Ink Wash Painting

Ink Wash Painting

Ink wash painting is a type of Chinese ink brush painting which uses black ink, such as that used in Asian calligraphy, in different concentrations. Ink wash painting flourished from the Song dynasty in China (960–1279) onwards, as well as in Japan after it was introduced by Zen Buddhist monks in the 14th century. In China and Japan as well as much less so in Korea, ink wash painting formed a distinct stylistic tradition with a different set of artists working on it than from those doing other types of painting. In China, especially it was a gentlemanly occupation associated with poetry and calligraphy.