Chinese art - From the Foundation-fount of Painting Essay

Chinese art - From the Foundation-fount of Painting - Essay Example The essay "Chinese art - From the Foundation-fount of Painting" discovers Chinese philosophy of art from the foundation fount of painting. Chinese painters were a conservative bunch. They did not see the relevance of exploring other themes aside from their culture until the Europeans came to their land. However, this does not mean that the Chinese art of painting did not evolve at all. Initially, the painters were tied to making frescoes on temple and palace walls. The frescoes’ themes were mostly religious in temples while in palaces, the paintings were meant to celebrate the ruling family at that time. From frescoes, painting shifted to silk surfaces and paper. Artists relied on their own inspiration and pleasures to come up with the paintings. Painters concentrated on the beauty of landscapes and also strived to keep the memory of prominent leaders and individuals from disappearing once their eras came to a close. From literati paintings that concentrated on landscapes, hum ans and physical things, the craft shifted to formless beings and creatures. The painters became conscious of the spiritual world and they tried to enjoin the visible and invisible world through their paintings. At this point, art was acknowledged as a power to explore both the physical and spiritual world. They believed that physical creatures depended on these formless creatures for survival. Quoting from the text: what has form must rest on the without form. This means that physical life is a continuation.