History of Chinese Art from the Northern and Southern Dynasties (Nan-Bei)

The period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (南北朝Nánběi cháo, 420-589) marks a decisive turning point in Chinese art history, characterized by distinct developments between the North and the South.

Historical Context and Influences

After the fall of the Eastern Jin in 420, China split into competing kingdoms: the Southern Dynasties (南朝Nán cháo) and the Northern Dynasties (北朝Běi cháo). This political fragmentation gave rise to two distinct artistic currents:

In the South: Flourishing of scholarly and landscape traditions
In the North: Synthesis of Buddhist and nomadic influences

War Horses Engraving of the Southern Dynasty — **War Horses Engraving**
Southern Dynasty (5th century)
Dimensions: 19 × 38 × 6 cm
Discovered in Dengxian (邓县Dèng xiàn), Henan

Southern Artistic Innovations

The Southern courts saw the emergence of three artistic revolutions:

Landscape Painting: First codification of landscape principles with Xie He's (谢赫Xiè Hè) "Six Principles"
Calligraphy: Perfection of regular (楷书kǎishū) and cursive (草书cǎoshū) styles
Autonomy of Art: First aesthetic theories independent of ritual functions

Northern Buddhist Renaissance

The Northern Dynasties (Northern Wei, Northern Qi) became the crucible of Chinese Buddhist art:

Foundation of the Longmen (龙门Lóngmén) rock sanctuaries in 494
Synthesis of Indian, Central Asian, and Chinese influences
Development of the "fine wet robes" style (曹衣出水Cáo yī chū shuǐ)

Offering to a Bodhisattva, Northern Qi period — **Offering to a Bodhisattva**
Northern Dynasty, Qi Kingdom
Dunhuang (敦煌Dūnhuáng) mural painting

Offering Bearers from the Longmen Caves — **Offering Bearers**
Northern Dynasty, Wei Kingdom
Guyang Grotto (古阳洞Gǔyáng dòng), Longmen

Filial Piety Story on Sarcophagus — **Filial Piety Story**
Northern Dynasty, Wei Kingdom
Engraving on stone sarcophagus

Technical Revolutions

This period saw decisive advances:

Porcelain: First attested productions (Anyang tombs, 575)
Sculpture: Narrative bas-relief techniques
Pigments: Introduction of lapis lazuli blues and malachite greens

Founding Masters

Main artists who marked this period:

Lu Tanwei 陆探微Lù Tànwēi

Xie He 谢赫Xiè Hè

Zhang Sengyao 张僧繇Zhāng Sēngyóu

Xiao Yi 萧绎Xiāo Yì

Yang Zihua 杨子华Yáng Zǐhuá

Cao Zhongda 曹仲达Cáo Zhòngdá

Zhan Ziqian 展子虔Zhǎn Zǐqián

Artistic Legacy

This period laid the foundations for the Tang golden age: synthesis of Southern traditions (scholarly elegance) and Northern traditions (sculptural vigor), codification of pictorial genres, and institutionalization of Buddhism as a major source of artistic inspiration.

Select language