Introduction

Traditional Chinese painting, also known as brush painting or inkwash painting, is not only an essential part of the Chinese culture, but also one of the oldest art forms in the world. With a history of more than 5,000 years, Chinese painting has evolved from ancient rock paintings and pottery drawings to paintings on silk and later on rice paper and other media. Such paintings all boast unique and salient characteristics.

Through millenniums, the nation has not only brought forth numerous great artists, but also created a number of greatest masterpiece paintings in the world.

However, their unique styles, techniques, perspectives and nearly ubiquitous symbolisms are often very different from arts of other cultures.

For instance, a Chinese painting usually combines painting, calligraphy and poetry. And it is considered unfinished if it doesn’t have at least one seal on it.

Also, the tools and media employed by artists of traditional Chinese painting, such as inksticks, inkstones, rice paper and brushes, are unfamiliar to people in other parts of the world. As a result, Chinese paintings, including some masterpieces, may seem mysterious to many of our readers.

This book, jointly created by writer Zhang Ciyun and art editor Chen Jie, attempts to explain the aesthetic concepts behind Chinese paintings and tell some interesting stories about their creation and their creators. It also tries to decipher the often multiple-layer meanings hidden in Chinese paintings and obtain a better understanding of such works through visual analyses.

So, with rich and colorful illustrations, this book could provide readers a glimpse into the fabulous, yet mysterious world of great Chinese paintings.