A Collection And Value Study On Chinese Folk Woodcut Paintings Collected By East Asian Library Of American Columbia University

This essay focuses on American missionary Ann S. Goodrich’s collection ofmore than one hundred folk woodcut paintings bought at Beijing Renhe Paper Shop inChina in1930s. These include New Year paintings with local characteristics andMing-and-Qing-dynasty styles from China’s main production centers of New Yearpainting and paper horses (woodcut paintings) from all over China. Enjoying a longhistory and covering a wide rang of subjects, they are valuable image information forthe study on traditional Chinese folk art. Anne S. Goodrich spent a lifetimeconducting a multi-dimensional study on the woodcut paintings he brought toAmerica with folk belief as the key. She also introduced this traditional Chinese folkart and spread more traditional Chinese culture to western countries by writing andteaching.On the basis of first-hand information from home and abroad, this essay makes amulti-directional interpretation of woodcut painting collections and attempts toconduct a fine and precise study of their characteristics and values in the methods ofhistorical study and literary study.The introduction part offers reasons and significance of the study on Chinesefolk woodcut paintings collected by American Columbia Library, and introducesbriefly previous findings in this respect.Chapter One describes the collection process of Chinese woodcut paintingholdings which were collected in Beijing in1930s. Their value is closely linked withspecial social and historical settings of the time in China. By analysis of collectionbackground, collection aim of folk woodcut painting collectors and current situationof woodcut paintings, this essay restores collection process and living situation ofthem and offers reasons of their rarity.Chapter Two is a precise survey of their characteristics. They are from five majorproduction centers of New Year painting in China, and represents unique artistic stylesof five regions. They also cover different subjects. The author conducts amulti-directional and multi-dimensional analysis in this respect, which lays a foundation for their value study.The body part of the essay consists of Chapter Three and Chapter Four. Chapter Threeis on the analysis of their art value, historical value and cultural exchange value.Chapter Four is an extension study on rescue and protection of oversea Chinese folkwoodcut paintings based on the living situations of their Chinese counterparts. FromChapter Four, we can get a deeper understanding of living situations of oversea folkwoodcut paintings.