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Jan 1, 1000
Sparing with the Mongols
During the 11th century, the Mongols invaded China for their land, and eventually succeeded in conquering it in 1279. These battles inspired operas to be made, such as the ones about Mu Guiying and the Yang Family. Mu Guiying was one of the most important woman commanders who fought Chinese enemies during this time. -
Jan 1, 1279
Yuan Dynasty Established
The Yuan Dynasty, lead by the grandson of the powerful Mongol conquerer Genghis Khan, was a period of unrest for the Chinese. The Mongols were enemies of the Chinese, and they had taken control of all the upper government jobs in China. Chinese feelings towards Mongol rule was represented in their art, where they used symbols like Bamboo, which shows how they would never break, and orchids, to show that they could grow strong even if their land was taken by foreigners. -
Jan 1, 1368
Ming Dynasty Established
The Ming Dynasty took over after the Yuan dynasty. Officials and Confucianist ideas were very important to its government. These officials, called mandarins, learned poetry and calligraphy. As a result, they were invested in art and also helped create or support it. Throughout the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, these artists were known as Literati, and created some of the most important art works of 13th century China. An example of a famous literati from the Ming Dynasty is Shen Zhou. -
Manchus Invade Ming Dynasty
The Manchus invaded the Ming Dynasty, replacing it with the Qing Dynasty. This was problematic for Zhu Da, who was wealthy through his relations to the Ming Dynasty. After the power switch, Zhu Da had to pretend to be insane in order to live freely, which allowed him to reject established art norms in his pieces. For example, in his art piece "Fish and Rocks," there are unnatural rock formations that seem to float, which is quite different from the typical scientifically accurate landscapes. -
Qing Dynasty Established
The Qing dynasty followed the Ming Dynasty. Both the Qing and Ming dynasties had governments that were largely based on confucianism. Government was run by confucian scholars who had to pass a competitive civil service examen to become government officials. These confucian scholars controlled the social and political life. The importance of these officials is seen by their lavishly decorated studies, which might include ceramic tiles, window grates, and a big desk. -
Westernization
China was slowly reintroduced to the west, starting with the visits of Jesuit Catholic missionaries, who brought new technology, science, and math to China. By the late nineteenth century, westernization began to have an impact on Chinese art. Landscapes, for example, had been the most popular Chinese painting subject for hundreds of years, suddenly became much less important.
