 There was a significant difference in painting trends between the Northern Song period ( 960 – 1127 ) and Southern Song period ( 1127 – 1279 ) . The paintings of Northern Song officials were influenced by their political ideals of bringing order to the world and tackling the largest issues affecting the whole of their society , hence their paintings often depicted huge , sweeping landscapes . On the other hand , Southern Song officials were more interested in reforming society from the bottom up and on a much smaller scale , a method they believed had a better chance for eventual success . Hence , their paintings often focused on smaller , visually closer , and more intimate scenes , while the background was often depicted as bereft of detail as a realm without substance or concern for the artist or viewer . This change in attitude from one era to the next stemmed largely from the rising influence of Neo @-@ Confucian philosophy . Adherents to Neo @-@ Confucianism focused on reforming society from the bottom up , not the top down , which can be seen in their efforts to promote small private academies during the Southern Song instead of the large state @-@ controlled academies seen in the Northern Song era . 
