Scrolls Vs. The Three Perfection

This is when the medium of the scroll painting-poem reached its zenith. Scrolls were in use long before the Song Dynasty, and even silk scrolls were used before paper was invented during the Han Dynasty, but with the influence of The Three Perfections, the examination of scrolls became a dearly loved and long anticipated event. Much unlike western art, which is meant to be viewed often and by many, and can be viewed by large crowds all at once, scroll paintings were extremely intimate. It was meant for one, and at most only two or three could look on its treasures in the intended way. In order to properly experience a scroll, the viewer would first pull out its carefully crafted wooden box. It would be a rich, solid wood, perfectly smooth. Then, out of that box would come the scroll wrapped loosely in thick, rich silk, bound with ivory. Taking that off would reveal the

Revolutionary, that is, in an almost literal sense. The Ming emperors took a great fondness for the production of art, and as such became more involved in its patronage and spread than ever before in Chinese history. Imperial artists were expected to adhere to strict rules of both quality and subject, edging back from the emotional feel of the previous dynasty and returning to literal depictions. However, due to the emotional tie artists held to the pieces of the Song Dynasty, many were unwilling to concede to such a cold portrayal of nature, and there was actually an unprecedented split in stylization. Those who softly defied the imperial standards became even more imaginative and expressive, to the point where their drawings took on a cartoonish appearance. These rebels were known as the Scholar-Artists, taking from the model set from the ideas of The Three Perfections that the perfectly educated man would also have a strong command of poetry and