Thought Arising Form Stylistic Analysis

Female-themed painting has an age-long history in China.It derived its origin from Eastern Zhou period,through Wei,Jin,and Sui dynasties,and to Tang Dynasty bloomed into a magnificent artistic tradition.As a result there appeared many significant painters and distinguished paintings,with paintings of beautiful women occupying an important position.In Japan,a country separated from China by a narrow strip of water,there arose in Edo period Ukiyoe painting of beautiful women that is extremely similar to traditional Chinese painting of beautiful women.They both focus on the features,postures,finery and bearing of character women and depiction style,and conveyed the vast diversities of female images,characterized by elegant Confucian ladies,legendary goddesses,lonely court beauties,approachable civilian girls,or Yoshihara prostitutes putting on make-up in front of mirror.This thesis traces the artistic characteristics of traditional Chinese painting of beautiful women and Japanese Ukiyoe painting of beautiful women,by analyzing their artistic styles.This thesis is composed of three major parts.The first part,as introduction of the aforementioned theme,describes the status quo of its study at home and abroad,the purpose and significance of study,and the contents and methods of study.The second part,as the main body subdivided into three chapters,analyses the styles,difference and similarity of traditional Chinese painting of beautiful women and Japanese Ukiyoe painting of beautiful women.Chapter One analyses the respective cultural connotations of traditional Chinese painting of beautiful women and Japanese Ukiyoe painting of beautiful women,based on the golden mean in national tradition and the aesthetic characteristics of Mononoaware.Chapter Two analyses the female images and molding characteristics of the two painting styles,and reveals their stylistic difference by comparing them in terms of such six aspects as subject matter,finery,posture,line,coloring and composition.Chapter Three elaborates upon the common features of these two painting styles.Their common features and the primary style of Eastern painting are summarized by comparing and analyzing traditional Chinese painting of beautiful women,Japanese Ukiyoe painting of beautiful women and Western painting in terms of concept of space,expression oftechniques,picture representation and character modelling.Furthermore it is concluded that their similarity outweighs their difference.The third part,as concluding remarks,combs through the study process of this thesis.