The Element Of "Literate Painting" In Chen Hongshou’s Woodcuts

In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the embryo of capitalism emerged, the early townspeople came into being and the enlightening late Ming Dynasty aesthetics arose as the times require, featuring enthusiasm in traditional Chinese opera and antique. Under the influence of pop culture, the stringent boundary between literate painting and folk art was gradually breaking down, literate painters and folk artists drawing experience from each other and learning from each other, liberate paintings and folk art penetrating each other, appealing to both refined and popular taste, when it comes to pursuing character and free personality ideal in the secular world and establishing a unique path in folk art, Chen Hongshou, beyond any doubt, stood out as a paragon.Chen Hong Shou (1599-1652), the most representative artist in the Ming Dynasty, creates many achievemented woodcuts with an intense passion and making the art of the chinese classical woodcuts to a new realm. In the Ming Dynasty when woodcut prospered, Chen, thoroughly acquainted with both1iterate painting and folk art, created abundant outstanding woodcut works. In his own language of painting, Chen successfully upgraded the artistic taste and status of folk art. The thesis, analyzed from content、thoughts and rules of Chen’s woodcut works accompl ished at different periods of t ime, intends to expound the element of "literate paint ing" in Chen’s woodcut works.