Chronological Reconsideration And Architectural Restoration Of Atlas Of Journey To The West

The thesis focuses on the architectural image portrayed in Atlas of Journey to the West, which is said to be created by Wang Zhenpeng, a master of ruler painting in Yuan Dynasty. In order to comprehensively interpret and explain the image from different angles and sides, research methods that belong to archeology, architecture and many other fields are used here. And through the process of exploration, many associative research findings and achievements can also be enriched.Chapter 1 briefly introduces the background of this survey, including the research history of Atlas of Journey to the West, ruler painting, architectural restoration and the tale and image of Journey to the West. After a preliminary analysis, it can be found that the ruler painting in this atlas is of such precision and particularity that never belongs to ruler paintings of a time that is later than Yuan Dynasty. And the painting tradition and the coloring method the atlas reveals are of great difference from the line drawing in traditional ink and brush style of Wang Zhenpeng, but more of a succecsion of Li, Guo landscape painting style in the North Song Dynasty and the figurative art tradition of the South Song Dynasty. In the aspect of painting contents, the Atlas resembles the Journey to the West image that found in the 3rd cavern of Yulin Caves. But the two still differ in figurative characteristics, painting and coloring traditons.Chapter 2 does a carding of shape and structure of blusters during the period of Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan Dynasties. It is found that the blusters portrayed in the Atlas have the feathers that attribute to a time before Yuan. What should be paid close attention is hexagonal pattern that used in the decorative plates. The similar shape can be found only in paintings and murals during the late Western Xia Regime (the early Southern Song Dynasty). So the author deduces that the Atlas has a strong character which belongs to the 12th century.In chapter 3, based on the analysis of this thesis and other former studies of the Atlas, the gate building in the Atlas has been chosen to be restored in the category of architectural history. The restoration consists of both physical representations and construction systems. A scheme that is relatively reasonable has been worked out after various attempts.On the basis of previous research, this thesis further studies and proposes new concepts of the chronological property of the Atlas; and attempts to restore the three-dimensional information of the gate building as well. Besides giving evidence to the chronological re-judgment of the Atlas, the author also expects to complement and to deepen the acknowledgment and cognition of the architectural history during a specified period, and even the regular patterns of development in it.