Page "History of painting" Paragraph 72

The ideologies of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism played important roles in East Asian art.

Medieval Song Dynasty painters such as Lin Tinggui and his Luohan Laundering ( housed in the Smithsonian Freer Gallery of Art ) of the 12th century are excellent examples of Buddhist ideas fused into classical Chinese artwork.

In the latter painting on silk ( image and description provided in the link ), bald-headed Buddhist Luohan are depicted in a practical setting of washing clothes by a river.

However, the painting itself is visually stunning, with the Luohan portrayed in rich detail and bright, opaque colors in contrast to a hazy, brown, and bland wooded environment.

Also, the tree tops are shrouded in swirling fog, providing the common " negative space " mentioned above in East Asian Art.