"China has a long history and has given birth to many masters and masterpieces, with a profound cultural heritage. When we emphasize innovation, it must be based on inheritance, followed by innovation. 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

[Beginner Friendly: HD Details + Historical Context + Technical Breakdowns]
★Technique Decrypted: How brushstrokes (cūn, cā, diǎn, rǎn) create rhythmic vitality
★Symbols Revealed: Cultural codes in fishermen, lone pines, and distant mountains
★Time-Space Alchemy: Handscrolls' "step-shift-view" storytelling
★Aesthetic DNA: The philosophy behind empty space
★Curated Excellence: 46 iconic works spanning 1,500 years

[A Complete Journey Through Chinese Art History]
7 Steps to Appreciate Chinese Painting
140+ Technique Analyses
46 Canonical Masterpieces
46 Captivating Backstories
47 Essential Chinese Artists

This book curates 46 seminal Chinese paintings, each explored through five lenses: "Artist", "Appreciation", "Illustrated Guide to Traditional Chinese Painting", "Details", and "Techniques". It offers a multi-faceted interpretation of the essence of Chinese painting and allowing readers to understand the stories and connotations behind these masterpieces.
Artist: Artist's life and historical milieu
Appreciation: Work's significance and achievements
Illustrated Guide to Traditional Chinese Painting: Annotated element breakdowns
Details: Zoomed-in narrative details
Techniques: Technical mastery decoded
Open this book and embark on an enjoyable artistic journey, experiencing the subtleties of Chinese art. You are sure to gain a richer appreciation of beauty.

Follow the 7-Step Path to Eastern Aesthetics:
1.Read museum labels critically
2.Classify genres (gongbi/xieyi)
3.Contextualize historical backdrop
4.Deconstruct spatial harmony
5.Savor mineral pigments' poetry
6.Trace ink-rhythm choreography
7.Breathe with negative space

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 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

II. 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

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

VI. 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

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.