Chinese Art Notes

All alone by the veranda railing, teardrops drenching the branches

through her face is unadorned, her old charms remain

behind the locked gate on a rainy night how she is filled with sadness

how differently she looked bathed in golden waves of moonlight before the darkness fell

poem is about longing for lost empire

Qian xuan (c. 1235 before 1307) pear blossoms, yuan (1271-1368)

Emin Imin Yimin?? – concept of u should not serve another administration

Qian xuan (c. 1235 before 1307) – early autumn, yuan dynasty.

decay of nature in early autumn

started painting archaic style in wang xizhi (307=54) (sage of Chinese calligraphy) watching the geese

inspired by geese swimming in the water and the movement of water become his style

mountain symbolizes immediate past

much pleasantness is found in that elegant bamboo grove

in a peaceful pavilion and with a bare stomach how

also evident in dwelling in the floating jade mountains

intention of political message

zhao menfu (1254-1322) detail, record of the miaoyan temple c. 1310 yuan dynasty

zhao menfu, frontispiece, xuanmiao Taoist temple in zhuanshu script

zhao menfu born a prince and in Confucian belief he should have either committed suicide or never worked for the Mongols or follow foot steps of teacher who refused to serve mongols but he did. Decided to serve for noble reason. To educate and cultivate the Mongols. By raising to a top position he could have influence.

Bamboo, rock, and lonely orchids

These started to serve as symbolism like bamboo – virtue, moral strength in terms of turbulence in society.

Painting Relies on the sensitivity of the artist’s hand

The mind landscape of xie youyou, yuan. – not real landscape. Hard to penetrate with our eyes due to the mushroom like bushes on trees. Archaic style resembling his teacher.

Goat and sheep – playful, conception of writing as calligraphy at the center of the painting, in the poem he says he cannot master the ways of the past master...