The blue-green shan shui

Shan shui

Shan shui refers to a style of Chinese painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscapes, using a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints. Mountains, rivers and often waterfalls are prominent in this art form.-History:...

(simplified Chinese: 青绿山水; traditional Chinese: 青綠山水; Pinyin

Pinyin

Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...

: Qīng-Lǜ Shān-Shuǐ.), is a Chinese painting

Painting

Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

 style of "Shan shui

Shan shui

Shan shui refers to a style of Chinese painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscapes, using a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints. Mountains, rivers and often waterfalls are prominent in this art form.-History:...

". It tends to refer a "ancient style" rather than modern ones. The main colour of the painting are blue

Blue

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...

s and green

Green

Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...

s, and in the early period it was painted by mineral

Mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...

 dye

Dye

A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....

s. It's a said this style was first formulated by Li Sixun (simplified Chinese: 李思训; traditional Chinese: 李思訓; Pinyin

Pinyin

Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...

: Lǐ Sī-Xùn ), a general, politician and famous painter in Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

.

History and sub-styles

Similar styles were appeared before the Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

, especially in the period of the Six Dynasties

Six Dynasties

Six Dynasties is a collective noun for six Chinese dynasties during the periods of the Three Kingdoms , Jin Dynasty , and Southern and Northern Dynasties ....

. Many historic records show that Li father and sons - Li Sixun (father) and Li Zhaodao (son, Chinese: 李昭道; Pinyin: Lǐ Zhāo-Dào, son of Li Sixun), largely developed the painting techniques and formulated the style.

There are mainly two styles of this painting:

• Shibi Qingyuan (simplified Chinese:式笔青綠; traditional Chinese: 式筆青綠; Pinyin: Shì-Bǐ Qīng-Lǜ )
• Yibi Qingyuan (simplified Chinese:意笔青綠; traditional Chinese: 意笔青綠; Pinyin: Yì-bǐ Qīng-Lǜ)

Schools

Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

:

• General blue-green shan shui.

Late Northern Song Dynasty:

• Bright green shan shui (Chinese: 金碧山水; Pinyin: Jīn-Bì Shān-Shuǐ)
• Great blue-green shan shui (simplified Chinese: 大青绿山水; traditional Chinese: 大青綠山水; Pinyin: Dà Qīng-Lǜ Shān-Shuǐ)
• Little blue-green shan shui (simplified Chinese: 小青绿山水; traditional Chinese: 小青綠山水; Pinyin: Xiǎo Qīng-Lǜ Shān-Shuǐ)

Yuan Dynasty

Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...

, Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

 and Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

:

• The little blue-green shan shui is the dominant style/school. Especially in the Late Ming Dynasty
  Ming Dynasty
  The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
  
  , the painter Lan Ying
  Lan Ying
  Lan Ying ; ca. 1585-1664 was a Chinese painter of landscapes, human figures, flowers and birds who was active during the Ming Dynasty .-Biography:...
  
   (Chinese: 蓝瑛; Pinyin: Lán Yīng) from Zhe School (Chinese: 浙派) developed the style to the historic climax.

Quotations

ZHANG Geng (simplified Chinese: 张庚; traditional Chinese: 張庚; Pinyin: Zhāng Gēng) in Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

, said:
TANG Hou (simplified Chinese: 汤垕; traditional Chinese: 湯垕; Pinyin: Tāng Hòu) in Yuan Dynasty

Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...

, said: