This book presents over forty famous Chinese paintings, explaining them in an accessible yet profound manner, which is of great value for our inheritance and promotion of art.
—Shi Xiaohua, Professor, Chinese National Academy of Arts

This book guides readers from reading the labels of artworks, to categorizing the works, understanding their creative backgrounds, examining composition, color, brushwork, and artistic conception, and finally to appreciating the layout in Chinese art, allowing one to deeply feel the essence and classics of Eastern cultural art. Highly Recommended.
—Miao Zaixin, National First-Class Artist, Beijing Fine Art Academy

★ Rights already sold to Russia!

★ This book directly addresses a growing need among global art enthusiasts and general culture readers: in an age of fragmented information, how can one engage in a "prepared, deep viewing" of profound Eastern art? The book acts like a knowledgeable and skilled "gallery docent," using its unique "7-Step Decoding Method" to allow anyone to follow along and participate in this enjoyable aesthetic journey.

★ Anchored by 46 iconic masterpieces spanning from the Eastern Jin to the Qing Dynasty, the book's ambition extends far beyond merely listing great works. Through over 140 technique breakdown points and more than 130 cultural detail interpretations, it hand-holds readers in "how to look," providing a transferable set of "tools for appreciating Eastern aesthetics."

★ The author, Mr. Sun Zhenjiang, is not merely an art historian; he is a practicing painter and a member of the China Artists Association. He held solo exhibitions in New York, USA, in 2003 and 2004. This means the book's interpretations blend a creator's firsthand insights (understanding how a painter thinks) with a perspective geared towards an international audience (knowing how to explain to the outside world).

★ The book has received strong endorsements from experts at China's top art research institutions. For example, Shi Xiaohua from the Institute of Fine Arts at the Chinese National Academy of Arts (the national authority for art research in China) praised its value for "inheriting and promoting art." Miao Zaixin, a National First-Class Artist from the Beijing Fine Art Academy (one of China's most important professional painting academies), commended its systematic interpretative approach.

★ In an era dominated by visual culture, where people crave deep cultural experiences yet have limited time, this book offers an efficient form of "mental wandering."

"Great art is never silent to its viewer; it merely waits for someone to decipher its visual language."

Have you ever stood before a Chinese ancient masterpiece in a museum or art book and felt a captivating sense of confusion? You can sense its beauty but don't know where to begin interpreting it; you see landscapes and figures but cannot read the stories and emotions within; you admire the exquisite brushwork and ink mastery but don't understand how the painter achieved it. This book was created precisely to bridge this "aesthetic distance."

The book carefully selects 46 pinnacle works that established the aesthetic foundations of Chinese art. It spans from Gu Kaizhi's The Goddess of the Luo River (Eastern Jin) to Zhang Zeduan's Along the River During the Qingming Festival (Northern Song), from Huang Gongwang's Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (Yuan) to Qiu Ying's Spring Morning in the Han Palace (Ming), covering major painting genres like figures, landscapes, and flowers-and-birds, as well as the two major schools: detailed brushwork (gongbi) and freehand brushwork (xieyi). However, its core innovation lies in its clear, pedagogical structure.

The book opens with a unique "Seven-Step Decoding Method," serving as a clear "treasure map" that guides readers from basic steps like identifying labels and categorizing works, progressively deeper into analyzing composition, color, and brushwork, ultimately reaching the level of appreciating "artistic conception."

Subsequently, the analysis of each masterpiece is broken down into five dimensions:
- Artist Background reveals the painter's life and creative mindset.
- Appreciation Overview outlines the work's macro achievements and historical status.
- Diagramming the Painting uses breakdown views to point out key elements and narrative clues within the artwork.
- The Detail Magnifier zooms in on a specific detail (e.g., a gesture, the technique of painting a leaf, a seal), unveiling easily overlooked fascinating stories and subtle skills.
- The final Technique section professionally analyzes how unique painting languages like "cunfa" (texture strokes), line drawing, and "mogu" (boneless painting) create vivid artistic vitality.

Through this multi-layered, anatomical interpretation, readers will discover the hidden social tapestry within the bustling streets of Bianjing in Along the River During the Qingming Festival; understand the youthful ambition behind the blue-green hues of A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains; and see how the screen divisions in Night Revels of Han Xizai cleverly shift narrative time and space.

In an era dominated by visual culture, where people crave deep cultural experiences yet have limited time, this book offers an efficient form of "mental wandering."

Sun Zhenjiang (b.1969, Hebei)
Graduated from PLA Art Academy, he is a member of China Artists Association and works as a researcher in Chinese Painting & Calligraphy Institute.

Selected Exhibitions:
1998: National Fine Arts Exhibition (9th)
2003/04: Solo shows, New York
2007: "Ink Meditation" Solo Exhibition, Hebei

Publications:
"Gate of Taihang" (Freehand Figure Painting Anthology)
"Teaching Exemplars of China's Premier Art Academies"
"China's Contemporary Master Artists Award Series"

Introduction: A Seven-Step Guide to Understanding Traditional Chinese Painting

I. Detailed-Brush Figure Painting
1. The Goddess of the Luo River (Eastern Jin Dynasty) by Gu Kaizhi / 10
2. Emperor Taizong in a Sedan Chair (Tang Dynasty) by Yan Liben / 18
3. Lady Guo's Spring Outing (Tang Dynasty) by Zhang Xuan / 24
4. Ladies with Flowered Hairpins (Tang Dynasty) attributed to Zhou Fang / 30
5. Night Revels of Han Xizai (Five Dynasties) by Gu Hongzhong / 36
6. Children Playing in an Autumn Courtyard (Northern Song Dynasty) by Su Hanchen / 45
7. Arhats (Southern Song Dynasty) by Liu Songnian / 49
8. Cooling Off in Summer (Yuan Dynasty) by Liu Guandao / 53
9. Spring Morning in the Han Palace (Ming Dynasty) by Qiu Ying / 57
10. The Lady of Xiang (Ming Dynasty) by Wen Zhengming / 69
11. A Spring Boudoir's Weary Reading (Qing Dynasty) by Leng Mei / 75

II. Freehand-Brush Figure Painting
12. Two Patriarchs Adjusting Their Minds (Northern Song Dynasty) by Shi Ke / 81
13. Gathering Fungi (Southern Song Dynasty) by Li Tang / 84
14. Li Bai Walking and Chanting (Southern Song Dynasty) by Liang Kai / 90
15. Self-Portrait of Jin Nong (Qing Dynasty) by Jin Nong / 93
16. Drunken Slumber (Qing Dynasty) by Huang Shen / 97

III. Detailed-Brush Flower-and-Bird Painting
17. Five Oxen (Tang Dynasty) by Han Huang / 102
18. Life-Study of Rare Birds and Animals (Five Dynasties) by Huang Quan / 108
19. Mountain Partridge and Thorny Sparrow (Northern Song Dynasty) by Huang Jucai / 115
20. Hibiscus and Golden Pheasant (Northern Song Dynasty) by Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) / 119
21. Double Happiness (Northern Song Dynasty) by Cui Bai / 124
22. Red and White Hibiscus (Northern Song Dynasty) by Li Di / 128
23. Bathing Horses (Yuan Dynasty) by Zhao Mengfu / 132
24. Lotus and Mandarin Ducks (Ming Dynasty) by Chen Hongshou / 139
25. A Hundred Horses (Qing Dynasty) by Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining) / 144

IV. Freehand-Brush Flower-and-Bird Painting
26. Ink Orchid (Yuan Dynasty) by Zheng Sixiao / 155
27. Ink Grapes (Ming Dynasty) by Xu Wei / 157
28. Lotus, Rock, and Waterfowl (Qing Dynasty) by Zhu Da / 161
29. Plum Blossoms (Qing Dynasty) by Wang Shishen / 165
30. Brocade Stone and Autumn Flowers (Qing Dynasty) by Yun Shouping / 168
31. Ink Shrimp (by Qi Baishi) / 171

V. Detailed-Brush Landscape Painting
32. Spring Outing (Sui Dynasty) by Zhan Ziqian / 176
33. Emperor Ming's Journey to Shu (Tang Dynasty) attributed to Li Zhaodao / 183
34. River Travel in Early Snow (Five Dynasties) by Zhao Gan / 190
35. A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains (Northern Song Dynasty) by Wang Ximeng / 196
36. Along the River During the Qingming Festival (Northern Song Dynasty) by Zhang Zeduan / 204
37. Treading a Song (Southern Song Dynasty) by Ma Yuan / 215
38. Kangxi's Southern Inspection Tour (Volume 3) (Qing Dynasty) by Wang Hui and Yang Jin / 219

VI. Freehand-Brush Landscape Painting
39. Wangchuan Map (Tang Dynasty) by Wang Wei / 230
40. Xiao-Xiang Map (Five Dynasties) by Dong Yuan / 234
41. Travelers by Streams and Mountains (Northern Song Dynasty) by Fan Kuan / 240
42. Early Spring (Northern Song Dynasty) by Guo Xi / 245
43. Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (Yuan Dynasty) by Huang Gongwang / 249
44. Fisherman's Village after Autumn Rain (Yuan Dynasty) by Ni Zan / 256
45. High Lu Mountain (Ming Dynasty) by Shen Zhou / 260
46. Eight Views of Autumn (Ming Dynasty) by Dong Qichang / 265

Traditional Chinese painting boasts a long-standing tradition and distinctive characteristics. As early as over two thousand years ago, during the Warring States period, two silk paintings established the style of Chinese painting that emphasizes lines and pursues expressive spirit. By the Five Dynasties period, the three major genres of painting — figure, landscape, and flower-and-bird — stood equally prominent, complementing each other. During the Song Dynasty, the literati became the main force in the painting world. In the Yuan Dynasty, ink wash painting surpassed colored painting and profoundly influenced the artistic conception of Chinese painting. By the late Ming Dynasty, freehand brushwork techniques had become mainstream. Through continuous evolution, Chinese painting has been searching for new directions of growth.
Chinese painting expresses the painter's understanding of nature and human society, with a strong emphasis on charm and artistic conception. To appreciate Chinese painting, one needs to have knowledge in painting, history, literature, calligraphy, seal carving, and philosophy. It is also essential to pay attention to the traditional Chinese philosophical and aesthetic views of "Unity of Heaven and Humanity" reflected in the paintings, in order to fully experience their sublime artistic realm.