Season of Art: Written on the Edge of Historiography: Written on the Edge of Historiography

Author: Zhu Xiaoyuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: The author's intention is to describe life and examine art using a "quasi-historical" method. "Quasi-historical" is my personal term, meaning that this is not writing produced by adhering strictly to historical scholarship, but rather the heartfelt reflections of a historian who has immersed themselves in history for many years and has gained an intuitive understanding of historical scholarship through their inner cultivation. This inevitably means that the text is not one that fashion would adore: its method, though wise, is somewhat classical; its language is too elegant, not sufficiently vibrant; its thoughts are too profound, not light enough. Within it, I see the effort of a historian: he tries to break free from the shackles of reality to vindicate history. In the author's view, history is "life's concern within time and space," an excuse that stirs the heart. With the temporal and spatial coordinates of history, the author indulges in the past, seeking a connection between ancient and modern life, thereby bridging the gap between history and reality, making history a form of present-day concern. This is history as seen through the eyes of a historian, moving yet tinged with sorrow. It contains the conscience of a historian, as well as their helplessness. Ultimately, we cannot but yield to reality and find a reason for history's existence, to prove ourselves. And in my opinion, these reasons are nothing more than defenses, defending a belief called history. Life no longer leaves room for history, so this defense appears so noble. Without history, life would be too frivolous, so I have chosen to embrace a belief in history and defend this belief along the way. The author of this book is a professor of history at Peking University. This book collects more than twenty of the author's lectures on art. From this book, one can see how a historian views art. The traditional Chinese custom of not separating literature, history, and philosophy has made me feel that it is truly incomparable happiness to explore the beauty within history with a pure heart. Before history was invented, or before it was as perfect as it is now, our humanity was actually very unsafe. We lacked references, and it was easy for us to get lost and disoriented. Fortunately, history exists—it is the experience gained by humanity at the cost of countless lives and countless mistakes, and it illuminates the world. Before history, even the proud can suddenly become humble, because only it is truly perfect. When it reveals to us the ordinary truth in a perfect manner, we know that this is the fundamental purpose bestowed upon humanity by nature—to strive to the utmost, to nurture happiness.