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Cat Paintings Of Ming And Qing Dynasty

Posted on:2014-02-07Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:G R GaoFull Text:PDF
GTID:2235330395491175Subject:Art
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Cat. as a smart and lively animal, has a long history being raised as a family pet. The Oldest record of cat by mankind traces back to about5000years ago. At that time, the ancient Egyptians began to keep cats to catch mice and other rodents. From then on, a mutually beneficial relationship was established between the man and the cat:cat got rich food sources, human waived rodents troubled. With the passage of time, the human is no longer raising cats for the purpose of catching the rats, instead cats gradually merged into human society as purely as a kind of pets and established a special relationship with humans.However, in stark contrast with the large number of raised cats, research on cats, especially on cats in the traditional Chinese culture is extremely rare. On the basis of a large number of reading and digesting, this article will discuss cultural values hidden behind popular Chinese paintings created within Ming and Qing dynasties.This paper will first analyze the reasons for scarcity of the current systematic research on cats, specifically on cat paintings of Ming and Qing Dynasties. By profiling different cultural characters cats represent we will try to explain why human beings love and fear cats at the same time. Analysis of reasons leading to cat paintings reaching peak in the history will then be given with further integration of the Ming and Qing social and cultural environment.Furthermore, we will explore the classification of the cats in cat paintings followed comparison with other animal paintings on the meaning ascribed to further reveal the cultural roots of the truth that cat paintings have long been at a disadvantage speaking of the number of art creations as well as public attention. Cultural representations of the Ming and Qing cat paintings, will then be expanded separately on the two styles of "decorative painting" and "literati painting". The analysis will include the artistic value of cat paintings themselves as well as underlying meanings such as the opinions authors trying to express, both on political or social aspects, in order to restore magnificence of the works should have been praised of.Finally, the article will conclude the points of view this article covered and prospect, in my own opinion, what should be the focused in future and the trends of this research area.
Keywords/Search Tags:Cat Paintings, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Cultural Image
PDF Full Text Request
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