With fascinating commentary and beautiful artwork this Chinese art history book allows Westerners to better interpret understand traditional Chinese painting. 

Applying a comparative approach to Chinese and Western art, this art book examines the characteristics of traditional Chinese art and analyses the distinction between figure painting and portraiture. It examines the scenery in Chinese landscape painting and the sense of poetry within the paintings of flowers and birds so that the reader comes to understand the unique essence of Chinese art and is gradually led towards the evanescent world of spiritual abstraction displayed in Chinese painting.