Renaissance in China

Author: 
Year:
Pages:328
ISBN:0-7734-5881-6
978-0-7734-5881-9
Price:$219.95 + shipping
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OVERSIZE. 8½ x 11 format with 50 photo illustrations

After the death of the Emperor of the Hou Zhou dynasty in 959 A.D., the Song Dynasty emerged with General Zhao Kuang-yin as emperor. This book explores the intellectual, artistic and technical innovations during that time in which painting, literature, and philosophy reached new heights. Chapters deal with the Song landscape painting, religious, flower-and-bird, and figure painting; calligraphy; architecture; sculpture; religious art; ceramics and crafts. There is a prodigious number of biographical sketches on artists, and a section on art literature and critics. Over fifty illustrations are included.

Reviews

“Although it is easy to find parallels to the Chinese Renaissance in the European Renaissance and some of its great artistic perceptions, it is these exquisite illustrations [in the book] that remind us of the Chinese expressions … An important distinction for Western readers to understand is that Chinese Song painting was a form of socialized art. Unlike Western painting which has been individualistic – permitting the artist to choose his subject, media, and tools, and to determine the expression and affect of his art. Chinese art, up to the twentieth century, has been one of connection of subject matter, tools, media, brush strokes and methods of suggesting three-dimensional space ...” – (from the Preface) Letitia Lane, retired Professor; Ph.D., University of Texas at Arlington

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The Historical and Intellectual Background of the Song Dynasty
1. The Art of Painting in the Five Dynasties
2. The Art of Painting of the Song Dynasty: Landscape Painting
3. The Art of Painting of the Song Dynasty: Religious, Flower-Bird, and Figure Paintings
4. Song Hui Zong and the Empire Academy of Painting
5. Su Shi and the Literati-Painting of the Song Dynasty
6. The Art of Calligraphy of the Song Dynasty
7. The Architecture and Sculpture of the Song Dynasty
8. The Religious Art of the Song Dynasty
9. Ceramics Productions and Other Crafts of the Song Dynasty
10. The Art of Liao, Jin and Xi Xia Dynasties
Notes
Chronicle of History and Art of Song Dynasty
The Imperial Academy of Painting of the Song Dynasty
Art Literature in the Song Dynasty
Selected Biographies of Artists, Critics, and Other Important Figures of the Song Dynasty
Bibliography
Index

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