Research On The Themes Of Animals And Plants In Xuanhe Catalogs Of Paintings

Xuanhe Catalogs of Paintings are works of paintings collected by the imperial court under the official charge of Xuanhe reign of the northern song dynasty,and records the paintings collected by Xuanhe palace of HuiZong reign of the song dynasty since the Wei and Jin dynasties.In Xuanhe Catalogs of Paintings,there are ten categories of paintings: Taoism and Buddhism,figures,palaces,tribes,dragon and fish,landscapes,animals,flowers and birds,ink and bamboo,vegetables and fruits.In order to express his feelings,the painter often drew materials based on the symbolic meaning contained in the images in the creation of flower and bird paintings.The symbolic meanings of flowers,trees,birds and insects in flower-and-bird paintings are mainly extracted from three aspects: the natural attributes of plants and animals;Historical and mythological legends: names of plants and animals.According to the animal and plant themes recorded in Xuanhe Catalogs of Paintings,animals and plants painted in the song dynasty are divided into three categories according to their symbolic meanings: auspicious animals and plants,rich and auspicious plants and animals,and wild plants and animals selected for leisure.The theme of flower and bird paintings in the yuan,Ming and Qing dynasties basically followed the theme of the song dynasty and developed.The symbolic significance of the theme of plants and animals used in the song dynasty was far-reaching,and the legend of the theme still passed down from generation to generation.