China is an ancient civilization country with a long history. It has rich culture in every field, while Chinese painting is a part of the splendid culture of China. These paintings with an array of distinctive oriental styles record China's long history and reflect its beautiful landscapes. The following is a brief listing of the most widely known paintings in China, which you can have a good knowledge of traditional Chinese painting.
Nymph of the Luo River
"Nymph of the Luo River", painted by Gu Kaizhi of Eastern Jin Dynasty (317 - 420), it was divided into three parts to illustrate a romantic poem by Cao Zhi from the state of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. This ancient painting is a large silk scroll with 27.1 cm in vertical and 572.8 cm in horizontal. The copy collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing is a facsimile of the original made during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279).
Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy
"Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy", painted by Yan Liben of Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), depicted the friendly encounter between the Tang dynasty and Tubo in 641. This ancient painting is a large silk scroll with 129.6 cm long and 38.5 cm wide. The painting collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing is a work of both historical and artistic value.
Noble Ladies in Tang Dynasty
"Noble Ladies in Tang Dynasty"are a serial of paintings drawn by Zhang Xuan and Zhou Fang of Tang Dynasty(618 - 907), when the paintings of noble ladies became very popular. The paintings of noble ladies in Tang Dynasty are famous for beautiful, dignified and graceful. The paintings depict the leisurely, lonely and peaceful life of the ladies at court, which had became the main artistic features of traditional Chinese painting in the Tang Dynasty.
Five Oxen
"Five Oxen" is a painting drawn by Han Huang, a famous prime minister in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). Mounted by hemp paper, it is one of the best animal paintings in China's art history with its length of 139.8 cm and width of 20.8 cm. The painting is now collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing.
Han Xizai Gives A Night Banquet
"Han Xizai Gives A Night Banquet", drawn by Gu Hongzhong of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period(907-960), it was divided into five parts to illustrate the scenes of Han's banquet. This ancient painting is a large silk scroll with its length of 335 cm and width of 28.7 cm. All the characters in the paintings are lifelike with different expressions and postures. It is one of the most outstanding representative works among figure paintings from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period.The painting is now collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing.
A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains
"A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains", drawn by Wang Ximeng of Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127), is one of the greatest landscape painting masterpiece of ancient China. This ancient painting is a large silk scroll with its length of 1191.5 cm and width of 51.5 cm, it was finished by Wang when he was only 18 in 1113, and now it is the part of the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing.
Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival
"Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" is a panoramic painting drawn by Zhang Zeduan of Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127). The paintings depict the prosperity scenery of the capital city of Bianjing (today's Kaifeng, Henan Province) during Qingming Festival in the Northern Song Dynasty. We can know the daily life of people of all ranks in the city of Northern Song Dynasty from this painting. This ancient painting is a large silk scroll with its length of 335 cm and width of 28.7 cm, and has alight color in background. It is one of the most famous works in Chinese painting history and has been collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing as a national treasure.
Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains
"Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains", drawn by Huang Gongwang of Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368), was regarded as the best landscape ink painting in China's art history. The painting was drawn in black ink on paper with its length of 636.9 cm and width of 33 cm; it was started in 1347 and completed in 1350. The painting was damaged by fire and split into two pieces; the former part is kept in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou, while the latter part is kept in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
Spring Morning in the Han Palace
"Spring Morning in the Han Palace", drawn by Qiu Ying of Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), was regarded as the first long scroll heavy meticulous style of Chinese painting mounted in silk. This hand scroll work is a representation of various daily activities in the palace in the early spring, and all the characters in the paintings are lifelike with different expressions and postures. This ancient painting is a large silk scroll with its length of 2038.5 cm and width of 37.2 cm, and has a heavy color in background. The painting is now collected by the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
One Hundred Horses
"One Hundred Horses” is a painting drawn by Lang Shining in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). Lang was a missionary from Italy and worked as a court painter in China for over 50 years, he has used Chinese materials and Western techniques to impart a sense of realism to this native theme. This painting was work on paper with its length of 813 cm and width of 102 cm, and all the 100 horses in the paintings are lifelike with various postures. The painting is now collected by the National Palace Museum in Taipei.