Chinese landscape painting was born in West Jin Dynasty. The western landscape painting was originated from England in the early 18th century. The western landscape painting had been influenced by Chinese garden design, but due to a different environment, it possessed a unique style. The author chooses a comparison of Shi Tao and John Constable for a case study, which may broaden an interest of research.
Shi Tao and John Constable nearly belonged to a generation. Shi Tao was born of a noble lineage, a descendent of one Ming Royal House by Prince Jing Jiang, Zhu Zanyi. On the brink of political struggles of overthrowing the Ming Royal court, Shi was rescued by court eunuchs and survived at the age of four. He fled to Quan Zhou of Guang Xi Province and became a Buhddist monk. Qing Emperor Kang Xi twice met Shi. Shi stayed in Beijing for three years with a hope that the Qing Royal Court might use his painting skills and talents. Unexpectedly, the new rule did not trust descendants from the previous dynasty, and instead put a harsh restriction on their thoughts and freedom of speech.
In the end, from time to time, with feelings of anger, melancholy, withdrawal, and repression, Shi absorbed himself in traveling and painting as to look for delivery, unrestraint, and freedom. In his lifetime, Shi traveled vast terrains of China, by which his paintings had influences from scenery of Xiao Xiang and Mountain Huang. Xiao Xiang and Mountain Huang are both located in South China, with winding rivers and chains of mountains, splendid summits, and changeable climate. Both still differ: Xiao Xiang, near the tropical area, is hot, rainy, and cloudy and features a topography of Karst, with rising mountains, caves and deep valley, and rivers; Mountain Huang, near Middle China, laden with rugged rocks and aged pine trees, freezing altitude, appears domineering and is layered with luminous clouds. The smoky rain of Xiao Xiang and pine trees and clouds of Mountain Huang are no doubt the themes of Shi's works.
In Constable's paintings, it is easy to recognize his Hampstead ponds or Flatford mills. And in Shi's representation of Xiao Xiang or Mountain Huang scenery, a viewer can rarely figure out it. Shi had said: "I take out of the nature of Mountain Huang but care little to label it." So the viewer can capture seemingly familiar yet unfamiliar scenery.
Both Shi Tao and Constable believed in a pursuit of beauty in art. Shi Tao said, " Make a draft in search for unique mountains." In Constable's "A bumpkin will not see through the beauty of Nature." Shi Tao pursued uniqueness, "Free from the painting brush, and completely from nowhere," and "Like all the spirits, changeable yet intangible." Constable believed in simplicity, "The greatness is not for me, and I was not born in that way, either. My small art can be found even on a small road."
Shi and Constable both emphasized creativity in art. Shi Tao said, "Brush and ink must catch up with times." "An imitation of a style is like finishing leftovers, which has nothing to do with me." Constable noted, "Every work of creativity is disciplined by its rules to become an independent piece of art. Therefore, a proper representation on one canvass may not suit on the other." Shi Tao upheld that every painting should reflect the aesthetic taste and inner self of a painter, as he said, "Being me is why I exist. Neither can the ancient create me, nor are my thoughts from the ancient." Constable felt that grace and beauty in which Nature reveals before the painter are embodied in God, "Every tree is blossoming, and still lovely lies on the ground. In every step I take, in all I have seen bears witness to the holy words in Bible that, 'I am resurrected.'"