Portraits of ancestors from Huizhou of the Ming and Qing dynasties
Abstract
This article is devoted to the study of one of the topical topics in Western and domestic Sinology, related to the history and theory of the portrait genre in traditional Chinese painting. To date, this question has not yet received an exhaustive understanding in special literature, which determined the research vector of the proposed work. The author’s focus is on portraits of ancestors from the Huizhou Ming and Qing dynasties. Portraits of ancestors that originated during the Chunqiu period (春秋时代 Spring and Autumn) officially appeared in the Song dynasty and reached their peak in the Qing dynasty. It is noted that the massive nature of the creation of family portraits in the Middle Kingdom for many centuries is due to the cult of ancestors, which is a unique marker of Chinese civilization associated with religious ideas about life and death, as well as the central concept of “xiao” Confucian religious and philosophical teachings. On the example of portraits of Huizhou’s ancestors from the Ming and Qing dynasties, their functions in the social structure of the Celestial Empire were considered, the features of the composition and appearance of the portraits reflecting the mentality of the Chinese people were analyzed. It is noted that in addition to memorial and ritual functions, Huijou’s family portraits serve to preserve the memory of ancestors by applying texts on top of the image containing information about the biography and virtues of the people depicted.
About the Author
Hu Huei
Kryachkov Novosibirsk State University of Architecture, Design and Arts; Anhui Business College of Vocation Technology
China
China
Hu Huei, Postgraduate ; Teaching Assistant, Department of Art Design
Wuhu, 230093; Novosibirsk, 630099
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Review
For citations:
Huei H. Portraits of ancestors from Huizhou of the Ming and Qing dynasties. ARTE. 2023;(1):75-83. (In Russ.)
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