People are not just in the Chinese landscape paintings but in the process of drawing, seeing and feeling the paintings . Through the painting itself, people get connected closely.
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2. Your idea on the difference between Chinese traditional painting and western landscape painting.
1）Describe: from the layout of the paintings, what are the obvious differences between Chinese and Western paintings?
2）Argue: Some western scholars argue, based on the apparent formal differences between Chinese and Western landscape paintings, first that the Chinese have the idea of“heaven and man merging into one”( tian ren heyi 天人合一), man is not separated from nature and Chinese landscape thus represents pure nature with no human figures in the center"; second, "Western landscape tends to be more realistic than its Chinese counterpart". How do you agree with these two points? Do they seem reasonable to you? What do they see? What do they overlook?
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Chinese landscape painting seeks harmony with nature through expressive ink brushwork and fluid perspective, reflecting inner spirit. Western landscape painting focuses on recreating a realistic visual scene through fixed perspective, precise detail, and the dramatic use of color and light.
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1. Chinese paintings use scattered perspective for artistic conception while Western ones use linear perspective for realistic depth.
2.I agree.They notice Chinese spiritual unity with nature and Western realism. And diversity in both traditions and overgeneralization about Chinese human figures.
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In layout, Chinese traditional painting uses scattered perspective for free-flowing composition, while Western landscape painting uses linear perspective for realistic spatial depth. Regarding the arguments, they reasonably notice Chinese “harmony with nature” and Western realism, but overlook the diversity in human elements in Chinese art and the spiritual authenticity of Chinese painting.
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Chinese painting emphasizes spiritual resonance and expressive brushwork, capturing the essence or idea of a subject. Western landscape painting typically focuses on realism, precise perspective, and the accurate depiction of light and form . The former is philosophical, the latter is more scientific.
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1. Obvious Differences in Layout Between Chinese and Western Paintings
The core difference in layout lies in their respective spatial concepts and focus of expression, rooted in distinct cultural thinking:
• Chinese paintings: Advocate "scattered perspective" (sanmianjing 散点透视). The layout is not restricted by a single fixed viewing point; instead, it stretches horizontally or vertically to present a "panoramic space" (e.g., the scroll painting Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains). Empty space ("liubai" 留白) is a key element—blank areas are not "nothingness" but imply clouds, rivers, or the flow of time, guiding viewers to imagine beyond the canvas. The focus is on integrating multiple scenes into a unified, harmonious whole, rather than highlighting a single central subject.
• Western paintings: Traditionally adopt "linear perspective" (xianxing toushi 线性透视), with a fixed viewing point (e.g., the vanishing point in Renaissance works like The School of Athens). The layout emphasizes "centralized composition"—a clear main subject (e.g., a figure, a building, or a focal landscape spot) is placed at the visual center, and supporting elements (light, shadow, background) are arranged to highlight it. Space is presented as a "closed box" (three-dimensional depth: foreground, middle ground, background), with little empty space; every part of the canvas is often filled to enhance realism.
2. Argument: Are the Western Scholars’ Views on Landscape Paintings Reasonable?
The scholars’ points capture partial truths about surface differences but overlook the complexity and diversity of both traditions. They see cultural concepts reflected in form but ignore exceptions, historical changes, and the deeper intentions of the works.
A. On "Chinese landscape represents pure nature with no human figures, reflecting ‘tian ren heyi’"
• What they see (reasonable part):
Many classic Chinese landscape paintings (e.g., Northern Song dynasty landscapes like Early Spring by Guo Xi) do omit prominent human figures, or only include tiny figures (a woodcutter, a fisherman) as "points of interest" rather than the center. This design visually embodies "tian ren heyi": man is not a dominator of nature but a part of it, emphasizing harmony between humans and the natural world. The focus on nature’s grandeur (mountains, rivers, pines) also aligns with Chinese philosophy’s reverence for nature.• What they overlook (unreasonable part):
1. Not all Chinese landscapes lack human figures: For example, Along the River During the Qingming Festival (Zhang Zeduan) is a landscape scroll centered on human activities (markets, boats, pedestrians), with nature (rivers, trees) as the background—here, humans and nature coexist as the "core" of the work, not "pure nature".
2. Misunderstanding "tian ren heyi": The concept does not mean "man is hidden in nature" but emphasizes the interdependence of humans and nature. Even when figures are absent, the painting often carries human emotions (e.g., a hermit’s longing for tranquility in literati paintings)—it is not "pure nature" but "nature infused with human spirit".
B. On "Western landscape is more realistic than Chinese landscape"
• What they see (reasonable part):
Western landscape painting (especially from the Renaissance to the 19th century, e.g., works by Claude Lorrain or John Constable) pursues "mimetic realism": it uses linear perspective, chiaroscuro (light and shadow), and precise color blending to replicate the "objective appearance" of nature (e.g., the texture of rocks, the reflection of light on water). This aligns with Western tradition’s focus on "observing and simulating the material world", making it visually "more lifelike" in a literal sense.• What they overlook (unreasonable part):
1. Confusing "realism" with "mimicry": Chinese landscape painting pursues "expressive realism" (yijing 意境) rather than copying appearances. For example, a painter may simplify the shape of a pine tree to emphasize its "vigor" (symbolizing integrity) or use ink washes to convey the "mistiness" of a mountain—this is not "unrealistic" but a way to capture the "essence" of nature and the painter’s inner feelings. It is a different form of realism, not a lack of it.
2. Ignoring Western non-realistic landscapes: Western art also has non-realistic landscape traditions, such as Impressionism (Monet’s Water Lilies—focused on light and color rather than precise forms) or Abstract Expressionism. These works are no more "realistic" than Chinese landscapes, breaking the scholars’ "one-size-fits-all" conclusion.
In short, the scholars’ views are partially reasonable as they link formal differences to cultural concepts, but they are oversimplified. They reduce the rich history of Chinese and Western landscape painting to fixed rules, ignoring exceptions, diverse artistic intentions, and the different definitions of "realism" in each culture.
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1. Traditional Chinese Landscape: Uses "scattered perspective", with negative space for artistic conception, no fixed focal point, and emphasizes human-nature integration.2. Western Landscape: Relies on "linear perspective", has a clear visual center, builds 3D space via light/shadow, and focuses on realistic nature reproduction.
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1. Layout Differences
Chinese: Scattered perspective, blank space, panoramic flow.
Western: Linear perspective, fixed focal point, 3D spatial illusion.
2. Argument Analysis
Validity: Tian ren heyi informs Chinese human-nature harmony; Western tradition leans realistic.
Oversights: Chinese landscapes have subtle human elements (not pure nature); Western landscapes include non-realistic styles (e.g., Impressionism).
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The most obvious formal difference lies in compositional philosophy. Western painting, particularly after the Renaissance, is largely constructed on linear perspective—a geometric system creating the illusion of depth from a single, fixed viewer's standpoint, often framing a central subject within a finite, window-like space. Chinese painting, in contrast, employs shifting or parallel perspective (or "three distances"—high, deep, and level), allowing the viewer's eye to travel through a scroll, experiencing multiple viewpoints within one continuous, often unbounded composition. This leads to a fundamental structural contrast: Western layouts tend to be static, focal, and finite, while Chinese layouts are dynamic, panoramic, and open.
Point 1: "Chinese landscape represents pure nature with no human figures at the center, reflecting tian ren heyi."
I partially agree with the observation but find the interpretation reductive. It is true that tiny human figures are often nestled within vast landscapes in Chinese paintings, seemingly "merging" with the environment. This does visually express a philosophical ideal where humanity is a harmonious part of a greater cosmic order, not its conqueror. However, to call these landscapes "pure nature with no human figures" overlooks a crucial point: the human presence is never absent; it is relocated from the center to the mind. The landscape itself is not a literal record but a mental construct—an embodiment of the artist's cultivated spirit, emotions, and scholarly ideals. It is nature filtered through human consciousness and cultural values (e.g., Daoist reclusion, Confucian virtue). Thus, the painting is not "pure nature" but cultured nature, intensely human in its conception. -
Chinese paintings use mobile perspective and leave empty space to show humans as small parts of nature, while Western paintings use fixed perspective and detailed backgrounds to focus on human figures.
The scholars are right that Chinese landscapes look like pure nature and Western ones look more realistic, but they overlook that Chinese paintings express the artist’s inner spirit and the “life-energy” of nature rather than just copying appearances.
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