Shape With The Shape: Westerners View Of Ancient Chinese Painting

As the title shows, the main object of this thesis research was to study the problem that if the objects in ancient Chinese painting have a similar shape to real world objects or not. This study set up a comparative context. The full thesis is intended to reveal the difference between western painting and Chinese painting in objects’ shape before Twentieth Century through Western eyes. Then we could have a deep understanding of Chinese and Western painting theory and Chinese and Western culture which leads to the differences in painted objects’ shape similar or not to real world objects.In the study of ancient Chinese painting, also in the comparison of Chinese and Western painting, we often have to face to some problems. For example, Westerners tend to think that the objects’ shape in Chinese ancient painting is not similar to real world objects’ shape. Is their view correct? In the course of ancient Chinese painting development, does it have a stage that Chinese painters have tried to pursue the objects’shape similar to real world objects? Why the painting at Tang and Song Dynasties began to seek an unlikeness shape? Why ancient Chinese painters did not like to depict a particular story? etc. To answer these questions, we couldn’t move around the problem that if the ancient Chinese painting objects’ shape is similar to real objects or not. Thus, this problem is a seemingly simple, but complex, seemingly obsolete, but new topic. It has a broad explanation space.The fact and value judgment of Westerners on the issue of Chinese ancient painting objects’ shape is a "mirror" which could let the Chinese ancient painting have a look at itself. At the same time, this "mirror" could also expose the mirror itself. Any Westerners’ fact and value judgment on this issue would be a "prejudice". In large part, this "prejudice " is caused by western painting theory and western culture. Following the "prejudice " provided clue, we could drill in western painting, western painting theory and western culture deeply.In addition to the "Introduction", I divided the thesis into seven chapters. In the "Introduction" section, I resolved the dimensions of painting’s "likeness and unlikeness". I also clarified the key concepts and explained the significance of study on this subject. In the first chapter, I analysed the Westerners’ fact and value judgment on ancient Chinese painting’s "likeness and unlikeness" through "the Other’s" perspective. In chapter two, I judged from the Chinese painting history that if the objects’ shapes in painting is similar to real world objects’ shapes or not. In Chapter three, I made a conclusion of ancient Chinese painting in the field of objects’ shapes "likeness or unlikeness" based on the comparison of Chinese and Western painting. In chapter four, I analysed how the ancient Chinese painting theory influences the "likeness" and "unlikeness" of objects’shapes in ancient Chinese painting. In chapter five and chapter six, I studied how the substance factors closely related to Chinese painting and tried to find out their impact on the objects’shape in painting. In chapter seven, I analysed some unique aspects of ancient Chinese painting and also discussed these aspects’influence to the shapes of objects in painting. The "Conclusion" summerizes the contents of the full text and adds the three points which should be emphasized.The full thesis analysed the difference between Chinese and Western painting, Chinese and Western painting theory and Chinese and Western culture through the entry points that if Chinese ancient painting objects’ shapes are similar to real world objects or not. I wish that this basic work could produce beneficial effects for the research of Chinese ancient painting and the comparison of Chinese and Western painting.