Class 11 commerce students can refer to Chapter 4 Landscape of the Soul notes given below which is an important chapter in the class 11 English book. These notes and important questions and answers have been prepared based on the latest CBSE and NCERT syllabus and books issued for the current academic year. Our team of English teachers has prepared these notes for class 11 English for the benefit of students so that you can read these revision notes and understand each topic carefully.

Landscape of the Soul Notes Class 11 English

Refer to the notes and important questions given below for Landscape of the Soul which is really useful and has been recommended by Class 11 English teachers. Understanding the concepts in detail and then solving questions by yourself will help you to learn all topics given in your NCERT Books.

Wu Doazi was a famous painter of Eighth Century. He made famous painting for the palace of Tang emperor Xuanzong. After showing the painting to the King, Doazi along with painting got vanished. Quinten Metsys painted a fly on a master’s masterpiece painting with such delicacy and precision that the master agreed to his daughters marriage with Q. Metsys. Paintings of Europe present an illusionistic view where as Asian or Chinese painting create essence, inner life and spirit. The western painting reproduces an actual view and we can view the landscape as the painter views it. On the other land a Chinese painter does not have a single viewpoint. His landscape is not a real one and we need to enter it from mind. Chinese landscape is spiritual and conceptual. Shanshui is mountain water. ‘Yang’ is mountain which is vertical stable, warm and dry. ‘Yin’ is water which is horizontal and resting on the earth in form of fluid, moist and cool.

The interaction of ‘Yin’ (feminine) and ‘yang’ (Masculine) is the fundamental aspect of Chinese painting. This interaction takes place in the ‘Middle’ void – empty space between Yin and Yang. White, unpainted space in Chinese painting represents the middle void. ‘Artbrut’ is the raw art of those who were talented but did not have any formal training. Their works are stimulating and thought provoking. Nek Chand, untutored genius created famous Rock Garden using discarded (thrown away) things, stones and recycled material. For this show of taleni and creativity, Nek Chand became a renowned figure all over the world.

Short Answers Type Questions

Question. What is Shanshui? How does it express the concept of word ‘landscape’?
Ans. Shanshui is a concept about the mystery and origin of the universe. The landscape literally means ‘mountain water’. There two elements are like two poles, the source of energy. The mountain is vertical and male, the water is horizontal and female. There are also called yan and yin. They are complementary. Their interaction keeps the world going

Question. Explain the terms “illusionistic likeness”, ‘figurative painting’ and ‘delicate realism’.
Ans. The word illusionistic means creating a sort of false expression. European art tries to create illusion of actual view. ‘Figurative’ also has something to do with figure or actual shape of a thing. The word ‘delicate’ means fine. Art reproduces not exact view of reality, but only a resemblance of it.

Question. What wonderful tale is told about the Chinese painter Wu Daozi?
Ans. The Chinese painter Wu Daozi was engaged by the Emperor to decorate his palace walls with landscape paintings. It was painter’s last painting. He hid his work behind a screen which only the emperor could see and admire it. But the painter got into a cave. The gate closed before the king could enter it. All the painting also disappeared along with their maker.

Question. What is the third element, represented by the ‘Middle Void’ in Chinese landscape?
Ans. The masculine energy of Yang and female energy of Yin are in complete without each other. But their interaction takes place in the ‘Middle Void’, or blank space left in a Chinese landscape nothing can happen without the combination of both aspects of energy.

Question. Which story from Flanders, Europe, is most representative of Western painting?
Ans. The story is about a famous painter who would not draw the eyes of a dragon he had painted. He had a fear that with eyes, the dragon would fly out of painting.

Question. What does Chinese story about Emperor and Wu Daozi illustrate?
Ans. The story deals with the magic of art and skill of the artist. He created wonderful landscapes on the palace walls. The emperor admired only the outer looks of the work. It also conveys that the emperor could only rule over his territory, and not understand the spirit of art. Only the artist known the way within. He alone can enter the spirit of the universe.

Question. What is the unique feature of horizontal scroll? How can it be appreciated?
Ans. The unique feature of Chinese horizontal scroll is that it does not give us an integrated view of scene. There is gap between one picture and another. It leaves scope for the viewer to use his mind and imagination. The landscape is not realistic but an inner one.

Long Answers Type Questions

Question. What is Nek Chand’s unique achievement and gift to the world? How did he get international recognition?
Ans. The India born and altogether untrained artist Nek Chand developed concept of ‘outsider art’. He created a Paradise using waste material at Chandigarh. He cut the rocky place and created his dream. This drew attention of the world. His art is of an untrained visionary. Because such artists have received no formal training, but sometimes such artists show remarkable talent and insight. Nek Chand’s creation is known as the ‘Rock Garden’. The Swiss Commission organized a European exhibition in 2005 on Nek Chand’s works of art. It was shown in various other European countries. Thus, he got international recognition.

Question. How does the author contrast the Chinese View of Art with the Western concept of painting? Which one do you find easy to understand and admire.
Ans. A Chinese landscape does n’t stick to reality. It leaves enough scope for the viewer to use imagination. The painting can be looked from any angle and any view point. The scroll on which the artist paints has white, blank spaces left over. It gives freedom to the viewer to travel up and down. It captures the essence of inner life. A European or Western painting, on the other hand, is realistic. The painter wants us to look at it as he had seen it. From a particular angle it creates an illusion of delicate realism. The story of quinten, in 15th century, illustrates the point clearly. He entered a painter’s studio and painted a fly on artist’s blank convenes. The artist mistook it for a real fly and tried to drive it away. That story is representative of Western painting.