Paintings

Painting has held an important place in Chinese art since ancient times, as evidenced by numerous cave paintings and the richness of decorations on Neolithic pottery.

Chinese calligraphy is inseparable from painting, being one of its earliest expressions. According to tradition, the first Chinese characters were drawn by a close advisor to the Yellow Emperor in the 3rd millennium BCE. These characters were first traced using an ink stick and, later, with a calligraphy brush.

Calligraphy is particularly notable for the diversity of its mediums. Artists not only decorated ceramics but also turtle shells, lacquered objects, wooden panels, and silk scrolls. The oldest known example of a painting on silk, created with ink, dates back to the 3rd century BCE. At the dawn of the Common Era, the Chinese discovered a process to manufacture paper from plant fibers, notably flax and mulberry bark.

There are different calligraphic styles, corresponding not only to the periods and regions but also to the private or official use of the text. During the first millennium CE, Chinese calligraphy spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, where these countries adopted Chinese writing while imprinting their own styles on it.

Asian artists also became masters in the painting of landscapes, known as shanshui, religious scenes, portraits, animals, and even erotic prints, which first appeared in 17th century Japan. Paintings on paper or silk scrolls are generally narrative. They can reach impressive sizes, sometimes exceeding 10 meters in length and 1.5 meters in height.

Based on the study of materials, inks, calligraphic styles, and themes, an expert in Asian painting can determine the age and origin of a painting, whether it be on silk or a paper scroll, and provide an appraisal of its value before an auction.