Chapter 4 – Landscape of the Soul Questions and Answers: NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English (Hornbill Prose)

Question 1.
(i) Contrast the Chinese view of art with the European view with examples.

Answer:
The European view of art is to reproduce an actual view. A Western or European painting is ‘figurative’ or emblematic. The European painter wants you to borrow his eyes and look at a particular landscape exactly as he saw it. He wants us to watch the painting from a specific angle from his point of view. In European painting more attention is paid to “delicate realism” It can be illustrated from the example of Quinten Metsys, a master blacksmith, who painted a fly on the latest panel of a painter, with whose daughter he fell in love. It looked so real that the painter admitted him as his apprentice.
But a classical Chinese painting is not meant to reproduce an actual view. The Chinese painter does not choose a single viewpoint. His landscape is not a ‘real’ one, and you can enter it from any point and then travel in it. This is because the artist creates a path for your eyes to travel up and down, then back again, in a leisurely movement. This is even more true in the case of the horizontal scroll.

In it the action of slowly opening one section of the painting, then rolling it up to move on the other, adds a dimension of time. This is unknown in any other form of painting. It also requires the active participation of the viewer, who decides at which pace he will travel through the painting. Thus the participation is physical as well as mental. The Chinese painter does not want you to borrow his eyes. On the other hand, he wants you to enter his mind. The landscape is an inner one, a spiritual and conceptual space.

(ii) Explain the concept of ‘Shanshui’.

Answer:
The literal meaning of ‘Shanshui’ is ‘mountain-water’. When used together it represents the word ‘Landscape’. These are more than two elements of an image. These represent two complimentary poles, reflecting the Daoist view of the universe. The mountain Yang, is reaching vertically towards Heaven. It is stable, warm, and dry in the sun. The water is Yin horizontal and resting on the Earth. It is fluid, moist and cool. Yin is the receptive, feminine aspect of universal energy. Its counterpart Yang is active and masculine. The interaction of Yin and Yang is of course the fundamental notion of Daoism.

However, there is an essential third element, the Middle Void, where the interaction of Yin and Yang takes place. This can be compared with the yogic practice of ‘pranayama’, where we breathe in, retain and breathe out. Thus the suspension of breath is the void where meditation occurs. So the Middle Void is essential-nothing can happen without it. That is why there is the importance of the white, unpainted space in Chinese landscape. This is also where man finds a fundamental role. In that space between heaven and Earth, he becomes the conduit of communication between both poles of the universe.

Question 2.
(i) What do you understand by the terms ‘outsider art’ and ‘art brut or ‘raw art’ ?

Answer:
The concept of ‘art brut’ in the 1940’s was first originated by the French painter Jean Dubuffet. This genre is described as art of those who have ‘no right’ to be artist as they have no formal training, yet show talent and artistic insight. It is a stimulating contrast to the main stream style of art. In the beginning, very few people had interest in this form of art. But now ‘outsider art’ has gradually become the fastest growing art of interest in contemporary art internationally.

The notion of ‘art brut’ or ‘raw art’ was of works that were in their raw state as regards cultural and artistic influences. Anything and everything from a tin to sink to a broken down car could be material for this work of art. Thus it is totally different from the concept of the traditional art of painting where brush and colours are used. The Rock Garden created by Nek Chand at Chandigarh is perhaps the best example of such a form of art.

(ii) Who was the ‘untutored genius who created a paradise’ and what is the nature of his contribution to art ?

Answer:
The ‘untutored genius’ is the 80-year-old Nek Chand who has created a paradise in the form of the world-famous Rock Garden at Chandigarh. He is the creator-director of Rock Garden. He is called ‘untutored’ because he never had any formal training in art. He is a genius because he had made himself a garden sculpted with stone and recycled material, when years ago he began clearing the little patch of jungle, which was then at the outskirts of Chandigarh.
Nek Chand is now hailed as India’s biggest contribution to outsider art. He has also taken the form of art called ‘art brut’ or ‘raw art’ to dizzying heights. The Swiss Commission for UNESCO has recognised his art as “an outstanding testimony of the difference a single man can make when he lives his dream”

The Swiss Commission will be honouring him by way of a European exposition of his works. The five-month interactive show, “Realm of Nek Chand” was held at leading musliums in Switzerland, Belgium, France and Italy. ‘Raw vision’ is UK-based magazine pioneer in outsider art publications. Its 50th issue (Spring 2005) has featured Nek Chand. His Rock Garden sculptor ‘Women by the Waterfall’ was published on its anniversary issue’s cover.
Talking About The Text

Question 1.
“The Emperor may rule over the territory he has conquered, but only the artist knows the way within.”

Answer:
The author illustrates this statement with an old Chinese tale. A Chinese painter Wu Daozi lived in the eighth century. His last painting was a landscape commissioned by the Tang Emperor Xuanzong, to decorate a palace wall. The master painter had hidden his work behind a screen, so only the Emperor would see it. For a long while, the Emperor admired the wonderful scene, discovering forests, high mountains, waterfalls, clouds float¬ing in veiy huge sky, men on hilly paths and birds in flight.

The painter said to the king that in this cave, at the foot of the mountain, a spirit lives. Then the painter clapped his hands, and the entrance to the cave opened. He said to the Emperor, “The inside is splendid, beyond anything words can convey please let me show Your Majesty the way.” Then the painter entered the cave but the entrance closed behind him. Before the astonished Em¬peror could move or utter a word, the painting had vanished from the wall. And the artist was never seen again in his world.
Though this story seemed unbelievable, yet it teaches us a very good lesson. The Emperor had commissioned a painting but he could appreciate its outer appearance only. But the artist re vealed to him the true meaning of his work. The Emperor may be the ruler of the territory conquered by him. But only the artist knows the way within. He is more aware of the mysterious works of the universe. The painting is no more there. But the artist has reached his goal-beyond any material appearance.

Question 2.
“The landscape is an inner one, a spiritual and conceptual space.”

Answer:
In Chinese painting, the landscape is an inner one. It is not figurative like the Western painting. It is rather spiritual and pertaining to mental conception. Like a Western painting, a classical Chinese landscape is not meant to reproduce an actual view. The Chinese painter does not choose a single viewpoint. His landscape is not a ‘real one’, and you can enter it from any point and then travel in it.
The artist creates for our eyes a path to travel up and down, then back again in a leisurely movement. This is even more true in the case of the horizontal scroll. In it the action of slowly opening one section of the painting, then rolling it up to move on to the other, adds a dimension of time. It is quite unknown in other form of painting. It also requires the active participation of the viewer, who decides at which pace he will travel through the painting. This participation is physical as well as mental. That is why the Chinese landscape is an inner one, a spiritual and conceptual space.
Thinking About Language

Question 1.
Find out the correlates of Yin and Yang in other cultures.

Answer:
To my mind the correlates of Yin and Yang are found in Hindu mythology— ‘Aakash’ and ‘Patal’—‘Aakash’ relates to Yang] whereas ‘Patal’ relates to ‘Yin’.

Question 2.
What is the language spoken in Flanders ?

Answer:
The author belongs to Belgium, a European country. I think besides other Eu¬ropean languages, English is also spoken there.