During the Five Dynasties, the political situation was very unsteady. As the central government collapsed, many imperial artists fled to the South western part of Chang Jiang. Therefore, paintings in that region kept the imperial style of the Tang Dynasty. Art academies were formed as sponsors of the artists.

 

Content

Flower and bird paintings started to have an independent status. Actually, "flower and bird paintings" include paintings of animals, plants and insects. The birds were beautiful ones that people loved to see and enjoy. Rocks and branches were painted as background. > click the picture to see more.

Landscape paintings were very popular. In Northern China, many of them show precipitous. Some mountains were whole scenery paintings. Both far and near objects can be seen. The entire different Jing Nan relaxing places were painted, for example, pastures, streams, fishing villages.

There were still some figure paintings like ladies in banquets. Religious figure paintings were more popular, probably because they gave a peaceful feeling.

 

 

Special features

Landscape Paintings

The Jiang Nan style gives a soft, loose and wet affect. One of the methods used is the pima cun method, or the hemp- fibre wrinkle method. The lines are not as dense as the traditional style. It gives a light feeling. Landscape paintings of Northern China are of great momentum because of the precipitous mountains. Some may even give a mysterious feeling. >click the picture to see more.

Flower and Bird Paintings

The Huang's school was famous for the fidelity of animals, especially birds. These birds are painted from life, all in right proportion and colors. The paintings were known as "Rich Huang" because of the beautiful colors.

 

Artists

Landscape Paintings:

Northern China:

Guan Tong - The representative of landscape artists of the tenth century. He was able to show the complex composition and flintiness of rocks.

Jing Hao ( approx. AD855 ~ 915) - one of the best artists in early Five Dynasties. He was a scholar, a theorist and an artist. His landscape painting theory was collected by the Song courts. Later on, the skills of Guan Tong, his student was far much better than his. >click the picture to see more.

 

Southern China:

Dong Yuan - All his paintings are of rivers and lakes with a peaceful atmosphere. He invented the hemp- fibre wrinkle method.

Ju Ran - He was a Buddhist. Most of his paintings are about the concepts of life in Buddhism. In the Buddhism's world of consciousness, everything is unceasingly changing. His works show: his opinions about the world. There are no fixed image, no specific boundaries and no touchable things.

 

Flower and Bird Paintings:

Huan Quan - He had advanced skills in painting flowers and birds, and they were inherited by his sons Huang Ju Bao and Huan Ju Lai . The Huang school's style has later become the standard of Song's academy paintings.