Art in the Ming

and Qing
dynasties
Ming Dynasty(1368-1644)
• The Ming Dynasty, or anachronistically referred
to as Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling
dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the
collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The
Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly
government and social stability in human
history",was the last dynasty in China ruled by
ethnic Hans. Although the Ming capital Beijing fell
in 1644 to a rebellion led by Li Zicheng who
established the Shun Dynasty, which was soon
replaced by the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty,
regimes loyal to the Ming throne (collectively
called the Southern Ming) survived until 1662.
Ming Dynasty
• Ming rule saw the construction of a vast navy and
a standing army of one million troops.
• There were enormous construction projects,
including the restoration of the Grand Canal and
the Great Wall and the establishment of the
Forbidden City in Beijing during the first quarter of
the 15th century. Estimates for the late-Ming
population vary from 160 to 200 million. The Ming
dynasty is often regarded as both a high point in
Chinese civilization as well as a dynasty in which
early signs of capitalism emerged.
Ming dynasty
Ming Dynasty art
• Ming Dynasty art can be called the completion of
the typical Chinese art style that is known to the
west. When the third emperor of Ming, reign motto
Yongle, moved the capital to Beijing, he had built
a huge palace, the Forbidden City that is well
preserved until today and is one of the most
popular tourist spots in China. Its red painted
buildings with the yellow glazed tiles are typical for
Chinese official buildings in late imperial China.
The temple halls - that are almost equally
constructed like the buildings in the imperial city -
are decorated with statues of Buddhist and Taoist
legends and myths. Many of these statues were
made during Ming Dynasty.
Ming dynasty art
• Many Ming time imperial tombs are also well
preserved. Private gardens were already created
during Song Dynasty, especially in the south, but
many of the famous gardens in China come from
late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. Ming
chinaware or porcelain keeps up the tradition of
the Yuan Dynasty typical white-blue porcelain with
its plates, bowls, cups and vases, but other colors
are also employed, especially red. Pictorial art of
Ming Dynasty painters and artists continues with
the traditional motifs of landscape, bamboo leafs,
animals, and so on, but for the first time we find
many portraits of private patrons or clients.
Ming dynasty paintings
• During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Chinese painting
developed greatly from the achievements in painted art during
the earlier Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty. The painting
techniques which were invented and developed before the
Ming period became classical during this period. More colours
were used in painting during the Ming Dynasty. Seal brown
became much more widely used, and even over-used during
this period. Many new painting skills/techniques were
innovated and developed, calligraphy was much more closely
and perfectly combined with the art of painting. Chinese
painting reached another climax in the mid-, late- Ming
Dynasty. The painting was derived in a broad scale, many
new schools were born, and many outstanding masters
emerged.
• Painting by the
Chinese Ming
Dynasty artist Chen
Hongshou (1599-
1652)
A Fisher in Autumn, by Tang Yin,
1523 AD
An anchorite, by Dai Jin, Zhejiang
School of Painting
A painting of birds by Bian Wenzhi,
1413 AD
Anonymous artist of the 17th century, late Ming Dynasty painting “Peach

Festival of the Queen Mother of the West”

Tang Yin’s painting
Ming Dynasty art
• As in earlier dynasties, the Ming Dynasty saw a
flourishing in the arts, whether it was painting,
poetry, music, literature, or dramatic theater.
Carved designs in lacquerwares and designs
glazed onto porcelain wares displayed intricate
scenes similar in complexity to those in painting.
These items could be found in the homes of the
wealthy, alongside embroidered silks and wares in
jade, ivory, and cloisonné.The houses of the rich
were also furnished with rosewood furniture and
feathery latticework.
Ming Dynasty art
• There were many famous visual artists in the Ming period,
including Ni Zan, Shen Zhou, Tang Yin, Wen Zhengming, Qiu
Ying, Dong Qichang, and many others. They drew upon the
techniques, styles, and complexity in painting achieved by
their Song and Yuan predecessors, but added some new
techniques and styles. Well-known Ming artists could make a
living simply by painting, due to the high prices they
demanded for their artworks and the great demand by the
highly cultured community to collect precious works of art.
The artist Qiu Ying was once paid 2.8 kg (100 oz) of silver to
paint a long handscroll for the occasion of an eightieth
birthday celebration for the mother of a wealthy
patron.Renowned artists often gathered an entourage of
followers, some who were amateurs who painted while
pursuing an official career and others who were full-time
painters.
Forbidden City
• The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from
the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located
in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace
Museum. For almost five hundred years, it served as the
home of emperors and their households, as well as the
ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government.
• Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings
with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 720,000 m2 (7,800,000
sq ft). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese
palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and
architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The
Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987,
and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of
preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
Forbidden City
MeridianGate
The Forbidden City, viewed from
Jingshan Hill to the north
Forbidden City map
• Plan of the Forbidden City. Labels
in red are used to refer to
locations throughout the article. - -
- Approximate dividing line
between Inner (north) and Outer
(south) Courts. A. Meridian Gate
B. Gate of Divine Might
C. West Glorious Gate
D. East Glorious Gate
E. Corner towers
F. Gate of Supreme Harmony
G. Hall of Supreme Harmony
H. Hall of Military Eminence
J. Hall of Literary Glory
K. Southern Three Places
L. Palace of Heavenly Purity
M. Imperial garden
N. Hall of Mental Cultivation
O. Palace of Tranquil Longevity
Temple of Heaven
• The Temple of Heaven,
literally the Altar of Heaven is
a complex of Taoist buildings
situated in the southeastern
part of central Beijing. The
complex was visited by the
Emperors of the Ming and
Qing dynasties for annual
ceremonies of prayer to
Heaven for good harvest. It is
regarded as a Taoist temple,
although Chinese Heaven
worship, especially by the
reigning monarch of the day,
pre-dates Taoism.
The Temple of Heaven was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
in 1998 and was described as "a masterpiece of architecture and
landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony
of great importance for the evolution of one of the world’s great
civilizations
Ming Dynasty ceramics
• Throughout the Ming dynasty, dragon and
phoenix were the most popular decorative motifs
on ceramic wares. Other animals, plant forms,
and human figures in garden and interior setting
were often used as decors for blue and white
wares. It has been noted that after Wan Li (1573-
1620), very few ceramic wares of the Ming
dynasty bear reign marks.
• From the Ming period porcelain objects were
manufactured that achieved a fusion of glaze and
body traditionally referred to as "ivory white" and
"milk white."
Ming Dynasty ceramics
• Statue of Kuan Yin,
Ming Dynasty, by
Chaozhong He
Ming dynasty ceramics
• Italian pottery of the
mid-15th century
shows heavy
influences from
Chinese ceramics. A
Sancai ("Three
colors") plate (left),
and a Ming-type blue-
and-white vase (right),
made in Northern Italy,
mid-15th century.
A Ming Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain dish with
depiction of a dragon
A Ming Dynasty porcelain bowl with
flower designs
Jiajing covered jar with green
dragon and cloud design
Ming Dynasty Yongle reign monk's
cap white pitcher
Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty(1644–1912 )
• The Qing Dynasty also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was
the last ruling dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912
(with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917). It was preceded by
the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China.
• The dynasty was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro in
what is today northeast China (also known as Manchuria).
Starting in 1644 it expanded into China proper and its
surrounding territories, establishing the Empire of the Great
Qing. During its reign the Qing Dynasty became highly
integrated with Chinese culture. The dynasty reached its
height in the 18th century, during which both territory and
population were increased. However, its military power
weakened thereafter and faced with massive rebellions and
defeat in wars, the Qing Dynasty declined after the mid-19th
century. The Qing Dynasty was overthrown following the
Xinhai Revolution, when the Empress Dowager Longyu
abdicated on behalf of the last emperor, Puyi, on February
12, 1912.
Qing Dynasty art
• Qing Dynasty art can be called a culmination of all art styles
that have been developed during the past 2500 years. Unlike
Ming artists, artisans, painters, calligraphers and craftsmen
during the Qing period used very old forms and shapes for
their works of art.
• The typical bluegreen of the Ming chinaware changed to a
broader palette of colors, ranging from orange to green and
gold; Qing chinaware is much more colorful than the former
types. New materials extensively used now are enamel,
cloisonne and glass ware. Materials like jade, gold and
cloisonne are first combined in a single art object.
Additionally, a dark wooden base for vases or other items
came up.
Qing Dynasty art
• With the advent of Christian missionaries in
China, Chinese painters learned from the
Jesuits Western painting techniques like
perspective and the use of oil-paint instead
of monochrome ink.
• Even buildings and palaces were
constructed according to Western style, like
the Yuanmingyuan Palace 圓明園 that was
destroyed in the 19th century. Typical for
Qing Dynasty private houses are the many
gardens laid out by rich families in Suzhou
and Hangzhou.
Qing Dynasty painting
• Three principal groups of artists were
working during the Qing: the traditionalists,
who sought to revitalize painting through
the creative reinterpretation of past models;
the individualists, who practiced a deeply
personal form of art that often carried a
strong message of political protest; and the
courtiers, the officials, and the professional
artists who served at the Manchu court.
The traditionalists painters

• The traditionalists tended to be

eclectic and painted with great
virtuosity in one or another of the
many earlier styles.
• The most famous traditionalists is
Wang Hui(1632-1717)
Traditionalists Painting
• Wang Hui, A
Thousand Peaks
and Myriad Ravines
1693
Traditionalists Painting
Individualists painters

• The individualists painters of Qing are

among the most spirited and exciting
artists in China’s long history.
• They departed so far from traditions
that they were little appreciated
outside their own circles and only
now are becoming generally
recognized.
Gong Xian
• His paintings are monumentally organized
compositions made up of strong vertical
and horizontal forms built up from soft,
broad strokes. The ink tones range from
almost pure white paper to deep rich
blacks.
• There is a stark somberness about these
paintings that indicates that landscape was
a source of awe and mystery, not a subject
for making mere pictures of scenery.
Individualist paintings
Individualists painting
Architecture of the Qing Dynasty

• The Qing dynasty (1616-1911) was the last feudal

dynasty of China. Buildings of this period mainly
followed the Ming architectural style, but were
further refined.

Beijing remained the capital and its architecture

remained essentially unchanged. It had 20, grand
city gates. The Zhengyang Gate, in the inner city,
was the grandest. The Qing dynasty continued to
use the Ming emperor palaces and they
constructed many large-scale emperor gardens
like the gorgeous Winter Palace and the Summer
Palace.
Structures built during this time introduced the use
of glass and made advancements in the use of
Zhengyang Gate
• Zhengyang Gate is located on the south-
north axis of Beijing, south of the
Tian'anmen Square and north of Qianmen
Street. Now only the city tower and the
embrasure watchtower are in existence.

Doors can be found in four directions

upstairs and downstairs. The tower is 36.7-
meter wide, 16.5-meter deep and 27.3-
meter high. The whole building is 42 meters
in height, which makes the gate the highest
among all the gates in Beijing.
Zhengyang Gate
The Old Summer Palace

• The Old Summer Palace, known in China as the

Gardens of Perfect Brightness and originally
called the Imperial Gardens was a complex of
palaces and gardens in Beijing. It is located
8 kilometres (5.0 mi) northwest of the walls of the
Imperial City, built in the 18th and early 19th
century, where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty
resided and handled government affairs (the
Forbidden City was used for formal ceremonies).
• Known for its extensive collection of garden and
building architectures and other works of art .The
Imperial Gardens were destroyed by British and
French troops in 1860 during the Second Opium
War. Today, the destruction of the Gardens of
Perfect Brightness is still regarded as a symbol of
Old summer palace
Looting of the Old Summer Palace
by Anglo French forces in 1860
Old Summer Palace painting
Qing Dynasty Ceramics

• Ceramics and the minor arts attained

unprecedented heights of technical
excellence during the Qing dynasty.
Many new types of glazes were
developed so that an entire rainbow
range of hue was available
Qing Dynasty ceramics and
porcelain
Four ritual porcelain water vessels with elephant-trunk spouts,
from the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735–1796)
Qing Dynasty ceramics and
porcelain
End of report :p
thx for listening
