The View Of Nature In The Northern Song Dynasty Landscape Painting

Generally speaking, the view of nature is one of the conceptions in philosophy. With the interaction between nature and human beings, the accumulated experience sublimates into conception knowledge, which is featured more as metaphysics in the long run of human evolution. Thus the process and features of civilization, to some extent, determines the view of nature. Conversely, the development of nature philosophy reflects the vestige of civilization. The northern Song Dynasty is one of the peaks among Chinese philosophy development. Additionally, the view of nature is influenced by the time spirit. So is culture and art industry. From that aspect, the form of art is of no exception.The landscape painting in Northern Song dynasty, based on the mountains and waters in the eyes of Chinese people, involves both the grand dimension of vision and the insight of "exquisiteness&subtlety" connected closely with the viewpoint of nature. We all know that the theme of landscape poems is also on the grounds of natural scenery. Then we can come to the conclusion that the nature in landscape painters’eyes on behalf of other people at that age. Consequently, if we observe the view of nature from the aspect of Northern Song landscape paintings and theory, we’ll benefit from it to further the understanding and study the creative thought and attitude of that dynasty. It has become a tradition to know the view of nature from philosophical side. Normally, starting from the opinions of representative individuals, by comparison and combination, the general conception is highly fined into the view of the age. The study in a particular subject or an art form is more and more yet hasn’t formed an entire system. Around1980s, people think more about the future and nationality issue of Chinese landscape paintings. Especially when the art comparison study becomes more and more popular, on painting form in all cultures, the art field and related issues are viewed on a full ground. With this trend, the relationship between the view of nature and landscape paintings has been paid more attention.The Northern Song dynasty is a transformation period in Chinese history. The "Song Learning" emerges and influenced every corner of the society though it looked quiet from the surface. The view of nature was influenced by the new trend accordingly and had many new features, which collapsed with the internal development of landscape paintings, gave it a new face with epochal character. This dissertation aims to discover the new characters of the view of nature by analyzing the landscape paintings in Northern Song Dynasty with painting theories. There are five sections responsible for my point of view. Firstly, I analyze the conception of the view of nature from three angles: philosophy, aesthetics ideal and schematic representation. Secondly, the inheritance and development of the view of nature is combing. Thirdly, the natural aesthetics among landscape artists in Northern Song Dynasty is extracted and dissected. Fourthly, which is also the key of this dissertation; the theoretical forms are refined from the analysis of patterns, geographical characters and graphical representation by dividing the creation of Northern Song landscape paintings into three periods. The last part is conclusion, I hope this study about traditional issue could enlighten the contemporary age.