Background Knowledge: Chinese paintingChinese painting, the flower of Chinese culture, is distinguished by a spirit and an atmosphere all its own, entirely different from Western painting
It is as different from Western painting as Chinese poetry is different from Western poetry
That difference is hard to grasp and express
It has a certain tone and atmosphere, visible in Western painting, but essentially different and achieved by different means
It shows a certain economy of material marked by the many blank spaces, an idea of composition determined by its own harmony and marked by a certain "rhythmic vitality," and a boldness and freedom of the brush which impress the onlooker in an unforgettable manner
- From My Country and My People by Lin Yutang Figure painting (人物画): It includes