Poems inscribed on paintings combine poems and paintings closely together. They are artistic fusion of poetry and painting. A poem inscribed on a painting usually serves as a window to the painting to point out, bring about and deepen the meaning of the painting. Hence, poems inscribed on paintings characterize themselves as overlapping the boundaries between literature, painting, landscape poetry and landscape painting.
A poem inscribed on a painting not only displays the form of landscape through the painting but also expresses the meaning of the painting and reflects the poet's mind as well. The combination of landscape poetry and landscape painting reached the summit in the Yuan Dynasty when lots of poems inscribed on paintings emerged to express the art of painting through the art of poetry.
Further combination of poetry and painting first appeared in the works of HUANG, Kung-wang, who was a famous poet and painter in the Yuan Dynasty. Among the "Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty", HUANG enjoyed the highest achievements in art and remarkable accomplishment in the creation of poems inscribed on landscape paintings, which exerted an enlightening, deep and long-term influence on the art and literature of the successive Ming and Ching Dynasties.
HUANG, Kung-wang's poems inscribed on paintings can be divided into two categories - "poems inscribed on others' paintings" and "poems inscribed on his own paintings". The former represents the poet's (HUANG, Kung-wang's) perception and appreciation of a painting through his own cultural discipline and aesthetic taste and the subsequent creation of a poem to bring about the meaning of the painting. The latter provides the background of his (HUANG, Kung-wang's) creation of poems and gives hints to the inner implications of his paintings and his ideas and appreciation of painting, aiming to achieve the state of "perfect fusion of poetry and painting" through poetry-painting interaction. So, whether "poems inscribed on others' paintings" or "poems inscribed on his own paintings", the poet (HUANG, Kung-wang) have successfully introduced readers to painting and showed them how to enjoy the fun and meaning behind painting.
Poems inscribed on landscape paintings use paintings as materials, so the existence of landscape images embodies a visual space. However, the creation of both poetry and painting most addresses the link between, or rather, the fusion of scenery and emotion. As a result, while appreciating a painting with a poem inscribed on it, we had better not limit our view to forms and structures. In stead, HUANG, Kung-wang's approach of appreciating a painting is much recommended. With excellent mental training and great imagination, the scenery of mountains, rivers, clouds, villages, pavilions, or even a blank space on the painting could turn out to be an entire season, life, nature or universe for the mind to enjoy eternally.
Besides, HUANG, Kung-wang's poems inscribed on landscape paintings particularly emphasize mental growth and pursuits. It is believed that reading, religious discipline, reclusion, travel and personal integrity can help improve the level of art and literature creation. HUANG, Kung-wang had never learned painting until he was 50. His case is a good example of the Chinese saying, "A great vessel will be long in completion; a great man will take time to shape and mature." In terms of Chinese painting, it means that only through multiple training and discipline can an artist demonstrate a unique style.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NSYSU/oai:NSYSU:etd-0910107-160156 |
| Date | 10 September 2007 |
| Creators | Chen, Chien-hui |
| Contributors | Wang Sheau-lin, Yang Yea-hui, Chen Chang-ming |
| Publisher | NSYSU |
| Source Sets | NSYSU Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Archive |
| Language | Cholon |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lib.nsysu.edu.tw/ETD-db/ETD-search/view_etd?URN=etd-0910107-160156 |
| Rights | off_campus_withheld, Copyright information available at source archive |
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