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During the Qin Dynasty, a new philosophy emerged called Daoism. This ideology was primarily centered around maintaining harmony with nature. It also discusses two popular principles– Yin and Yang. The feminine principle “Yin” relates to softness, flow, and receptivity, and is symbolized in art through the use of aspects such as water, coldness, darkness, and the north side of a mountain. On the other hand, Yang is a masculine principle within nature that represents solidity, strength, brightness, and is symbolized by the south side of a mountain. Based on the video, Legalism to Confucianism and Daoism, Daoism’s founder, Lao Tzu, rejected court life and became a hermit in the mountains. Therefore, it’s safe to say that Daoism is the complete reciprocal of Confucianism which focuses on harmony amongst social relations such as governments, family/home life, and especially organized political systems.

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Travelers by Streams and Mountains (by Fan Kuan)

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The article, Fan Kuan, explains how the Chinese viewed mountains as sacred and imagined them as the abode of immortals. This love for nature translated to the development of landscape painting during the Song Dynasty. A key element of this style of art is its use of scale to dramatically heighten the sense of vastness and space. This was done by making diminutive figures visually smaller in comparison to its surrounding environment. Another prominent aspect of landscape painting is the combination of varying views. This detail relies on gaps between the different distances which act as breaks. This allows the audience to envision themselves roaming freely amongst the world created by the artist, yet one must mentally jump from one distance to another.

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During the Yuan Dynasty, China experienced a major change in authority as the Mongols conquered the nation. The article, The Yuan Dynasty Painting, explains how the Mongols made immense alterations to the Chinese government to establish their reign by abolishing the civil service exams for imperial office. This eliminated an entire system of status and respect that people had dedicated their entire lives to. As a result, these literati became hermits and spent their days forming artistic works of political protest; utilizing a dry brush technique and literary themes, such as poetry, to maintain a sense of exclusivity they once previously held.

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The article, Shen Zhou, explains that many prominent Chinese artists during the Ming Dynasty began incorporating elements of literary themes, such as poetry, calligraphy, and inscriptions, into their works of art. This combination of visuals and literary components of art allowed audiences to further immerse themselves into the world of the artist and further emphasizes the message the artist is pushing for. Additionally, the act of incorporating inscriptions into a piece allows viewers to better understand the purpose of the artwork without having to know its historical context, and therefore making the work more palatable to viewers. To add on, artists began utilizing these inscriptions as letters dedicating their works to a particular individual as well.