Flower-and-bird paintings

The people of Shandong province are often seen as rough and candid. But one wouldn't guess this from the flower-and-bird paintings by Shandong artists, now on display at the National Art Museum of China.

While the 110 works by some 40 accomplished painters are all elegant pieces, the huge exhibits reflect the subtle differences between the various regions that the artists come from.

Vistors watch paintings

Born in 1956, Tang Qiuling graduated from the fine arts department of Shandong Normal University in 1983. Her work, Fragrance of Tea, stands out for its harmonious color scheme, fine brushstrokes and elaborate composition.

The whole work is cloaked in azure tones, making everything seem transparent. A bunch of jasmine flowers bloom quietly in a vase, with tiny petals falling to the table. Three glass cups, filled with tea, sit casually around the vase. The fragrance of the flowers, and from the tea, seems to mingle, creating a mild, soft ambience. The curtain in the background reinforces this feel, with its designs of flowers and leaves. All these images are further reflected from the glass top table.

Flower-and-bird paintings became popular in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) with Bian Luan as one of the representative artists. This art genre witnessed a boom in the later Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (AD 907-960) period, following the inspirational works of the father-and-sons team of Huang Quan, Huang Jubao and Huang Jucai. The techniques in these paintings are classified into fine brushwork and free-hand style.

Contemporary artists make progress and innovation through the years, which can be viewed in the latest show.

Han Mo's Peony Flowers has an impressionist look, with misty brush-lines and splotches of colors creating a symphony of light and shadow. In the White Tulip, Zheng Xiangnong uses sharp outlines and overlapping images, giving his work the look of an engraving. Han Wei's Clear Autumn captures the essence of traditional flower-and-bird paintings, with its contrast of the dense and the loose, of active and passive elements.

9 am-5 pm, until March 7. National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district