Message from ashapiro

[Anonymous]

I wrote the line "painting carries a poetic message" in my notes. I think this quote may apply to all paintings - but in Chinese paintings it applied in a more literal way. Professor Ye showed us many paintings with the poems written directly on them, which you never see in western art. I have always wondered what the purpose of the writing was...

This quote also connects to the "three perfections" - poetry, caligraphy and painting. These prefections are so connected in the Chinese culture that they are all done with the same tool - the writing brush. Painting and poetry are not as connected in western culture and I find that very interesting. Why do we separate the different forms of art when the Chinese combine them?