Custom Framed Modern and Ancient Chinese Art Prints
At Framed-Arts.com, we offer a wide selection of custom framed modern and ancient Chinese art prints, including Chinese dragon art selections. The works we feature can be browsed from our custom search page, while this page contains information on the history and types of Chinese art. Read on to find about the flourishing of the arts across the millennia in China.

Types of Chinese Art
Throughout its ancient history, Chinese art has varied, influenced by changing technology and the desires of the ruling  dynasties. Different forms of art have flourished in China under the guidance of great philosophers, teachers, religious figures and even political leaders. Chinese art runs a gamut that encompasses fine arts, folk arts and performance arts.

History of Chinese Art
Early forms of art in China included pottery and jade in the Neolithic period, and bronze in the Shang Dynasty. Chinese poetry in this era was influenced by the Book of Songs, Confucius and Qu Yuan, while early Chinese music was based first on percussion instruments and later on string and reed instruments. Chinese furniture began its development around 1500 AD, and was generally made of softwood or bamboo.

In early Imperial China, porcelain production was refined to the point that in English the word “china” has become synonymous with high-quality porcelain. Around the 1st century AD, Buddhism arrived in China. Around the 4th century, Chinese Buddhist art began to flourish, a process that continued through the 8th century. In Imperial China, calligraphy and painting became highly appreciated arts in court circles, with a great deal of silk work done even after the invention of paper.

Buddhist architecture and sculpture thrived in the Sui and Tang dynasty. The Tang Dynasty was particularly open to foreign influence, and during this period, Buddhist sculpture returned to a classical form, inspired by Indian art of the Gupta period. During the late Tang dynasty, all foreign religions were outlawed to support Taoism.

During the Song Dynasty, Chinese poetry was marked by a lyric poetry known as Ci, which expressed feelings of desire frequently in an adopted persona. Also in the Song dynasty, landscape paintings of more subtle expression appeared, with blurred outlines and mountain contours that conveyed distance through an impressionistic treatment of the natural world. During this period, emphasis was placed on spiritual rather than emotional elements of painting. Kunqu, the oldest extant form of Chinese opera, developed during the Song Dynasty in Kunshan, near present-day Shanghai. During the Yuan dynasty, Chinese painter Zhao Mengfu produced works that would greatly influence later Chinese landscape painting, while opera evolved into what it today known as Cantonese opera.

Late Imperial China was dominated by two major dynasties, Ming and Qing. Ming Dynasty poet Gao Qi was acknowledged as the greatest poet of the era. Color painting and color printing developed during the Ming dynasty, with a wider color range and busier compositions than could be found in Song artwork. Beijing opera was introduced during the Qing dynasty, and is still considered one of the best-known forms of Chinese opera. Qing poetry was influenced by a poet named Yuan Mei, whose poetry has been described as having "unusually clear and elegant language," and who stressed the importance of personal feeling as well as technical perfection. Under efforts of masters from the Shanghai School during the late Qing Dynasty, traditional Chinese art reached another climax and continued to the present form of Chinese painting. The Shanghai School challenged traditional Chinese art, while also paying homage to the technical skills of the ancient masters.

The New Culture Movement influenced the development of new forms of Chinese art, including the adoption of Western techniques, introduction of oil painting and use of socialist realism. With its Four Olds destruction campaign, the Cultural Revolution shaped Chinese art like no other event in Chinese cultural history. Contemporary Chinese artists continue to produce a wide range of experimental works, multimedia installations, and performance pieces, which have become popular in the international art market.

Custom Framed Chinese Art Prints from Framed-Arts.com
We hope this information on the history and types of Chinese art has provided a glimpse into the diverse world of Far Eastern art. To browse our selection of custom framed Chinese art prints, including Chinese dragon art pictures, please visit our custom search page. Happy print shopping, and be sure to contact us with any questions.