Refined And Popular Chinese Painting Of The Study

Elegance and popularity are a couple of momentous aesthetic category in Chinese traditional aesthetics, they are both opposite and united and, moreover varies with different cultural background. In Chinese traditional culture and art, elegance is a dominant factor, nevertheless, popularity is a negative one. The custom of appreciating elegance and belittling popularity was rooted deeply into the thought of the traditional literati all along. The evolution of the concept on elegance and popularity in the theory of Chinese painting underwent a long history, in this dissertation, the author discusses the relations between these two factors, and points out that mixing elegance and popularity together in the development of aesthetic tastes is inevitable. In 18th century, Yangzhou Eccentries began to break through the concept on elegance and popularity in traditional paintings. Afterwards the Shanghai school's painting took further steps to the degree of popularization and individualization. Suiting both refined and popular tastes had become a new artistic appreciate criterion after the two factors merged. However, the study of the concept on elegance and popularity can not come to an end yet. What a new problem nowadays we are confronted with is how suiting both refined and popular tastes will become a mementous criterion that can realistically promote the development of art.