[Comparison and Appreciation of Cultural Connotation of Chinese and Western Sculptures] The collision and exchange between Chinese and Western cultures

First, the difference between Chinese and Western sculpture cultural connotations. China culture has its own system and a long history. From the Zhou Dynasty, the patriarchal clan system was prepared, and then the Shang monarch and the first emperor set up a foreign land, so that Chinese culture could be passed down from generation to generation. Although it has experienced many times of cultural integration and foreign cultural invasion, it all ended in mastery and development. The religious reform in Yao Shunyu laid the foundation for slavery and the political unity and cultural integration in ancient China. Shang dynasty? Wizarding culture? Popularity not only plays a stable role in the continuation of China people's way of thinking, but also becomes an important connotation implied in China traditional culture; Then, the complementary thought of Confucianism and Taoism and the unified rule of Qin and Han dynasties also played a leading role in architecture for the continuation of the feudal traditional culture for two thousand years. Therefore, China's culture develops along a main vein in a way of accumulation or superposition, which is unified and continuous.

Western culture originated from ancient Greece and Rome, and ancient Greek culture originated from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. After xxx came into being, it separated God, man and nature, and formed a world view different from that of ancient Egypt and Rome. In addition, western culture is based on the accumulation of production technology and the import of trade, which finally contributed to the modernization of western industrial civilization and formed the characteristics of discontinuity and stages in the historical process, and the scientific way also made the western culture gradually spread outward with the development model centered on the circle since ancient Greece.

Comparing the different cultural patterns between China and the West, we can find that China's traditional culture pursues the integration of thinking patterns and regards the universe as a unified whole, which is a comprehensive monism; The thinking mode of western traditional culture takes analysis as a means, regards the world as different parts and pursues dichotomy, which is an analytical dualism.

In the process of the development of Chinese and western ways of thinking, the western way of thinking focused on logical reasoning was formed, which was combined with idealism and scientism in ancient Greece, laying an important foundation for the modeling of sculpture art; China, on the other hand, emphasized intuitive images and intuitively experienced, understood and grasped the characteristics of objects through feelings, thus forming the neo-Confucianism of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, which contributed to the basic concepts and forms of expression of China's ancient artistic creation. This intuitive and vivid way of thinking focuses on grasping the truth from a special and concrete intuitive field. It transcends concepts and logic, and becomes a creative thinking, which shows the high wisdom of China people in the process of thinking. Therefore, it has formed a cultural feature different from the western way of thinking that emphasizes analysis and abstraction. Shown in the plastic arts, the concept that China sculpture pays attention to the fusion of meaning and image, pays attention to the expression after image, and creates freehand brushwork art is formed. This unique way of thinking, which emphasizes symbol, expression and freehand brushwork, and pursues the unity of beauty and goodness, is different from western art in paying attention to the accuracy of proportion, anatomy and perspective, and pursuing beauty and truth, resulting in the differences between Chinese and western sculptures.

Second, carry forward individuality and pursue truth ―― the exploration of beauty in a free country

In ancient Greek art galleries, almost all works are deeply branded with the pursuit of individuality, which is naturally inseparable from the social background of ancient Greece. The artist's deliberate pursuit of artistic individuality in sculpture creation plays a direct role. Rodin thinks:? In art, works with character are beautiful? . Almost all the ancient Greek sculptures we see now are examples of distinctive personalities. Among them, the discovery and praise of the beauty of human nature is not only a great artistic achievement of ancient Greece, but also a remarkable artistic feature, which has become an aesthetic consciousness and tradition to express individuality. Because most ancient Greek sculptors are good at anatomy and are familiar with the proportion of human body, the ups and downs of bones and muscles, they can carve with ease.

Sculptors not only pay attention to facial expressions, but also pay more attention to depicting the curve beauty of human body dynamics and observing the real reflection of the body in the movement affected by emotions. They think that facial movements often destroy and distort the simple and correct sense of the avatar, so they understand the human body as a living body and express the complex character of the character through muscle movement. Rodin said: In fact, there is not a muscle in the human body that does not express inner changes. All muscles are expressing happiness and sadness, excitement and disappointment, silence and anger. Does the tilted trunk with two arms outstretched smile as gently as eyes and lips? . Ancient Greek sculptors applied this technique to the extreme.

"laocoon" is called? Hellenization? Typical sculpture masterpiece. In this sculpture, laocoon is in extreme terror and pain, trying to free himself and his children from the entanglement of two snakes. He caught a snake, but at the same time his hip was bitten; His eldest son on the left didn't seem to be hurt, but he was shocked and struggled to free his leg from the entanglement of the snake. The second son on the father's right side has been tightly entangled in snakes and raised his right arm in despair. Three bodies twisted by pain, all muscle movements have reached the limit, even to the point of spasm, expressing great strength and extreme tension in the state of pain and resistance, making people feel as if pain has flowed through all muscles, nerves and blood vessels, and the tense and tragic atmosphere permeates the whole work. The characterization in this sculpture is very realistic, which reflects the sculptor's mastery of human anatomy and accurate observation of nature, as well as skillful artistic expression and sculpture skills. This is a group of classic works that faithfully reproduce the beauty of nature and process, and is regarded as one of the most famous and classic sculptures in ancient Greece (see figure 1). The famous statue of Milos Venus also reflects the inner education and virtue through the plump figure and generous appearance of the goddess (see Figure 2). The band relief "Presenting new clothes to Athena" on the cornice outside the Parthenon is 1 60m long and1m high, depicting about 350 human bodies and 200+50 animals. There are people sitting and talking, worshipping and walking, riding and driving, and the pictures are patchy. Even when riding a horse, each horse has its own posture, which is different (see Figure 3). There are countless examples, which fully show the personality of Greek statue works and the exploration of human beauty.

Ancient Greece is the cradle of western civilization and a symbol of human wisdom. As one of the cradles of western culture, it is famous for its unique style and outstanding achievements, so that? Does it have to be called Greece? . As the inheritors of Greek culture, ancient Greek culture and Roman culture inspired the European Renaissance in the14-17th century, and played a great and far-reaching role in promoting the development of western culture. The elegance, simplicity and quiet beauty of ancient Greek sculptures also occupy a very important position in the whole western art tradition. The model mode, solemn artistic character and rigorous realistic spirit advocated by western art all started from ancient Greece. Over the years, this artistic essence has nourished the western artistic spirit.

Third, it is magnificent, showing Wade, the symbol of the position at the beginning of imperial power.

In China, all the time? Things die as they happen? Tradition. The ancients thought that after death, the soul would never die, and there would be various needs in the underworld, and there would be a struggle between you and me. Because of different experiences, world outlook and social status, individuals will make different arrangements for their lives in another world. As the supreme feudal emperor, Qin Shihuang established an autocratic monarchy for himself after his death. The layout and setup of this empire completely simulated the kingdom before its demise, with all kinds of food, clothing, housing and transportation, and even more troops to defend this underground kingdom-Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses (see Figure 4).

Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the funerary objects of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum. Although they are used to comfort the dead, they are more important to promote Emperor Wade. This Qin Jun soldier, who has been buried underground for more than 2,000 years and has distinctive personality, is the elite army of Qin Shihuang. Standing in front of this mighty military array, we seem to see the majestic momentum of Qin Shihuang's command of thousands of troops to unify the six countries. According to the will of Qin Shihuang, craftsmen created these soldiers who were loyal to the emperor and devoted themselves to it with realistic methods. The whole army array gives people a sense of power and grandeur, showing the existence and great achievements of Qin Shihuang's power everywhere.

? In the eyes of the ancient Greeks, beauty was the highest law of plastic arts? . On the one hand, sculpture making is a process of beautifying life and pursuing artistic enjoyment; On the other hand, in creative activities, beauty is the overriding creative standard. Even the statue of God is personified, which embodies goodness and beauty. Qin terracotta warriors and horses were created to build a garrison for the emperor to show the majesty of the emperor and his royal family. In the production process, the purpose of reflecting the emperor's will is higher than artistry, and the imperial power is the leading factor. An obvious difference between ancient Greek sculpture and Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses is that the former is based on publicizing individuality, while the latter shows grandeur and overall harmony. It can be said that ancient Greece was good at carrying forward its individuality, and the Terracotta Warriors won by showing their magnificence.

In the process of shaping the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, craftsmen have to carry out strict orders, and have no right to express and create. The purpose of the rulers is their purpose. Strict realism is the highest standard for building terracotta warriors and horses array, throughout. The arrangement of military array, hairline and nails fully embodies the spirit of realism (see Figure 5, Figure 6 and Figure 7). However, because craftsmen passively realize the emperor's purpose, this purpose is not and cannot be the behavioral consciousness in their creation. However, art has its own laws, which cannot be replaced and controlled by political forces. It always plays its essential role at a deep level. The emperor's purpose can only be achieved through the creation of craftsmen. The intrinsic purpose of craftsmen's artistic creation is tortuous and hidden in the deep layer of their works. The result of this contradiction is that the emperor's purpose cannot be truly realized. The original intention of the rulers is to awaken the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, not to praise Qin Jun. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses were not built for themselves, but were tools of religion. They pay more attention to their perceptual image than their beauty. However, in the creation process of Qin figurines, craftsmen still adhere to the principle of beauty under the requirement of realism. Although the purpose of creation is not to express beauty, the law of art, that is, the law of beauty, still plays a role and becomes an important part of the highly realistic artistic achievements of Qin figurines.

Fourthly, Gu Zhuo's simplicity means the first-the pursuit of beauty and life in the period of social development.

The Han Dynasty is also a very important stage in the history of sculpture art in China. The sculpture art in this period is based on unified politics and prosperous economic production. It inherits and develops the fine traditions of the previous generation and has made brilliant achievements in various sculpture creations. The achievements of sculpture in the Han Dynasty are first manifested in the commemorative group sculptures. For example, the stone carvings of Huo Qubing's tomb have a very important position in the history of sculpture in China. It broke the carving mode before the Han Dynasty and established a more mature China-style tablet carving, which is of epoch-making significance. There are 14 stone carvings in Huo qubing's tomb, all of which are granite carvings, mainly animal images. The sculpture style is simple and natural, and it is a masterpiece of large stone carvings in the Western Han Dynasty. Another example is "Horse Treading on Xiongnu", in which the author uses the technique of combining relief with line carving, with simple modeling, calm and vigorous style, especially the use of symbolism, which makes it extremely artistic (see Figure 8). The author of Vaulting Horse is very familiar with the shape of horses. He is better at making use of the natural shape of the boulder, planning the horse's shape before starting the knife and axe, and can chisel out the key points, combining the techniques of round carving, relief carving and line carving to get the rough and the fine, and portraying the highly refined and summarized image of the horse in Han Dynasty with superb performance skills. The lower part of the stone horse leg is not chiseled, which objectively strengthens the grandeur and massiness of the prancing horse (see Figure 9). It is also worth mentioning the stone carvings of Khufu, Stone Man and various animals.

The important feature of the stone carving commemorating Huo Qubing's tomb is that it is shaped by stone, constructed by shape and constructed by meaning. The sculptor makes full use of the natural shape of the stone and makes a little carving to fully mobilize the imagination and creativity of the audience. In fact, this is mainly Taoist thought, which does not destroy nature itself, but should be integrated with nature, which is completely contrary to the ancient Greek tradition. They all carve stones into the shapes people need, while we keep the natural shapes and carve them by hand in order to preserve the natural beauty. This principle runs through the whole history of China sculpture art.

Besides,? Han inherited Qin system? The sacrificial system of Qin figurines was also inherited by the Han Dynasty. Although it inherits the tradition of the previous generation, it shows the unique artistic characteristics of pottery figurines in the Han Dynasty in terms of diversification of techniques, expansion of artistic vision and unique aesthetic tendency of the times. In addition to terracotta warriors and horses, waiter figurines (see figure 10) and song and dance figurines, there are also animal pottery sculptures such as poultry and livestock, as well as model funerary wares such as barns, wells, mills, pavilions and pastoral areas. Although it is much smaller than the Terracotta Warriors, it has exquisite modeling, natural and vivid facial expressions, richer posture, closer to the reality of life and strong flavor of life. Among them, especially? Rap? 、? Juggling? The figurines are particularly prominent (see figure 1 1).

The Eastern Han Dynasty unearthed in Sichuan Province? Rap figurine? (See photo 12) This clay sculpture is outstanding in depicting the movements and facial expressions of characters, and shows the humorous manner of storytellers with great movements and rich expressions. The rap figurine is short and fat, with a soft hat on his head, bare upper body, slightly raised shoulders, bulging abdomen and costume. Squat left barefoot, raise right barefoot, stretch abdomen forward, lean back, face skull and forehead are high, forehead has several wrinkles, eyebrows and eyes are closed and open, mouth is half open, smile, tongue is sticking out. In the exaggerated brow, there is a vivid, simple and kind humor, which seems to be saying a wonderful place. The facial expression is very happy, imaginative and infectious. The whole statue is concise and smooth, with both form and spirit, and the momentum is extraordinary. Its beauty lies in that the sculptors in Han Dynasty are good at grasping the instantaneous dynamics of characters, strengthening the expressions and dynamics of characters with exaggerated body movements, and depicting the typical instantaneous emotional characteristics of storytellers, with emphasis on vividness and simplicity. Expressing the inner charm of characters in dynamic situations conveys the optimistic and open-minded life state of ancient ancestors. Ancient sculptors used hearty lines to create lifelike figures, which is a masterpiece of Han artists.

Verb (abbreviation of verb) abstract

Sculpture is not a work of art from the beginning, but a product of people's awe and worship of God. The purpose of using sculpture is not to pursue beauty, but to symbolize the will and power of the ruling class. The artistic forms bred under different philosophies and political systems are also quite different. The unity of man and nature is an important part of China's traditional philosophy, and it is a long-term and widely popular concept in China's aesthetics and artistic creation. The methodology of China people getting close to nature and knowing nature, thus effectively guiding practice, is essentially different from the methodology of westerners making logical analysis from argumentation and finally revealing the essence of things. Grasping the differences between the two cultural connotations also grasps the main development direction of Chinese and western sculpture art.