Types of Chinese Art Paintings Explored
What is it about an artist that inspires others? Is it the creativity of their work, or the way they look in the mirror? The answer to these questions, unfortunately, is far from clear. For an answer we need to get clear about what motivates an artist. In order to do this we need to start by describing what sort of artist a person would be.
An artistic personality style often uses their own bodies and minds to produce new things. They value variety, unstructured action and beauty. They love unusual and interesting people, colors, smells and sounds. These people may have a particular aesthetic which helps them to produce many different works of art, each unique in its own right. This is the ‘personal aesthetic’.
Some artists can be considered more driven by their emotions. They have an emotional intelligence and use that knowledge to help them to make art. It is in their nature to react to and support the emotions of others. So, if you observe an artistic production, you may well see how the emotions of the artist are reflected in the paintings. Whether it’s sadness or happiness or just plain joy an artistic response is sure to be shown.
Yet another artistic style is that of the qian xuan. This artist is most famous for his ‘windswept’ paintings. These are large landscapes which he views as the key to peace and serenity. This style is thought to have been brought to China by a courtier who was sent to cover the emperor during the Ming Dynasty.
There is one artist in the Chinese Art Museum called Hong Xian. He is best known for his wind swept landscapes and his painting, The Humming Bird, which he received encouragement from the Chinese government for his work. In fact the Humming bird became a national emblem and there is a plaque in the office of the State Governor which bears his name.
Of course there is a whole other set of artists such as the recluse painter Renfang Lu. He is best known for his recliner paintings and The Morning Afternoon. Another recluse called Maiping has a very large collection of paintings which can all be seen at the Met Museum. This gentleman does not actually paint the majority of his own work, in fact his wife presides over all his works.
