A Study On Opera Images In Ming And Qing Dynasties

This thesis is a study about opera Images in Ming and Qing Dynasties which takes opera as the standard.Ming and Qing opera images were images that were related to opera,including three categories as follows:opera print,opera painting and opera images in folk crafts.The first chapter gave a research about opera print in Ming and Qing dynasties.Section one studied on the categories,functions and audience of opera illustrations,and divided opera into four categories which were Zaju,Xiwen,Huabu and Quxuan,so that to reflect the relationship between opera illustrations and opera history.Section two focused on the relationship between opera printed illustrations and performance,and raised doubts on the formerly opinion which thought that the illustrations were affected by the opera performance and they had the function that explaining and guiding the playing.Instead,they considered that the opera illustrations were just a kind of opera stories' painting,which only took charge of the plot rather than the stage performance.There were just two kinds of situations that did the illustrations objectively influence the performance,one kind was when play within a pay occasion showed up in the story line,while the other was the situation that some specific types of characters existed.Feathers in opera illustrations and on stage were not corresponding to each other,and that was because the painters had their own opinions,techniques and skills,instead of being influenced by the performance on stage.Section three of this chapter investigated portraits and dramatics pictures in other printed illustrations.It began with the study about the background,development and value,then the features on stage,firstly depended on flags and feathers,than were added with facial makeup and masks in Jiaqing period,there was a change of flag number:that four and six were in parallel during Qianlong and Jiaqing period,however turned to only four in Daoguang.While in Guangxu,there were horsewhips,thick soled boots,artificial whiskers.It must be said that,there were still some tradition left by woodcut prin.That was because the significant development of opera acting art and its status had become more and more notable.And the deep reasons were the boom of Huabu opera and the new trend of professional theatrical troupe.Section four briefly introduced some information about opera Yezi,which was valuable to the opera script remnants collecting and collation.The second chapter was about opera painting in Ming and Qing dynasties.Section one revealed the evolution track of performing pictures from depending on other paintings to their own independently creation,and this change was closely related to the painting art circle's concepts.Section two pointed out that the founders of opera figure painting were scribes class in Qianlong period,and when the figure painting gradually formed culture and reached its peak in late Qing dynasty.In addition,this section also gave a comprehensive inspection of opera figure paintings in Qing courts and made a general ledger account of the plays and characters.Opera paintings in Qing courts were very important for the plays,facial makeup and masks,setting and props,costumes in the late Qing dynasty opera performance,especially facial make up and masks,they filled the blank of the material shortage,and also gave a intensive research about their categories,time period,how they were used and where they were collected.Section three,four and five respectively discussed information about the opera performing,opera facial makeup and masks,puppets and shadow plays in folk social fire pictures,which were also very important constituent parts of opera paitings.The third chapter was about opera images in folk crafts during Ming and Qing dynasties.Section two focused on opera carving decoration prosperity,discussing its background,relationship between stage performance and its research value about opera study.Section three,four and five were about opera-themed art works in clay sculptures,chinaware,paper cuts and embroideries,and also stressed their importance during opera spread and emphasized that,as a culture gathering both elegance and vulgarity,opera strongly influenced folk culture.Section two focused on opera carving decoration prosperity,discussing its background,relationship between stage performance and its research value about opera study.Section three,four and five were about opera-themed art works in clay sculptures,chinaware,paper cuts and embroideries,and also stressed their importance during opera spread and emphasized that,as a culture gathering both elegance and vulgarity,opera strongly influenced folk culture,and was very important in the relationship between social and folk-custom research as well.