Sui, Tang, and Song Dynasties
by Sean Delos Santos
AP Art History Per.6
Sui and Tang Dynasties
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The Sui Dynasty reigned from 581 CE to 618 CE.
It was modeled on the Han Dynasty.
Buddhism diffused into Chinese society.
10-13. Seated Buddha, Cave 20, Yungang, Datong, Shanxi. Northern Wei
dynasty, c. 460 CE. Stone, height 45’ (13.7 m)This image doesn’t belong in this
ppt
10-14. Altar to Amitabha Buddha. Sui dynasty, 593 CE. Bronze, height 30 ⅛”
(76.5 cm). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Amitabha Buddha
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Mahayana Buddhism was the most popular form of
Buddhism in China and Japan.
It believed in the “Pure Land” where faithful followers were
reborn
Who is Amitabha Budda?
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writing is very small throughout ppt
Amitabha Buddha
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Jewels on leaves
7 nymphs on clusters
Pearls on tree trunks
Halo of flames
Amitabha Buddha
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Bodhisattva Guanyin with pomegranate
Bodhisattva in prayer
Incense burner
Tell us what a bodhisattva is
Amitabha Buddha
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Seated dogs
2 smaller bodhisattvas
Combines Indian, Central Asian, and Chinese styles
describe these styles!
Sui and Tang Dynasties
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The Tang Dynasty reigned from 618 CE to 917 CE.
The Tang may be described as “strong, vigorous, noble, idealistic, realistic, and pragmatic.”
one of the greatest dynasties in Chinese History
Sui and Tang Dynasties
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The Tang Dynasty capital was Chang’an.
They controlled Central Asia and influenced Japanese and Korean culture.
They entered a profitable trade system along the South China Sea with the Arabs and Persians.
10-15. Camel Carrying a Group of Musicians, from a tomb near Xi’an,
Shanxi. Tang dynasty, c. mid-8th century CE. Earthenware with three-color
glaze, height 26 ⅛” (66.5 cm). Museum of Chinese History, Beijing.
Camel Carrying a Group
of Musicians
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Displays Turkish influence
The three bearded musicians are Central Asian.
The two smooth-shaven people are Han Chinese.
Tang were fascinated with the exotic Turkic culturs of central
Asia
Camel Carrying a Group
of Musicians
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The two-humped Bactrian camels were widely used along the
Silk Road.
People on camelback was a popular Tang motif.
Naturalism (liveliness and motion) was also popular.
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musicians on camelback were a popular Tang motif
Camel Carrying a Group
of Musicians
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Tang sculptures often had a three-color glaze.
These three colors were often chosen from amber, yellow,
green, and white
glaze tecnique a specialty of Tang ceramicists
describe process, which gave feeling of spontaneity
thousands of ceramic figurines produced for Tang tombs
Buddhist Art and Architecture
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Buddhism had been widely accepted throughout all of China.-greatest development during Tang
dynasty
Mahayana Buddhism (also known as the Pure Land Sect) was the most popular of the Buddhist
sects.
Buddhist Art and Architecture
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Located in Dunhuang were 500 caves that held Buddhist artifacts.
These Buddhist artifacts included painted clay sculptures and wall paintings.
The caves were made from the 5th to the 14th century.
rare exxtended jperiod of stylistic and iconographic evoluton in one place
Buddhist Art and Architecture
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The Seated Buddha was found in Cave 20 of
the 500 caves.
but pre-Tang era
10-16. The Western Paradise of Amitabha Buddha, detail of a wall painting
in Cave 217, Dunhuang, Gansu. Tang dynasty, c. 750 CE. 10’2” x 16’ (3.1 x
4.86 m).
The Western Paradise of Amitabha
Buddha
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The Amitabha Buddha is surrounded by 4
bodhisattvas.
There are more bodhisattvas to the left and to the
right.
blow up details so we can see what you are talking
about
The Western Paradise of Amitabha
Buddha
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Musicians and dancers are performing in the
foreground.
There are great halls and towers in the background.
the artist has imagined the WEstern Paraise in terms
of the grandeur of Tang palaces; a worldly vision of
paradise
big conrast with earlier Sui altarpiece
shows us splenor of Tang civilzation when Chang’an
was probably the greatest city in the world
The Western Paradise of Amitabha
Buddha
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Many people believe this area represents Chang’an,
the Tang Dynasty’s capital.
Naturalism can be seen all throughout the wall
painting.
Sui and Tang Dynasty
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China had followed the idea of religious tolerance for many years.
However, as Confucians gradually rose in influence, China turned to a more conservative way of
thinking.in 9th century
Sui and Tang Dynasty
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Buddhism was then seen as a foreign religion.
The Chinese destroyed countless Buddhist temples, shrines, monasteries, and statues.
10-17. Nanchan Temple, Wutaishan, Shanxi. Tang
dynasty, 782 CE.
Nanchan Temple
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The Nanchan Temple displays a curved tiled roof,
which is reminiscent of the Han tomb model of a
house.
one of the few structures earlier than 1400 to have
survived
Han Tomb Model of a House
Nanchan Temple
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The temple has a bay, a structural element made of
four posts and their lintels.
The bay became a module (a basic structural unit)
for later buildings.
Nanchan Temple
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Larger structures were made with repeating patterns
of bays
Nanchan only has 3 bays.
10-18. Great Wild Goose Pagoda at Ci’en Temple, Xi’an, Shanxi. Tang
dynasty, first erected 645 CE; rebuilt mid-8th century CE.
Great Wild Goose Pagoda
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The Great Wild Goose Pagoda was made in honor of Xuanzang
after his 16-year pilgrimage to India.
The pagoda originated from the Indian stupa which holds relics.
Indian Stupa
Great Wild Goose Pagoda
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The pagoda resembles a Han watchtower.In China, the stupa
blended with the Han watchtower to produce the pagoda
It features low relief bays and bracket systems.
The pagoda is made of masonry but was made to resemble wood.
Great Wild Goose Pagoda
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The pagoda was originally five stories but two more stories along
with a finial were constructed.
The pagoda emphasizes the Tang beliefs of simplicity, symmetry,
proportion, and grace.
Figure Painting
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There are very few pieces of Tang art that feature figure painting.
However, the Dunhuang painting gives a good idea of what it looked like.--discussed earlier, slide
10-16
The Western Paradise of Amitabha Buddha
unnecessary--delete
Figure Painting
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The Song Dynasty was greatly influenced by the Tang Dynasty.
The Song Dynasty borrowed many artistic styles from the Tang Dynasty.
10-19. Attributed to Emperor Huizong. Detail of Ladies Preparing Newly
Woven Silk, copy after a lost Tang dynasty painting by Zhang Xuan. Northern
Song dynasty, early 12th century CE. Handscroll, ink and colors on silk, 14 ½ x
57 ½” (36 x 145.2 cm). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Women Preparing Newly Woven Silk
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The painting contains several sections, each
depicting women weaving or ironing silk.
Women Preparing Newly Woven Silk
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The original painting by Zhang Xuan, a famous
Tang painter of women at the court, was lost.
Women Preparing Newly Woven Silk
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A Song copy of Zhang Xuan’s work was made.
This is evident from several inscriptions on the
painting itself
missing some formal analysis
Song Dynasty
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The Song Dynasty reigned from 960 CE to 1279 CE.
Its capital was located at Bianjing near the Yellow River.
In 1126, Northern China was conquered by the Jurchen tribes from Manchuria.
This caused the unconquered part of China now known as Southern Songto enter a period of
introspection and reflection.
Song Dynasty
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While Northern Song lasted from 960 CE to 1126 CE, Southern Song continued on from 1127 CE
to 1279 CE with a capital at Hangzhou.
The Song Dynasty borrowed from the agricultural, commercial, and technological advancements
of the Tang Dynasty.
Song Dynasty
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Although the Song Dynasty had a dark past, its artworks maintained the ideas of grace and
simplicity.
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where is slide and info from box “Elements of Architecture” on p.377
10-20. Seated Guanyin Bodhisattva. Liao dynasty, 10th-12th century. Wood
with paint and gold, 95 x 65” (241.3 x 165.1 cm). The Nelson Atkins Museum of
Art, Kansas City, Missouri.
Seated Guanyin
Bodhisattva
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A bodhisattva was a Buddhist who had already reached
enlightenment but stayed behind to help others.
They were depicted as princes with royal garments and jewelry.
Seated Guanyin
Bodhisattva
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Guanyin was the bodhisattva of infinite compassion.
He appears in many forms such as the Water or Moon Guanyin.
Seated Guanyin
Bodhisattva
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Guanyin is seen in the royal ease, a pose characterized by the
following:
A bent right knee with the right arm resting on top
A hanging left leg and arm with the foot atop a lotus blossom
Seated Guanyin
Bodhisattva
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The original sculpture was made in the 11th or 12th century but
was painted and gilded in the 16th century.
Song Dynasty
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The Song Dynasty was known for its “intellectual” art style.
Unlike the Tang Dynasty, the Song Dynasty contained artworks that were mostly, if not purely,
Chinese.
It was known for its brilliant scholars, poetry, painting, and ceramics.
Philosophy: Neo-Confucianism
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Neo-Confucianism was a syncretic blend of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism.
Buddhism and Daoism gave Neo-Confucianism the metaphysical explanation of the universe that
Confucianism lacked.
Philosophy: Neo-Confucianism
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Neo-Confucianism believed in the li (principle or idea) and the qi (matter).
All li are part of the Great Ultimate and the qi must be purified through education and selfcultivation to accomplish the li’s goal.
This goal takes a lifetime and the end result is enlightenment, a concept from Buddhism.
Northern Song Painting
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The Song Dynasty often painted landscapes with ample amounts of detail.
The Chinese during the Song Dynasty believed that mastering the form of an object grants you
one step closer to understanding it.
Landscapes represented the emotions of the artist.
missing info
Northern Song Painting
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The artistic shift from humans to landscapes mirrors the shift from religion to philosophy and
aesthetics.
10-21. Fan Kuan. Travelers among Mountains and Streams. Northern Song
dynasty, early 11th century CE. Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, height 6’9
½” (2.06 m). National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.
Travelers among Mountains and
Streams
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Fan Kuan (990 CE - 1030 CE)
Resembles a drama--in 3 stages
The rocks in the foreground represent the beginning and
main theme.
Travelers among Mountains and
Streams
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The travelers’ size show the vastness of nature.
The middle of the painting is dynamic and represents the
progression of the story.
Travelers among Mountains and
Streams
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The mountain’s size represents the struggle in reaching the
Great Ultimate.
The mist hides the transition between the middle and the
mountains, symbolizing confusion.
Travelers among Mountains and
Streams
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Jagged and staccato (raindrop texture in Chinese) strokes
accurately show the rocks’ textures.
Travelers among Mountains and
Streams
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The large central peak surrounded by lesser peaks may
represent hierarchy of scale with the Buddha and his
bodhisattvas or the emperor and his officials.
Travelers among Mountains and
Streams
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Natural landscape represents Daoist ideals
ability of Chinese landscape painters to take us out of
ourselves and let us wanser freely through their sites is
closely linked to hte avoidance of perspectie as understood
int eh west. Goal of Chinese painting is precisely to get away
froom such limits and show a totality beyond what we are
normally given to see
10-22. Xu Daoning. Detail of Fishing in a Mountain Stream. Northern Song
dynasty, mid-11th century CE. Handscroll, ink on silk, 19” x 6’10” (48.9cm x
2.09 m). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri.
Fishing in a Mountain Stream
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Unlike Western art, Chinese handscrolls can show constantly changing viewpoints.
7’ long by Xu Daoning (970 CE - 1052 CE)
Fishing in a Mountain Stream
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The eye may lead into the background or move left through the painting.
The travelers go through a journey, meet new people, and join nature.
Fishing in a Mountain Stream
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The mountains echo from the center.
Handscrolls are like Western Music in that you cannot experience their content all at once.
10-23. Zhang Zeduan. Detail of Spring Festival on the River. Northern
Song dynasty, early 12th century CE. Handscroll, ink and colors on silk, 9 ½” x
7’4” (24.8 x 2.28 m). The Palace Museum, Beijing.
Spring Festival on the River
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Depicts daily life
Boats are coming in from the Grand Canal.
There are stores and markets on the bridge.
The bridge is bustling with people.
Spring Festival on the River
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Everything is moving.
Zhang Zeduan was a scholarly-official.
Spring Festival on the River
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The views of art during his time were shifting away from skill so this work was never made
popular until the 20th century.
Southern Song Painting and Ceramics
10-24. Xia Gui. Detail of Twelve Views from a Thatched Hut. Southern Song
dynasty, early 13th century CE. Handscroll, ink on silk, height 11” (28 cm),
length of extant portion 7’7 ½” (2.31 m). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art,
Kansas City, Missouri.
Twelve Views from a Thatched Hut
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Xia Gui (1180 CE - 1230 CE) was a member of the Academy of Painters.
However, he created his own artistic style.
Twelve Views from a Thatched Hut
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Unlike the Northern Song’s large, majestic figures, the Southern Song uses techniques that make
everything look blended together.
missing info on southern song focus compared with northern song focus
Twelve Views from a Thatched Hut
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The mists that flow across the painting seem like a glimpse of a heavenly world.
The painting invokes introspection and a longing to explore the unknown.
Twelve Views from a Thatched Hut
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The rationality and intellectual factor of art shifted to an emotional factor.
Twelve Views from a Thatched Hut
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The Neo-Confucianism “School of the Mind” teaches contemplation to reach enlightenment. This
resembles Chan (Zen in Japan) Buddhism.
10-25. Guan ware vase. Southern Song dynasty, 13th century CE.
Porcelaneous stoneware with crackled glaze, height 6 ⅝” (16.8 cm). Percival
David Foundation of Chinese Art, London.
Guan Ware Vase
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Song pottery serves as the model for excellence around the world.
They show simplicity and are much different from the extravagant Tang
artworks.
Tell us about Guan ware
Guan Ware Vase
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The outward lip, long neck, and round shape give the vase a sense of
harmony.
The white glaze represents space just like the Twelve Views from a
Thatched Hut.
what about the crackle technique?
Southern Song Dynasty
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In 1279, the Southern Song Dynasty fell to Kublai Khan (1215 CE - 1294 CE).
Kublai Khan was the leader of the Mongol empire and they conquered the Song Dynasty to
establish the Yuan Dynasty.