The New Changes In Art In Jiangnan During The Qing Dynasty Under The Influence Of The Jinshi Tren

The prospering of epigraphy during Qing rule,not only constituted a field with the most elevated academic achievements of the time,since the Qianlong-Jiaqing period,but also made the development of epigraphical aesthetics an interest that is ecumenical among the literati.Through epigraphical collection,appraisement,circulation,etc.,epigraphy then entered the realm of Chinese art,which enabled interdisciplinary interactions with the fields of calligraphy,painting and engraving,during which these fields absorbed some essences of the epigraphic arts,opening up new aspects yet unexplored.This mingling resulted in profound and general shifts in the philosophies,techniques and styles of Chinese art.This innovation in Chinese art spurred by the example of epigraphy was an important aspect of Qing art,in addition to being a phenomenon that constitutes a locus of attention in the study of imperial Chinese art history.Research indicates that the genesis and development of this artistic innovation had its chief geographic core in the Jiangnan region.This essay approaches(the topic)from the standpoint of art history,through archival research,image comparison,gestalt analysis,etc.,conducts a brief summary of Jiangnan regional culture,and the prospering of an epigraphic fashion among the literati of the region,then upon this basis inquires and discusses with greater focus the novel tracks embarked on and the new artistic achievements reached as a result.This essay contends that,since its genesis,epigraphy,as a discipline that finds its main body of devotees among the literati,contained within it both academic and artistic strains.The characteristics of the physical material used in epigraphy,and the functions of transmitting meaning & cultural expression it carries,allowed it to,as general cultural zeitgeists & specific artistic zeitgeists shift,embody complex,multi-dimensional,and multi-faceted evolutionary paths.Up to and including the Qing period,the particular social and cultural environment of the Jiangnan region,also nurtured in its native literati-artists the creativity of individual self-expression,and the spirit of innovation.In the disciplines of calligraphy and painting,accompanying explorations of the tradition of Han dynasty stele engravings and changes in views on the traditional schools of calligraphy,a division began from the emergence of the“pre-stele” and “stele” schools,which took the aesthetic tastes of epigraphy and the techniques of brush calligraphy into cooperation,achieving not only breakthroughs in calligraphy of the seal,clerical,and northern stele type scripts,but also the pollination of epigraphically inspired brush calligraphy techniques into the realm of painting,leading to the development of an“epigraphical” style in painting,which in retrospect can be seen as an important pathway for the reanimation of the Chinese brush painting tradition and the re-ignition of the élan vital of the study of the aforementioned art.In the discipline of engraving,practitioners of the art absorbed the rich tapestries of ancient epigraphical letterings and tastes,through tradition-conscious explorations in glyph forms and chiseling techniques,and artistic practice which sought glyph forms in books and other exogenous sources,created new techniques,forms,and categories of style.In this discipline,artists of the particularistic Anhui and Zhejiang schools,as well as the “six masters” of the late Qing,made artistic achievements which surpassed those of the former dynasties to reach new heights.In the sub-discipline of transposing epigraphy into rubbings,technical advancements led to a break-out that took it from mere replication,now combined with revolutionary changes in antiquarianism fusing with calligraphy and painting,to various new forms of art,enlarging the artistic progeny of epigraphy.These innovations in philosophies,techniques,tastes and forms,also due to the unique cultural standing enjoyed by the Jiangnan region and its socio-cultural environment,not only achieved gained wide subscription,but further set off motions in the flow of social fashions and tastes with impacts which transcend territory and age.