Ink painting is a tradition of painting, principally in East Asia, in which black ink, sometimes with light colour, is applied with a brush to paper or silk. In China it is known as shuimo, in Japan as sumi-e, and it is closely bound up with the art of calligraphy, sharing the same brushes, ink sticks and inkstones.
Chinese ink painting developed over many centuries, reaching great heights in the landscape paintings of the Song dynasty and the scholar-artist tradition of later periods, in which painting, poetry and calligraphy were combined. The technique was adopted in Korea and Japan, where Zen Buddhist painters valued its spontaneity. Subjects include landscapes, bamboo, plum blossom, orchids, birds, animals and figures. Artists vary the density of ink, the moisture of the brush and the pressure of the stroke to suggest depth, texture and atmosphere. Collectors consider the quality of brushwork, artists' seals and inscriptions, the paper or silk, and the mounting, which is often in the form of a hanging scroll or album. Attribution is difficult and copies are common, so important works require specialist assessment.
