The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-08-07
ORIENTAL ART IN LONDON
CHINESE PAINTINGS AT INN
BRITISH MUSEUM.
Exquisite Examples 90 the Art OF CNsu,
On the Last Fifteen Centuries Ideal.
and Methods Of Chinese and JApAnesa
Artists-FIne BrOnzes and nanner,

VI NnH hs4At NFhNNfAth-LNNala
and Methods Of Chinese and JApAnes.
ArtIsis-FIne BrOnzes and Hammer.
LONDON, July 2o.-Ths Chinese picture.
lately acquired by the British Nu.a,,rn
and now being exhibited are example,
of the finest paintings executed Ia Chin,
in the last fifteen centuries. and among
the earliest are exquisite examples ~ An
art which had already arrived at n stat,
~ perfection when our British ancestors
were painting their bodies with wnad In
lieu OF clothes and wero practically say.
ages.
To attempt any criticism q Alrnos,
impossible. the aims. ideals and tho
method Of expressing them are 80 differ
ent with the great masters OF ths Fast
from those Of Western countries. a
picture Is n painted poem" II an old SAYING
in China. and every picture in the presen
collection, from the smallest 60 the mos,
Important carries out this fundamental
idea.
IL Il not so much the external aspect
81 things hut their Utmost spirit. their
hidden meaning. that the artist desirrst
to express: not the accidental. on which
so much stress In laid nowadays. but ths
general character OF objects that he
strove 20 convey. Suggestion seesnel
to him more valuable than the actual
REPRESENTATION of a scene. Tho eternal
must stand before the ephemeral.
The inspiration Of pictures musa Of
necessity be- drawn from natur 70, but nA-
turs should bs used In such way - to
emhody the transcendsntal. and for this
reason tho greatest beauty Of line and ths
| greatest beauty Of oolortng wore sough,
10y those old painters OF tho East 'Rhyth.
mical beauty II the highest essential quail
ity in work Of art was already q formula
In the sixth century. Thus 1t will bs und@-
stood that the representation OF obJoots.
per Sc was not Of primary Importance and
hence the deliberate avoidance Of all
modelling and cast shadows.
The earliest phases Of Chinese painting
arc only known from literary record and
illusion; the names Of painters have besn
preserved but unfortunately none Of
their work before the fourth century and
Of this period only single example exists.
This Is by Ku Kai-ohih and illustrates Q
book by Chang Hua sntitled -Admoni-
tions OF the Instructross OF the Palace
IL consists Of q long roll with nine scsnes.
each illustrating a preoept OF example Of
conduct held up for admiration by the
teacher Of the ladies " the imperial harsm.
One. for instance. b Atoilet scene. and at
the side is written, All can adorn their
faces. none can adorn her heart; another
~ bedroom conversation with the pre-
cept. II your words be not sincere even
your husband will not trust you
Another very early painting Ia q series
~ incidents Ia the life OF BuddhA, but Of
this Only fragments remain. for the silk OF
which il il painted has worn away. Mo-
81 the earliest paintin % are conn ected with
tho life Of Buddha and were produce
during the Tang dynasty. which Taste
from Ois to pn5 A. D., and are In the form
~ hanrers. These WIRE discovered 10y Or
Aursl Stein in eastern Turkastan AMI
rescued from vault in n cave tempt"
which hal r'.en walls up from tn" h"-
giuriug of tho eleventh century. Th~-
are uf great interest a. showing the L.
hua1c" II IN. Greco Buddhist art Of north
w"-'"rn India and thu EN- ancipation ~
Chinese art from Indian tradition.
In tho Tang dynasty a more sac,i-
lar style Of painting was developed and
took the form OF landscapes and pic
lures 90 animals The most famous land
scaps artist was named Wang Wei, and
1la was celebrated both a. a poet and
painter II was said OF him that his
pD.rns were pict ures and his pictures
poems His pupil. Han Kan. was cele-
bratsd for his paintings Of horses
Although the names Of few artists ara
known oven the most learned connois-
saurs ar' Chary Of attributions and are
contsnt 10 asst On most paintings In the
psriod in which they were produosh.
though even that seems often hypothst-
ical. for limitations and forgeries abound.
ALSO tradition in following a certain styls
~ painting for a certain theme was largely
pract -si. and an artist for instance, who
lived IN the Ming dynasty nSes-is4n
would q Attempting a Buddha thsTus
initiate the style Of a painter who lived
perhaps 4O0 years earlier. while II painting
a landscape 10 would follow the conven-
tons Of his own day.
The Japanese founded their art sn-
tirey on that Of China and sought after
tn" Chinese masterpieces a. eagerly a.
modern collectors do thoss Of tho Italian
The Japanese use the same
materials. pure water color or body
color on silk or absorbent paper: and As
these materials demand swiftners Of
handling and certainty Of touch thsir
remain the same. fat tints
instead ~ light and shade. careful outlines
instead of modelling
IL was not until th. ninth century that
they began Ia form distinctive national
stVip and then there hourished an artist
oi IN. nam" 81 kanaoka. who founded
what IN known a. IN" kose school Then
nam" tn" Tosa school. which chose for
themes the biographies ~ saints. scenes
from the life 81 the court or heroic events
~ IN" civil wars in which the country was
engaged With the exception OF on"
scroll N the Boston Museum none Of ths
" this school has ever l~'t
Japan s@
with tho decline Of this school cam"
y Chinese renaissance. and then followed
M" Kano school IL was in tNe seven
tecnth century that artists b~gan =
paint scenes from daily life and a oen-
tury later that wood cuts were used {.
pppulariz" drawings II " with thee.
color prints long despised in japan. tina
humor was first introduced
In" JaGanese paintings in the prs~ef'
exhibition are mart 81 n collection formed
by the Late William Anderson who a.
E,,I