The Image Space Of Chinese Traditional Figure Painting

Through discussion over the concept of space and its background as well as its way of expression, this paper deals mainly with imagery space and tries to reveal its developmental pattern and its vital role in traditional figure painting.Beginning with analysis on the concept of space, Chapter One attempts to make a definition for imagery space by combing through two pairs of concepts, i.e., 1) natural space and art space; 2) visual space and imagery space.Chapter Two explores the rationale for the forming of imagery space by surveying its history of forming, evolution and development. It is found that the forming of its poetic nature is directly related to the changing views derived from using paintings as a means of recording to emotional expression, and to manifest the metaphysical by employing the physical; it is also closely related to the traditional poetic theories and culture.Chapter Three is a discussion on the expression forms of traditional Chinese figure painting. Beginning from study on the combination of figures, figures and backdrop, and poetic expression, it mainly analyzes several representative approaches, i.e., the overlapping and contrast of figures, blanks between figures and the backdrop, other objects, and the poetic nature. All these approaches basically revolve around imagery space and reaffirm that the concept of space is the core issue of painting forms.