Power and Glory: A Comparative Study of Roman Imperial and Han Dynasty Chinese Sculpture Art

Author: Chang Ningsheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: This book conducts a systematic comparative study of the sculpture cultures of the Han Dynasty in China and the Roman Empire during the centuries before and after the Common Era, from the perspective of comparative culture. Through a comprehensive examination, analysis, and comparison of the sculpture arts produced by the two distinct cultural circles of the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire in terms of cultural functions, thematic content, formal styles, aesthetic concepts, and material craftsmanship, it seeks to identify the common patterns in the development of Eastern and Western sculpture arts, as well as the individual differences between them. Additionally, it explores how ancient Eastern and Western civilizations, under different social, political, economic, and cultural contexts, utilized sculptural forms to understand and grasp the real world. The book argues that the sculpture art of the Han Dynasty was closely tied to the funeral rituals of the Han people, who treated the dead as if they were still alive, thus forming an important part of Han Dynasty tomb culture. In contrast, the sculpture art of the Roman Empire was closely associated with the urban life of the Romans, making it a fundamental category of urban public culture. The sculpture arts of the Han Dynasty in China and the Roman Empire developed in parallel within their respective independent cultural environments, each achieving remarkable artistic accomplishments and exerting a profound influence on the development of sculpture art worldwide.