Figure Implications Of The Ming Literati Landscape 叶江南 Birthday

As one of the life customs, the birthday celebration prevailed at Jiangnan regions in themid-Ming period. In a birthday celebration, congratulated implication must be expressed. Birthdaypainting, acting as a gift, always conveys best wishes for birthday person with graphic language.Meanwhile, birthday painting is widely used among Jiangnan literati groups in mid-Ming period.Overview, the birthday paintings at this time can be broadly divided into three categories:flower-and-bird paintings, figure paintings and landscape paintings. In the functional view ofconveying congratulated implication, the signification of the first two types of paintings is obviousbecause of the specific auspicious meaning of the element in the painting. However, theimplications of landscape paintings are not very clear. The paper attempts to make interpretation tothe potential birthday meanings of landscape paintings by combining the social and culturalenvironment of the mid-Ming’s Jiangnan. The literati in mid-Ming’s Jiangnan pursuit the lifevalue of freedom for mind and body. This led to the construction of leisure atmosphere inlandscape paintings. Also, the longevity imagery in fairyland was another connection between thelandscape paintings and birthday congratulating meaning. The third clue lay in the application of“benevolent have life” of Confucian concept in the paintings. Finally, nourishment of the locallandscape is another communication channel between paintings and birthday person.