The origins of traditional Chinese painting reach far back into China's distant history. Generally speaking, works dating from before the T'ang dynasty (618-907 A.D.) are mainly line drawings of people engaged in various activities; this was the ``golden age'' of human figure drawing. 

By the mid-T'ang dynasty, landscape and flower-and-bird paintings began their rise to prominence. Paintings of mountains, forests, fields, and gardens have the ability to transport one way from the vexations of the material world into a peaceful, carefree realm. Because of this, landscape paintings have always been highly regarded by China's literati and officialdom. The flowers, grass, trees, stones, and birds and other animals depicted in the lively and energetic flower-and-bird paintings are also widely admired. Thus the landscape and flower-and-bird types of painting, together with the earlier human figure painting, comprise the three main categories of traditional Chinese painting.

By the time of the famous Sung poet Su Shih(1036-1011 A.D.), the school of "literati painting" had already emerge.  Literati typically prefer to paint according to their own fancy and without restriction, and advocate a fresh, free, understated, and elegant style.  Subject matter they are fond of includes mountains and rocks, clouds and water, flowers and trees, the "four gentlemen" (plume blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums), and so forth.  Because natural objects such as these are less demanding subjects to paint that the human figure, the painter can better exploit the brush and ink's potential for free expression.

When "literati" painting was in vogue in the Yuan dynasty, men of letters began adding personal notes on the painting, or related lines of poetry, to display their prose and calligraphic skill.  This writing was now given a more prominent place on the work.  At this point there was a new union of signature, names of giver and receiver, and notes on the painting or related verse, with the painting itself.  The stamping of name chops also became established at this time.  The addition of name chop impressions, in itself an art, further enriched the artistic content of Chinese painting.

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