On The Theory And Practice Of The Flower - And - Bird Painting In The Period Of Huizong Period

The time of the Southern and Northern Song dynasties was one of brilliance for the C hinese art of bird and flower painting, particularly during the reign of the Northern So ng emperor Huizong(otherwise known as Zhaoji).The decorative painting of the Song Dynasty became a whole artistic culture in itself. The ruling emperor would participat e personally and guide it directly, leading the school of decorative painters in such ma tters as style and criticism. Such imperial presence at the head, directing the artistic pr ocess, is the key characteristic of this Song Dynasty artistic school.This Song Dynasty decorative painting school, led by Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, p articularly catered to the artistic demands of the royal family. It paid great attention to verisimilitude and adhered to a set of specific rules in its creation. It was clear and nea t in style, finely detailed and elaborate. Furthermore, Song Dynasty decorative art was influenced by the literati, who advocated the combining of painting and poetry. It was believed that a painting should embody the spirit of poetry in its composition. This ar ticle will focus on the research of 19 th scholars, both in and outside China, on the topi c of Song Dynasty decorative painting. I will attempt an overview of such famous pai nters as Emperor Huizong(Zhaoji), and the highly representative artists Cuibai and Yi Yuanji. I will also seek to explain, among other issues, the appearance and functionin g of this school of art. My main scholastic reference for Song Dynasty decorative pain ting is Han Zhuo’s work, ’Landscape Collection’. From this I will endeavour to extract information about the school’s artistic theories, using it as a source of information for clarification and understanding. In addition, I will research the connection between H an Zhuo’s ’Landscape Collection’ and the the decorative painting of the Song Dynasty,attempting to understand the connection between the theory and the practice. It will s erve as a source of representative examples of contemporary art work. The final stage will be to use my personal creative painting and teaching experiences as a basis for co mparison with the decorative art of the Song Dynasty. I aim to identify points of simil arity and difference, reference to which I can use to guide my own creations and teach ing.