure of the people at the bottom of the painting as little or even insignificant. In all aspects and fairness, this is a representation an intuition that the civilians and the subjects were of little stature or social class compared to the ruling class.

It is as if the civilians had completely no power or significance of might. The temple in its lace was a metaphor that represented the region. Thus, when the artist put the temple at the center of the painting, it was a deliberate message to imply that politics was always at the center of the region. Politics bore a lot of relevance and significance. Landscape technique also represents Daoism as an idea of philosophy and religion expressly. For instance, “Wu-Wei,” is a term that translates to “doing nothing” in Chinese society which forms the basic ideology of Daoism as nature formed the center of the philosophy as well.

In “Dwelling in the Longmian Mountains,” Li Goinglin showed his retreat with other lirerati in the Longmian Mountain. Having been born of a scholarly family, he was a member of literati or the learned class. Painting was thus one of the most express ways of people of his social class as they used painting to convey their emotions, feelings, thoughts and belief they had. In the hand scroll, Li Gonglin painted different activities including being alone in a mountain pathway as he enjoyed peaceful environment of being with other literati.

The main objective and significance lays on the fact that the literati used to enjoy tranquility and peace of such places and beauty of the landscape was secondary. The painting was clear enough to express and convey the attitude and enjoyment that Li Goinglin had including his enjoyment and likeness of staying far from the other people of the society. Intuitively, the technique perspective implies that landscape can mostly represent the essence and diversity of the Chinese painting. One of the earliest was the Jing Hao’s famous writing “Bi fa Ji.”