The great fertile valleys of the Hwang-Ho and the Yangtze-Kiang rivers are open to the sea in the east and cut off from the rest of Asia by the mountain of Tibet and deserts of Mongolia. As their only contact with the western world was through the passes of Afghanistan, few outside influences changed the course of China's history. They developed as a mild natured agricultural people with a belief in the harmony and peaceful existence possible when living close to nature. This deep philosophical understanding of nature was joined with the kindness and mercy of Indian Buddhism and shows very clearly in Chinese art.
Ancient China:-
Hsia Dynasty 2,000 to 1,700 B.C
Shang Dynasty 1,700 to 1,100 B.C
Chou Dynasty 1,100 to 300 B.C
Despite her long sea board, China's population has always been concentrated in the north in order to protect her frontier with Mongolia (now Russia). This is her only weak point. The only relics from these early dynasty's are earthenware and bronze pots and figures carved bones and geometric decoration
Medieval China:-
Chin Dynasty 250 to 205 B.C
Han Dynasty 202 B.C to 220 A.D
Tang Dynasty 618 to 906 A.D
The short Chin Dynasty founded the empire and established China's military power under an Emperor. During this period the 2,000 mile long Great Wall of China was built across the northern frontier to keep out invading tribes of Mongols.
The Buddhist influence appeared from India and art took on an Indian flavour.
In the Tang Dynasty Chinese art reached a splendid naturalism with landscape painting emerging as a fine achievement.
The Sung Dynasty 960 to 1269 A.D
After a period of political and religious upheaval Chinese art returned to the traditional style of the Tang and so Sung represents perhaps the best Chinese art. Chinese art was then over run by the hordes of Ghengis Khan.
Modern China:-
Ming Dynasty 1364 to 1644
Ching Dynasty 1644 to 1912
-Japanese wars, British dominated, Post W.W.II- Cultural revolution - New Independent China.
Painting
The Chinese approach to painting derives from calligraphy (handwriting) in which symbols do not stand for sounds, but objects. So the painter is describing his subject in picture form and not presenting just an outward or surface view of things as does our paintings. In the way that we choose suitable words, e.g.: good, excellent, superb, terrific, for something we like, each conveying a mood or feeling, so the Chinese painting conveys mood and feeling and not just appearance.
In the Chinese mind every smallest subject -stone, leaf, insect- has its own individuality and exists because things about have shaped and influenced it. Each object to the Chinese mind, has the spirit of the divine.
In his search for truth the painter does away with chance effects of light and shade and the illusion of 3 dimensions on a 2 dimensional surface which is so dear to western painters. The painting was frequently accompanied by a text, a poem or piece of prose which shows how inseparable are writing and painting.
Sculpture
Was considered of little importance. Painting was held to be the highest intellectual pursuit. Animal and human figures found in tombs display a fresh vigorous naturalism but are clearly not by he most talented artist (except perhaps the horses). With the introduction of Buddhism came the need of a sculptural art and in the 5th century, figures were sculpted on the Indian example.
Architecture
It was basic to the Chinese mind to see objects as individual and so they had little sense of composition so important in architecture (to us that is). For this reason the architecture is very interior and but for monuments such as Pagodas and memorial gateways, architecture is considered an integral part of the landscape. Due to the perishable nature of the materials used -wood and fired clay brick - and numerous barbarian sacks few buildings older than Ming remain.
Minor Arts
The Chinese had long experience of bronze casting - the first examples being ceremonial and sacrificial vessels and weapon blades with intricate incised decoration.
The first pottery was thick earthenware with brown and green glazes imitating bronze. After the Han Dynasty appeared the thin hard ringing pottery which reached perfection in the Tang. Further refinement took place in the Sung with their beautifully contoured shapes and tasteful decoration. In Ming Dynasty porcelain was perfected which had metallic glazes and luminous colours. Contact with Europe from the 17th century onwards made Chinese pottery knickknacks very popular in Europe - Fans, screens, cigarette boxes, bamboo blinds, rice paper wall paintings. But China was now a shadow of her former self and much of this was junk.