Abundant feet, vertical and horizontal, perfectly combined with boundless beauty

——Yancheng China Sea Salt Museum Collection Painting Exhibition

Chinese painting, referring to traditional Chinese painting, is one of the few painting genres in the world that is named after a country. According to Gu Kaizhi's "On Painting" during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, painting is the most difficult for people, second only to mountains and rivers, and second only to dogs and horses. Terraces and pavilions must be well crafted, but they are difficult to achieve and easy to do well. It is not difficult to move and think of something wonderful. The classification of Chinese painting has begun to emerge. Since the 20th century, many people have been accustomed to categorizing Chinese painting into three categories - landscape painting, flower and bird painting, and figure painting, which has become a common classification method. In this exhibition, the China Sea Salt Museum is based on this sub discipline, with exhibits dating back to the Ming Dynasty and down to the Republic of China. The museum displays 48 pieces/set of paintings, allowing visitors to glimpse the basic features of Chinese painting.

Unit 1: A life outside of a hill and a valley

Chinese people regard landscape as a form with spiritual charm, and painting landscape is not only about depicting the form of landscape, but also about depicting the spirit of landscape. Chinese painting emphasizes the principles of "following nature", "learning from nature", and "harmony between man and nature", thus painting is the Tao. Landscape painting combines traditional Chinese philosophical thought with Confucian ritual and law, reflecting unique ideological, cultural, and aesthetic connotations. Throughout history, outstanding and accomplished individuals have always sought to achieve the state of "unity between heaven and humanity" by "purifying the taste of the image" and "embodying the Tao and reflecting the object".

【Republic of China Qian Songyan Landscape Album Page】

Unit 2: Grass, wood, insects, and fish are not fragrant in spring

Chinese flower and bird painting emphasizes the pursuit of realism and the transmission of spirit. The images of flowers, birds, birds, insects, and other animals and plants are cute and peaceful. Chinese people prefer these types of objects, so they express inner peace through the images of flowers and birds in a gentle and implicit way. Flower and bird paintings are endowed with unique connotations. The most noteworthy aspect of flower and bird painting is "vitality". From the initial meticulous form to the later freehand style, whether it is "wealth" or "wild elegance", they all pursue the highest realm of "heavenly mystery is high, and thoughts and spirits are combined". The animals and plants in flower and bird paintings seem to be the author's sustenance, and the author expresses their emotions through the expression of painting images.

【Qing Zhu Menglu Flower and Bird Painting Scroll】

Unit 3: I pass on the face of others

In traditional Chinese painting, figure painting has a unique name - "Chuan Shen", which expresses the inherent requirement of figure painting to convey the spiritual characteristics of the object being depicted. Gu Kaizhi said, "The vivid portrayal is in the midst of Azu." It can be seen that in order for figure painting to have both form and spirit, as well as business, the eyes play a crucial role.

【Qing Min Zhen Zhong Kui Painting Scroll】

Exhibition silhouette

Exhibition Notice:

Exhibition Notice:

Visit time: 8:30am to 12:00am

2:00-5:00 PM

Exhibition period: November 5th, 2023- December 15th, 2023

Exhibition location: Temporary exhibition hall on the first floor of Hai'an Museum (new building)