Brand New Chinese watercolor hand painted painting on rice paper Signed and stamped by the Author Ink and wash painting, in Chinese shuǐ-mò (水墨, "water and ink") also loosely termed watercolour or brush painting, and also known as "literati painting", as it was one of the "Four Arts" of the Chinese Scholar-official class.[1] In theory this was an art practiced by gentlemen, a distinction that begins to be made in writings on art from the Song dynasty, though in fact the careers of leading exponents could benefit considerably.[2] This style is also referred to as "xieyi" (寫意) or freehand style.