Reiterative Linear Techniques In Portraits Of Ming And Qing Dynasty

Reiterative linear techniques are one of the most important brushwork skills in the Chinese painting. The technique can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. With much development in the Song and Yuan Dynasty, it gradually became a beneficial element to highlight and enrich the visual effect of portraiture. From Ming Dynasty afterwards, the introduction of western painting brought much influence on Chinese art. Stimulated by the cultural interchange as well as the contemporary social needs, artists started to explore new linear techniques in order to fulfill the request of art market and self. The blossom of reiterative linear techniques can be seen as one of the key development motivated by this art movement. Artists used various linear techniques to present the volume, structure, space and texture of subjects in different portrayal practice. In this essay, several paintings from Ming and Qing Dynasty will be examined, such as Twelve Portraits of Ming People, Portraits of Wang Keyin, and A Reading Lady in Her Boudoir. A close study on the reiterative linear techniques in these works will reveal not only the endogenous development of Chinese painting, but also the principle boundaries set by Chinese artists from a nationalistic position.