| There are some basic differences between | | | | could potentially "stab him from behind". |
| Chinese and western paintings. They are not only | | | | Another example is the painting of beautiful peony |
| different in styles or techniques used in creating | | | | flowers. Peony flowers symbolize fortune and |
| paintings, neither are they different in the media | | | | happiness in a family. There are so many Chinese |
| used and in the use of painting tools. They are, in | | | | paintings that depict peony as the theme. And |
| many ways, different in the purpose of creating | | | | people love to buy such paintings as they believe |
| those paintings. | | | | that the paintings would bring them fortune and |
| Western paintings were created to express the | | | | happiness. |
| artists' feeling about something in his or her life. A | | | | Here are other painting themes that are favorites |
| religious Da Vinci, for example, would create great | | | | amongst Chinese people: |
| paintings about Virgin Mary receiving news from | | | | Koi (carps) fishes symbolize happiness and good |
| Gabriel, for example. Or a Rembrandt would | | | | luck. Normally, a koi painting will include six fishes; |
| describe the preparation of troops for a victorious | | | | one of them should be black or dark in color, |
| march (which was mistakenly named The Night | | | | whereas the five others are red or white and red. |
| Watch). These western (European) style paintings | | | | While the five fishes symbolize good luck, beauty, |
| have been adopted by many artists in almost all | | | | happiness and so on, the black fish is actually |
| countries around the world. | | | | there to take over the bad luck, sicknesses, and |
| However, many of Chinese paintings, in particular | | | | all other bad things. So, the family that hangs this |
| the traditional Chinese paintings, are created with | | | | painting would always experience happiness and at |
| certain purposes to affect the human life to | | | | the same time be protected against the evil. |
| become better. In other words, those paintings | | | | Cranes symbolize old age and long live. A painting |
| were created in line of what "feng shui" is telling | | | | with cranes as the theme is usually displayed in a |
| about. Feng shui is an old Chinese study of the | | | | family with old members (grandpa or grandma) |
| aesthetics system which is believed to be the law | | | | with a hope that these old members of the |
| of both heaven and earth to improve life by | | | | family be granted long live and long age. |
| receiving positive energy. | | | | Here we can see that Chinese paintings put more |
| So if feng Shui tells that a house should be built | | | | emphasis on the purpose or the function, that is, |
| with a strong rocky mountains in the background, | | | | to improve human life more than on the beauty |
| they would paint a ridge of rocky mountains as a | | | | alone. Beauty and aesthetics are important, but |
| symbol of backup protection for a house or a | | | | they are there to support the function. Western |
| person. This painting would best be hung in the | | | | or modern paintings, in many ways, want to tell |
| guest reception room, behind the sofa where the | | | | the viewers about something experienced or felt |
| host would meet the guests. It can also be placed | | | | by the artists, wrapped in the beauty, expression, |
| behind a desk of a director's office in order to | | | | color symbolism, etc. |
| protect him from the labors or partners that | | | | |