Cultural Background and Philosophical Connotation of Chinese Landscape Painting

Abstract

As an important category of Chinese painting, Chinese landscape painting reveals cultural background and philosophical connotation peculiar to China through description with Chinese ink painting, i.e. the traditional Confucian ideology and culture of "syncretism between heaven and man" and the ideological connotation of nature worship in Taoist school. Therefore, the author discusses origin and development status of Chinese landscape painting in this paper, states philosophical connotation of Chinese landscape painting according to thoughts of Chinese traditional culture, and points that Chinese landscape painting is deeply influenced by Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist thoughts and cultures, and that Chinese landscape painting gradually becomes a cultural and artistic type with Chinese characteristics. 1.Preface As a country with an ancient civilization and long history, China has deep-rooted culture. Moreover, Chinese culture has a huge effect on Chinese landscape painting. In fact, Chinese landscape painting has already become rare art treasure in the Chinese art treasury. It has full-bodied atmosphere and philosophical connotation of Chinese culture, and goes through baptism. A sort of vitality is embodied. Therefore, Chinese landscape painting is the essence of Chinese traditional culture. Besides, it has philosophical connotation, and it is a brilliant star worthy of promotion in the palace of Chinese arts. 2. Cultural Background of Chinese Landscape Painting 2.1 Cultural background of Taoist thought The earliest landscape painting in China is an independent type of painting separated from figure painting in the Period of Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties. Its cultural background is mainly rooted in literary thoughts of Taoism in the Taoist school. In Han Dynasty, the social background at that time required to destroy other schools and to respect Confucianism thought only. Therefore, Taoism failed to have great influence and action in political and economic fields in China under that historical and cultural background. Even so, Taoist ideology and culture still have a deep influence on scholars and the literati-official class in the historical development for thousands of years. As a result, many things in the cultural level are of certain Taoist culture more or less. Therefore, Chinese landscape painting is an important form of painting art. Both its birth and development process can not be separated from Taoist culture and thought. It can be said that such Taoist philosophical thought is penetrated everywhere in Chinese landscape painting. In fact, Chinese society was extremely unstable at the end of Han Dynasty, with turbulent social phenomena everywhere. Therefore, some standards and models established in Han Dynasty are damaged and violated to some extent. Additionally, Han Dynasty at that time was invaded by other nations. Therefore, intersection and integration of many ideological trends can be found in Chinese society at the end of Han Dynasty. Taoism is transmitted and focused to some extent. The reason for such focus is that severe destruction of various guidelines and cultural rules at the end of Han Dynasty leads to emptiness of thought and spirit for people in that time as well as further liberation of their thoughts and spirits. Moreover, people began to worship immortals at that time, resulting in certain deviation of the doctrines of Confucius and Mencius. Moreover, people at that time began to