Research On The Origin Of Chinese New Year Picture

The emergence of New Year paintings in ancient China was the result of a combination of New Year customs,traditional painting,folk concepts and beliefs,the art of engraving and dyeing and paper making,and commercial circulation.Firstly,the posting of New Year paintings was an important activity in Chinese New Year customs.Since the Han Dynasty established the first day of the first month of the year as the beginning of the year,the activities related to it have been enriched,and by the Tang and Song Dynasties there were posted portraits of door-gods.Secondly,the traditional art of painting provided a direct reference for the creation of New Year paintings,especially in the area of figure painting.Most of the door-officals and warriors in the tomb murals from the Han dynasty to the Song dynasty were located on both sides of the tomb door,and their functions and styles were similar to those of the New Year paintings;the paintings of Taoist figures and customs had similarities with the New Year paintings of gods and goddesses,Fuwa,and life,and the latter should have been an imitation of the former;the scroll form used in traditional paintings was also extended to the New Year paintings.Once again,folklore concepts and beliefs were intrinsic to the creation of New Year paintings.These concepts and beliefs have been around since ancient times,and after a steady succession and development by later generations,they became very mature during the Song dynasty and became popular among the people.Paper was invented in the Han Dynasty,and paper became popular in the Wei,Jin and North and South Dynasties,and became the main writing material in the Tang and Song Dynasties;engraving and dyeing was created in the Han Dynasty,established in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty,and was used for book printing,fabric printing and printmaking.During the Song Dynasty,the folk paper-making and engraving and dyeing industries flourished,and folk printing techniques became more sophisticated,with the emergence of prints and New Year paintings.Finally,the commercial trade and civic life of the Song dynasty promoted the circulation of New Year paintings.The prosperity of the Song dynasty’s commodity economy saw New Year paintings become a commodity as well;During the Song Dynasty,citizens were listed as a separate class,and New Year paintings became one of the indispensable items for the citizens during the festive seasons;the circulation of New Year paintings in the Song dynasty was centred on the towns,relying on shops and traders and spreading outwards to the lives of the residents of the towns and villages.The five factors of the Song dynasty,namely Chinese New Year,traditional painting,folk concepts and beliefs,the art of engraving and dyeing,papermaking,and commercial circulation,combined with ancient texts and excavated objects,confirm that the origin of New Year painting dates back to the Song dynasty.