The Interaction Between Painting Style And Cultural Environment Of Yuan Dynasty:A Study Based On Li Cheng-Guo Xi School

The Yuan Dynasty was very special in the long history of China.Compare to the Khitan Liao Dynasty,the Jurchen Jin Dynasty and the Manchu Qing Dynasty,it held even less interest in Han Chinese culture.As a result,the traditional scholar-officials felt marginalized and they were forced to take the painting as a way to maintain the cultural traditions.Therefore they used calligraphical painting to change the traditional paradigm in painting history which lead to the result as we know as "literati painting".On the other hand,in a time like that,it's very hard to believe that every literati painter only cared about the reforming of painting,it's more likely they would consider their live and work in peace first.The Li-Guo style was very popular among the Mongolia officials because of the political implications of it self.Since the Yuan Dynasty did not have the Imperial Examination in the early time,the southern literati lost their way to became a government officials.But they can be recommended by the northern officials by their painting skills,and that's why a lot of literati painters chose Li-Guo style at that time.In the last decades of Yuan Dynasty,the southern turmoil made this kind of recommendation impossible and pointless.Besides,there were lots of wealthy family in Jiangnan region,they were able to hold many cultural activities in turbulent days.There's no need for the southern literati painters to seek the help from northern officials any more.In that circumstance,the Dong-ju style which was more suitable with the Jiangnan atmosphere became mainstream in late Yuan Dynasty.