Exploring the nuances of Chinese and Western landscape art

Summary

This script explores the rich history of landscape painting in both Chinese and Western art. It highlights the unique Chinese approach to capturing nature's grandeur, focusing on imagination and multiple perspectives, in contrast to the Western method of creating depth and space. The script also delves into the symbolic use of color, particularly in ancient Chinese paintings, and how these artworks reflect the artist's connection to nature and political messages. It concludes with a personal journey to appreciate the significance of landscape art and its impact on viewers.

Takeaways

• 🎨 **Landscape Art Evolution**: The script discusses the evolution of landscape art, highlighting Leonardo da Vinci's sketch of the Tuscan landscape in 1473 as a pivotal moment in European art.
• 🌏 **Chinese Art Precedence**: It points out that Chinese artists had been capturing the grandeur of nature centuries before da Vinci, indicating an earlier start to landscape art in China.
• 🏞️ **Nature in Chinese Art**: The script emphasizes the importance of nature in Chinese art, with ancient artists using landscape paintings to offer viewers a space for imagination beyond the visible world.
• 🖼️ **Multiple Perspectives**: Chinese landscape paintings often employ multiple perspectives, similar to a 'floating perspective', allowing viewers to see the landscape from various angles.
• 📏 **Avoidance of Linear Perspective**: Unlike Western art, Chinese painters deliberately avoid linear perspective to provide a more imaginative experience.
• 🖌️ **Subtle Use of Color**: The script notes the restrained and subtle use of color in Chinese literati artworks, which are often monochromatic and use ink wash techniques.
• 🗾 **Cultural Symbolism**: Chinese landscape paintings are not just visual representations but also carry cultural symbolism and can convey political messages.
• 🌄 **Artistic Techniques**: The script mentions specific techniques like the 'three distances' method used by ancient Chinese painters to depict landscapes.
• 🏔️ **Naturalistic Representation**: It discusses the use of naturalistic colors like green and blue to represent forests and mountains, similar to Da Vinci's aerial perspective.
• 🌿 **Connection with Nature**: The script explores the idea of Chinese painters seeking to be at one with nature, using art as a form of spiritual retreat and mental refreshment.
• 🏛️ **Cultural Significance**: The script highlights the cultural significance of Chinese landscape paintings, which are deeply rooted in the country's history and philosophy.

Q & A

What was the significance of Leonardo da Vinci's quick sketch on August 5th, 1473?

Leonardo da Vinci's quick sketch marked a revolutionary moment in European art as it was unprecedented to look at mountains and trees just for themselves.

How did Chinese artists approach landscape painting differently from Leonardo da Vinci?

Chinese artists had already been capturing the grandeur of nature in their works centuries before Leonardo da Vinci, focusing on offering viewers a greater space for imagination and presenting more than a simple description of the visible world.

What is the significance of the hanging scroll format in Chinese landscape paintings?

The hanging scroll format allows for multiple perspectives, enabling Chinese painters to present a more complex and imaginative view of the landscape.

Who was Goshi and what was his contribution to landscape painting?

Goshi was a famous painter from the North Song Dynasty who developed a method of painting landscapes using 'three distances' (high, far, and level) to show different viewpoints and create an impression of distance.

How does the Chinese concept of 'Shan shui' differ from Western landscape painting?

In Chinese 'Shan shui', the viewer doesn't necessarily need to be in the scene, unlike Western landscape painting where the viewer is placed within the scene, similar to using a camera.

What is the typical use of color in traditional Chinese landscape paintings?

Traditional Chinese landscape paintings often use various shades of ink and different styles of brush strokes to depict nature, with color use being restrained and subtle.

What does the use of green and blue in Chinese landscape paintings signify?

The use of green and blue in Chinese landscape paintings represents naturalistic representation of the forest and mountains, respectively, and can also evoke a dreamy, utopian landscape.

How does the aerial perspective used by Da Vinci relate to the use of blue in Chinese paintings?

The blue color used in Chinese paintings to represent distant mountains is similar to Da Vinci's aerial perspective, which accounts for the effect of air and humidity on the appearance of distant objects.

What is the significance of the 'Panorama of Rivers and Mountains' painting from the Song Dynasty?

The 'Panorama of Rivers and Mountains' is a 900-year-old masterpiece that presents a majestic landscape across a 12-meter-long silk scroll, symbolizing the rich color and expressive details of Chinese landscape paintings.

Why do Chinese painters often express a desire to be at one with nature?

Being in nature was seen as a retreat for refreshing one's spirit and mind, with the beauty of mountains and water nurturing the minds of many scholars throughout Chinese history.

How can Chinese landscape paintings convey political messages?

While Chinese landscape paintings reflect the artist's temperament and aspirations, they can also be used to convey political messages, showing the depth and complexity of the art form.

Outlines

00:00

🖼️ The Evolution of Landscape Art

This paragraph discusses the evolution of landscape art, starting with Leonardo da Vinci's revolutionary sketch of the Tuscan landscape on August 5th, 1473, which marked a significant moment in European art. It contrasts this with the centuries-old tradition of Chinese landscape painting, which predates da Vinci and emphasizes the grandeur of nature. The paragraph introduces the concept of multiple perspectives in Chinese painting, exemplified by the hanging scroll format, which offers viewers a greater space for imagination. It also touches on the different approaches to landscape painting in the East and West, with Western art focusing on creating depth and space for the viewer, while Chinese art allows for a 'floating perspective' that is more about the viewer's experience and less about a realistic depiction.

05:01

🌿 The Artistic Depiction of Nature

The second paragraph delves into the specific techniques and color usage in Chinese landscape paintings. It highlights the use of monochrome and the symbolic colors of green and blue to represent mountains and forests, drawing a parallel between Chinese and Western art through the concept of aerial perspective. The paragraph also discusses the use of color in ancient art and the subtlety of color in Chinese literati paintings, which often use ink shades and brush strokes to depict nature. It mentions a famous 900-year-old Song Dynasty painting that was exhibited in 2017, attracting large crowds, and the idea that Chinese painters often sought to express a desire for unity with nature through their art.

10:18

🏞️ The Significance of Nature in Chinese Art

The final paragraph explores the deeper meanings behind Chinese landscape paintings, suggesting that they are not merely representations of the external world but also reflect the artist's temperament, aspirations, and sometimes political messages. It raises questions about why Chinese art places such importance on nature and how landscape painting has reached such heights in China. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the historical perception of the natural world through art and the personal impact of landscape paintings, suggesting that viewing such art can change one's perspective on the natural realm.

Keywords

💡Landscape Painting

Landscape painting is a genre of painting that depicts natural scenery such as mountains, forests, and rivers. In the video, landscape painting is central to the discussion of how artists from different cultures perceive and represent nature. The script mentions ancient Chinese masters and European artists like Leonardo da Vinci, indicating that landscape painting has been a universal means for artists to express their connection with the natural world.

💡Tuscan Landscape

The Tuscan landscape refers to the picturesque countryside of the Tuscany region in Italy, often depicted in Renaissance art. The script references a young Leonardo da Vinci sketching this landscape, signifying a pivotal moment in European art where the focus shifted to capturing the beauty of nature for its own sake, rather than as a backdrop for religious or mythological scenes.

💡Chinese Art

Chinese art, as mentioned in the script, has a long history of landscape painting that predates the European tradition. It is characterized by its use of perspective, brushwork, and ink to convey not just the appearance of nature but also the artist's emotional response to it. The script contrasts Chinese art's approach to nature with that of Western art, highlighting the cultural differences in artistic expression.

💡Perspective

Perspective in art refers to the technique of representing three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface to create the illusion of depth. The script discusses how Western art often uses perspective to create a realistic view, while Chinese art traditionally avoids it, opting for a more imaginative and multifaceted representation of landscapes that allows for a greater space for viewer interpretation.

💡Hanging Scroll

A hanging scroll is a traditional Chinese painting mounted on a scroll, which is meant to be hung vertically for display. The script mentions this format, illustrating how it allows for multiple perspectives in Chinese landscape paintings, offering viewers a more dynamic and imaginative engagement with the artwork.

💡Shan Shui

Shan Shui, which translates to 'mountain-water,' is a term used to describe a style of Chinese landscape painting that emphasizes the philosophical and spiritual aspects of nature. The script uses the term to describe the Chinese approach to landscape painting, where the artist does not necessarily need to be physically present in the scene but can choose any angle to view it, much like an astronomer observing the cosmos.

💡Aerial Perspective

Aerial perspective, also known as atmospheric perspective, is a technique used in painting to represent the appearance of objects as they are affected by the atmosphere, causing distant objects to appear less distinct and often bluish. The script draws a parallel between Leonardo da Vinci's use of aerial perspective and the naturalistic representation of distant mountains as blue in Chinese paintings.

💡Ink and Brushwork

Ink and brushwork are fundamental to traditional Chinese painting, where various shades of ink and different brushstroke styles are used to depict nature. The script points out the restrained and subtle use of color in Chinese literati paintings, which are more about expressing the artist's temperament and connection with nature rather than realistic representation.

💡Qinglu

Qinglu, or 'green-blue,' refers to the use of blue and green pigments to depict mountains and water in Chinese landscape paintings. The script describes a painting that uses these colors to create a dreamy, utopian landscape, which is a typical characteristic of the Chinese tradition of landscape painting.

💡Political Messages

The script suggests that Chinese landscape paintings are not merely representations of the external world but can also convey political messages. This implies that art can be a vehicle for social commentary and expression of the artist's views on governance or societal issues, adding a layer of depth and complexity to the interpretation of these paintings.

💡Natural World

The natural world in the context of the video refers to the environment and all living and non-living things that constitute it. It is the primary subject of landscape paintings and a source of inspiration for artists. The script explores how different cultures perceive and depict the natural world, reflecting on the historical development of landscape art and its significance in various societies.

Highlights

Leonardo da Vinci's quick sketch on August 5th, 1473, marked a revolutionary moment in European art by capturing the Tuscan landscape.

Chinese artists had been capturing the grandeur of nature centuries before Leonardo da Vinci.

Ancient Chinese landscape paintings offer viewers a greater space for imagination and a more than simple description of the visible world.

Chinese painters use multiple perspectives to present the landscape, avoiding the use of single perspective.

Goshi, a famous painter from the North Song Dynasty, developed a method of landscape painting with three distances: high, far, and level.

Chinese landscape painting allows for a floating perspective, similar to how Johannes Vermeer's 'Astronomer' presents a view.

In Western landscape painting, the viewer is placed within the scene, akin to using a camera to capture the view.

Chinese literati's artworks use restrained and subtle colors, often relying on various shades of ink.

A painting from the Ming Dynasty exemplifies the use of blue and green to depict mountains, a typical use in Chinese tradition.

The use of blue in Chinese landscape painting is similar to Leonardo da Vinci's aerial perspective, showing mountains as blue in the distance.

Malachi green and azerite blue were favorite colors among Chinese cord painters to evoke a dreamy, utopian landscape.

A 900-year-old masterpiece from the Song Dynasty presents a majestic landscape across a 12-meter-long silk scroll.

Chinese painters often express their desire to be at one with nature, as seen in their landscape paintings.

Chinese landscape paintings can also convey political messages, reflecting the artist's temperament and aspirations.

The exhibition at the Qinghua University Art Museum highlights Chinese artists' appreciation of nature.

Landscaping arts between the East and West differ in aesthetic qualities and worldview.

Lynn Lin from CGTN reflects on how landscape paintings offer a history of perception of how men look at the natural world.

Transcripts

imagine yourself strolling along the

beach or trekking in the woods

or soaring Above the Clouds

how would you translate those

experiences onto the canvas

on August 5th 1473 a young aspiring

artist decided to draw the beautiful

Tuscan landscape this quick sketch by

Leonardo da Vinci marks a revolutionary

moment in European art

to look at mountains and trees just for

themselves was unprecedented but

centuries before the ages of Leonardo

the Chinese artist had already been

capturing the Grandeur of nature in

their works of art

so to explore the nuances of landscape

paintings let us immerse ourselves in

nature through the in campaign of

ancient artists

a few hundred meters east of the

capital's Forbidden City to see National

Art Museum of China

among many of its thematic exhibitions

held this summer The Museum hosted a

show that displayed a range of landscape

paintings by ancient Chinese Masters

this painting from the one of the most

famous painter in Ming Dynasty it's

called Tang in

this painting can see mountains and

water

and this one you can see the Horizon but

because of the hanging scroll this

format

you have multiple perspective

Chinese painters hope to offer viewers a

greater space for imagination and

present a more than simple description

of the visible world

so they deliberately avoid the use of

perspectives

in the west viewers are accustomed to

having the artist create depth and space

for them in a painting

the painters strive to recreate a real

view of what they see

in North Song Dynasty there's a famous

painter called Goshi

and he have a method of painting

landscape a method of three distance

like high distance far distance and you

know level distance

so it actually shows the different ways

how you look at as a landscape for

example you look up you look down and

you look forward the three ways but the

three ways can be used separately and

also can be used together to give an

impression of the mountains distance and

the different viewpoints

our ancestors develop the way

to use a multiple viewpoints like a

floating perspective to see the

landscape and to present the landscape

to the viewers

we can refer to Johannes Vermeer one of

his paintings astronomer

for example the Chinese way of Shan shui

you don't necessarily need to be in the

scene you are like the astronomer

holding a globe you can choose whatever

angle you want to see entirely up to you

so when we talk about for example

Western we call it landscape there's a

land and Escape right that two words

first you have a land then you have

Escape which is you need to have a

horizon

for example you have Seascape

you have a ctscape but all the same you

have to put yourself in the scene and

you see whether it's City whether it's

sea whether it's like you know the land

with mountains but you put himself in

the in the view but for the Chinese way

you don't necessarily need to be in the

scene but for the Western methods it's

like using a camera

you have to stand in the scene and click

and take the photo that is the scene in

front of you it's like a friend

colors were used by artists as far back

as 40 000 years ago they're essential

and helping artists to render the world

as they see it

to a certain extent the invention of new

color pigments prompted the development

of art History's Greatest movements

yet the use of color is rather

restrained and subtle in most Chinese

literati's artworks

deemed an extension of calligraphy

traditional Chinese paintings use

various shades of ink and different

styles of brush Strokes to depict nature

[Music]

now what about this painting this is a

monochromatic

yeah it's colored are using the blue and

green as a main color to depict the

mountains what we can see from this

painting is that the very typical use of

the qinglu sunshine the green and blue

landscape paintings in the Chinese

tradition this is typical

so when we look at this painting in

detail you have rocks and you have

Pavilions houses there's a florist

there's small passes and the small you

know waterfalls so that gives you the

idea if you walk into the forest that's

what you get

[Music]

this painting is quite interesting

because it's colored green represent the

forest so it's like naturalistic

representation however about the blue is

there's a similarity of The Da Vinci's

method because Da Vinci developed the

aerial perspective what area perspective

is because the air and humidity of the

air the oxygen

the the Nature's effect so the mountain

if you look the mountain so far the

mountain becomes a blue color

[Music]

for example if you think about the Mona

Lisa if you look at the back

the mountains are blue

but in China we don't talk about the

methods but through their own eyes you

can see the mountain by far its blue

color so we use the same method even

though Da Vinci never had any

conversation with the Chinese artists so

the theoretically they are using the

same method but just a different how to

say explanation and understanding

Malachi green and azerite blue were

favorite colors among Chinese cord

painters

these minerals were often used to evoke

a dreamy utopian landscape

one of the most symbolic works is a

panorama of rivers and mountains from

the Song Dynasty

[Music]

rich in color and expressive in my new

details this 900 year old Masterpiece

presents a majestic landscape spread

across a 12 meter long silk scroll

when this legendary artwork went on

Exhibition at The Palace Museum in

Beijing in 2017 people flocked there

from across the country lining up for

hours just to get a glimpse of it

[Music]

was among the visitors

he explains to me why Chinese painters

often express their desire to be at one

with nature

um

foreign

foreign

[Music]

of Immortals being in nature was a

retreat for refreshing one spirit and

mind the beauty of mountains and water

nurture the minds of many scholars

throughout Chinese history

[Music]

now to relax and recharge like the

ancient Chinese painter did we take a

trip to the Great Outdoors

[Music]

60 kilometers north of downtown Beijing

is an enchanting destination tucked away

in the mountains

tranquil and Serene Vibe of this place

has an almost healing power

foreign

[Music]

[Music]

Chinese landscape paintings or seldom

mere representations of the external

world

while they reflect the artist's

temperament and aspirations they can

also be used to convey political

messages

foreign

[Music]

back to the city center from shinton we

take a half hour car ride to the qinghua

University Art Museum where an

exhibition spotlighting Chinese artists

appreciation of nature is being held

throughout this entire Journey there

have been two pressing questions on my

mind why do Chinese place such

importance on nature in their arts and

White House Chinese landscape painting

been taken to such extreme Heights

foreign

[Music]

[Music]

while Landscaping the Arts between the

ism was stiffer in their aesthetic

qualities and world view when we put

them together as a whole they give us a

history of perception how men look at

the natural world

I mean even the most realistic depiction

of the natural realm is the artist

reading on the image of the world so for

me I think when I look at a landscape

painting I don't think I'll ever see it

the same again

Lynn Lin cgtn

foreign