Research On Modern Chinese Painting Pigments

As a material originated from human’s documentation of nature during production and life,pigments have been inextricably intertwined with human’s traditional concept of aesthetics and conventional perspectives on colors.The traditional pigments utilized in Chinese paintings were inspired by the lands and waters and employed naturally throughout the canvas,which was accompanied by the artistic belief of the Chinese ancestors in the unity of heaven and man.The selection of pigments evolved from the initial choices of substances with color representation directly from nature to a vast system of pigments incorporating the wisdom of the ancestors and the value of the knowledge that we inherited from thousands of years of experience.In the wake of the globalization and integration in the modern world,the pigments used in Chinese paintings have been transformed again from the traditional ones.In this regard,Shiniwa pigments,which are Japanese new natural mineral pigments,as well as three other new types of mineral pigments,consisting of synthetic mineral pigments,are invented.Moreover,the industrial revolution in Europe has propelled the production of chemically synthesized pigments,which are most commonly available today as lead and tin pigments.All of them have contributed significantly to the reform and supplementation of Chinese painting pigments in its the modernization process.It can be argued that the Chinese painting pigments of modern times represent a transition from tradition to modernity.These modern varieties of pigments feature brilliant colors and come with large production volumes,promising to surpass traditional pigments in terms of prevalence.However,there are some pigments that suffer from the disadvantage of being unstable in nature,subject to the influence of external factors such as heat,climate,sunlight,acidity and alkalinity.Consequently,this paper presents a detailed comparison of the properties found in different pigments,with the intention of providing a comprehensive categorization of the properties of pigments commonly used in modern Chinese paintings.In this regard,the discussion of traditional and modern pigments employed in Chinese paintings goes beyond the restoration of colors and extend to the application of pigments.It is also expected to provide a more scientific and in-depth analysis of traditional and modern pigments in Chinese paintings from a material science perspective,and to outline three major aspects including history,nature and production of Chinese painting pigments in a more holistic manner.With the analysis of the most widespread traditional Chinese painting pigments,and of the Chinese painting pigments packaged in lead and tin hoses,the scientific and practical study of the hues,chemical composition,physical granularity,etc.of the various pigment varieties is conducted.A detailed comparative analysis of the diverse pigments that have been regarded as "Chinese painting pigments" in modern times is undertaken from a scientific and data-oriented perspective.This study aim to incorporate both material science and art history,the two aspects of modern Chinese painting pigments,to summarize and highlight the inheritance,innovation,and development of modern Chinese painting.