Chinese painting underwent significant development, especially in terms of subject matter and technique, during the Tang Dynasty. The innovations characterized by Tang Dynasty painting had a long-lasting impact on art in other cultures, particularly in East Asia. In this period, figure painting reached the height of elegant realism in Southern Tang. The evolution of painting was significantly influenced by Buddhist art and included images of Buddha, monks, and nobles. Around this time, the landscape painting technique developed very quickly and reached its first maturation. The realistic painting of people also peaked. The "Sage of Painting," Wu Daozi, was the most notable master in this era as well. Buddhism, Taoism, and traditional literature also influenced the art form. Influential artists such as Li Xixan and Li Zhaodao also made several advancements in painting during this time. It is through these focal points that we can discover the evolution and significance of Chinese painting during the Tang Dynasty.

The Sui Dynasty (581-618) restored China's unity after 300 years of conflict and fragmentation following the fall of the Han Dynasty in 220 A.D. The political and governmental structures put in place during this brief era laid the groundwork for the Tang Dynasty's expansion and prosperity. Tang China became one of the most powerful empires in the medieval era, distinguished by strong and kind governance, fruitful diplomatic connections, economic growth, and cultural efflorescence of international flair. The second significant epoch in the history of painting in the Tang Dynasty began in the 8th century, largely made possible by Emperor Xuanzong, often known as "The Brilliant Monarch" or "Minhuang." It established a high level of poets, painters, and sculptors. This period is justifiably regarded as the classical period of Chinese art and literature. Later generations of artists used the strong brushwork of Wu Daozi and the naturalist styles of Wang Wei as models for their work.

Tang Di, Landscape after a poem by Wang Wei, 1323.

Tang arts and crafts were a synthesis of various religions, ideologies, and schools of thought, reflecting a kaleidoscope of global influences that were mostly absorbed through conquest and trade. The Silk Road continued to connect China with Central Asia, India, and Persia, while being made safer to travel with Tang soldiers. Figure paintings, sculptures, and tomb mural paintings illustrate how imported goods influenced Tang attire, accessories, and cultural practices. Landscape paintings, also referred to as Shan-Shui (mountain-water paintings), included picturesque vistas of mountains, rivers, and waterfalls but were drawn using a pen. Both figure painting and landscape painting attained exceptional levels of maturity during the golden age of the Tang Dynasty. These paintings contained neatly outlined forms and were painted with vibrant hues. This approach was soon replaced by a method that requires monochrome ink washes, capturing pictures in condensed, oblique forms. Paintings of birds, flowers, and animals were all common subjects that were highly prized throughout the late Tang period. The original artist of the "Shan Shui" or "mountains and waters" brush and ink painting was the famous poet Wang Wei. Additionally, he incorporated poetry and literature into his paintings. Compared to the early Tang period, paintings' use of lines became significantly more calligraphic. The most well-known Shan-Shui painters were the father and son duo, Li Sixun and Li Zhaodao. The aim of these monochrome, sparse landscapes (known as Shuimohua) was not to accurately depict the sight of nature, but rather to capture the "rhythm" of nature. This painting style was divided into two main schools: one that contained an "untrammeled mode of natural wilderness" and the other that was "rich and opulent." Some famous Tang dynasty paintings include Zhou Fang's "Palace Ladies Wearing Flowered Headdresses," Wu Xian's "The Harmonious Family Life of an Eminent Recluse," and many more.

Attributed to Zhou Fang, Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair,
c. late 8th–early 9th century

The human figure was also a popular subject in Chinese art, even before landscapes and animals, as mentioned earlier. Towards the beginning of this era, many religious and political concepts were known to be the motivations behind painting figures. The developments of such techniques can be seen in archaeological findings of paintings on silk and on the walls of tombs and caves. The Sui Dynasty preceded the early Tang period, and this can be seen in large part in the various painting styles. Buddha, along with monks and aristocrats, were shown in court paintings, which helped "the painting of people" flourish during the Tang Dynasty. The "Sage of Painting," Wu Daozi, is known to be the most notable master of painting during this era. "God Sending His Son" and "The Teaching Confucius" are two of his most famous works. He also invented a brand new drawing method known as the "drawing of water and shield." The majority of Tang painters used vivid colors and intricate details along with delicate black lines to outline their figures. However, Daozi produced ink paintings that were so captivating that crowds gathered to see him work using only black ink and loose brushstrokes. Ink paintings were prized as finished works of art, not as rough sketches or outlines to be filled in with color. The collapse of the Confucian system after the Han Dynasty was reflected in painting and painting theory. Daoist and Buddhist motifs, as well as theoretical justifications for painting, were increasingly emphasized. In the middle to late Tang period, painters like Wang Wei and Gu Kuang (also known as "Splashed ink Daoists from the south of China) created more daring brush techniques. These ink splatters had philosophical and religious goals in addition to artistic ones. At the time, it was reported that their impromptu method was intended to mimic the divine process of creation. Their unfinished works, in which the creative processes were apparent, allowed the observer to make sense of the subject matter, giving off a Daoist cynicism. These methods heralded the beginning of an unusual brushwork style that flourished during times of social and political unrest. The Southern School of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, which believed that enlightenment was an illogical, spontaneous experience that could only be portrayed in a painting by a similar spontaneity in the brushwork, later used them. In the final years before the Tang Dynasty collapsed, many painters fled to Chengdu, the capital of the small state of Shu, where Chan painting flourished in particular. Guanxiu, a peculiar artist who painted Buddhist saints with an odd attitude and exaggerated features that appealed greatly to followers of the Chan religion, was one of them.

Wu Daozi, Eighty-seven Immortals, Tang Dynasty.

The fact that a majority of Chinese artists were not professionals but rather amateurs who were also intellectuals differentiates China from many other ancient nations. Students of Confucius and their stoic precepts were frequently poets or writers of literature. For them and their audiences, art served as a vehicle for capturing and presenting the philosophical outlook on life that they cherished. As a result, their work is simple and free of embellishment. For most of China's history, art served as a means of expressing a person's virtues rather than just showcasing their technical proficiency.

References:

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Waller, Breanna. "The Significance of Painting during the Tang Dynasty." The Department of Art and Theatre 2, no. 2 (2023): 15-19.