There has been a great increase in painting as the new emperor Huizong has taken the throne. Huizong considers himself an art connoisseur, gathering artists and poets from around China. By doing this he hopes to "improve the culture of China."
Many artists are drawing several different kinds of paintings including: figure painting, which are images of Confucians; landscape paintings, which almost always involve nature presented simply and beautifully; bird-and-flower, which focuses on plants such as bamboo; and ink paintings, which try to capture the "essence" of the subject by using minimal brush strokes. Every category has its own masters who each have their particular art styles. Many of the finer works have been assembled in the imperial palace for royalty to enjoy.
Furthermore, he himself has taken up painting. When he is not creating pictures, he likes to study the greats at work (literally) behind their backs. Many of his personal guards have often overheard him saying "interesting bird... Good job capturing the background and detail of the grove."
This huge investment in the arts has lead to the expansion of poets and artists all over the country. The Sung's attention has always been towards the arts. Now, thanks to Huizong, it has been taken to a whole new level.
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