Not for decorative paintings

Author: Yang Guo'ai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-07-01
Features: When the Han stone reliefs from Nanyang, Henan were first made public, Mr. Lu Xun immediately recognized their importance. He believed that from these stone reliefs, one could glimpse the ceremonial systems, cultural relics, and living conditions of the Qin and Han dynasties. Additionally, if one were to combine them with Han stone carvings, Ming and Qing dynasty book illustrations, and even the folk art known as "Nianhua" (New Year pictures), while integrating them with European modern techniques, perhaps a better form of printmaking could be developed—"perhaps it could open up a new realm." Historian Qian Bozan also placed great importance on Han stone reliefs. He stated, "I believe that apart from the remains of ancient people, no other historical material can reflect the concrete image of society in history more vividly than painting and sculpture. At the same time, in Chinese history, no other era is better suited to carve the forms of contemporary life and popular stories onto stone than the Han dynasty." "In short, if these stone reliefs were systematically collected, they could almost form a complete illustrated history of the Han dynasty."