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`If you ever wished you could do an "Introduction to Chinese Painting" course ... then you should take a look.' --Marion Boddy-Evans, About.com, 16th December 2008
Product Description
The Chinese often use the expression du hua, 'to read a painting', in connection with their study and appreciation of such works. This volume closely 'reads' thirty-six masterpieces of Chinese painting from the encyclopaedic collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in order to reveal the major characteristics and themes of this rich pictorial tradition. Using accessible texts and numerous large colour details, this book examines multiple layers of meaning: style, technique, symbolism, past traditions, and the artist's personal circumstances. A dynastic chronology, map, and list of further readings supplement the text.Spanning a thousand years of Chinese art, these landscapes, flowers, birds, figures, religious subjects, and calligraphies illuminate the main goal of every Chinese artist: to capture not only the outer appearance of a subject but also its inner essence.
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4 reviews
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Good pictures, but don't expect to learn more about reading Chinese Paintings
2 Nov 2008
Format:Paperback
I bought the soft cover edition of the book. At $16.50 (after discount), I feel it's a good buy. The book is produced in a large format, and the paintings are reproduced superbly on good quality paper. There are 36 works (mostly paintings but also a few calligraphic scrolls) gleaned from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The earliest work is by Han Gan (active 742-56) and the last by Gong Xian (1619-1689). Most of the artists are represented by a single scroll, with the exceptions of Ni Zan and Zhao Mengfu, who have two and three works on display respectively. The paintings and calligraphy are first presented in its full format, with subsequent reproductions of close-ups to show details.
The text, however, is disappointing. It's written mostly in a dry, academic style, and it hardly points the way to a deeper reading of the works of art. Most of the time it merely describes what's in the picture. Buy the book to feast on its sumptuously reproduced scrolls but look elsewhere to learn how to read Chinese paintings.
The text, however, is disappointing. It's written mostly in a dry, academic style, and it hardly points the way to a deeper reading of the works of art. Most of the time it merely describes what's in the picture. Buy the book to feast on its sumptuously reproduced scrolls but look elsewhere to learn how to read Chinese paintings.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
A Delightful Book!
23 Jan 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book really fills a gap for people like me who enjoy Chinese art but have not known what the symbolism is all about. While it is a strenuous read in some parts, it is enlightening.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Extremely shallow text
1 Mar 2012
Format:Paperback
Pretty decent quality paper and print. However, don't expect to learn how to read Chinese paintings. Most pages are 80% pictures, 15% blank, and 5% text. This is totally unacceptable given the title of the book.
Since the book showcases few paintings, I would have expected them to be discussed in detail and their symbolism explained to a Western audience. Sure there are a few tidbits of information, but most of it is useless. One examples: "These Chinese characters have heavy horizontal strokes." What inferior mind would make such a comment without explaining the significance of heavy horizontal strokes?
It is not easy to find any good book if you want to learn more about Chinese traditional paintings. This book is worth two stars, but since the title is totally wrong for the content I will give the book only one star.
Since the book showcases few paintings, I would have expected them to be discussed in detail and their symbolism explained to a Western audience. Sure there are a few tidbits of information, but most of it is useless. One examples: "These Chinese characters have heavy horizontal strokes." What inferior mind would make such a comment without explaining the significance of heavy horizontal strokes?
It is not easy to find any good book if you want to learn more about Chinese traditional paintings. This book is worth two stars, but since the title is totally wrong for the content I will give the book only one star.
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