What's the difference between Greek sculpture and China sculpture?

First, there are few pure sculptures in ancient China, which is the main reason why most people do not attach importance to ancient sculptures in China. Western sculpture originated in ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks attached importance to the human body and shaped God into a perfect human being. They worship God as well as heroic soldiers and athletes who are as perfect as God. Create idols and memorial statues for them to worship and pay tribute to. The tradition thus formed has been handed down from generation to generation in the West and has become a pure sculpture art. The system, culture, philosophy and religion in ancient China are different from those in ancient Greece. Ancient China attached great importance to ethics, worshiped ghosts and gods, tended to focus on arts and crafts, and exerted artistic genius in ritual vessels and sacrificial vessels, which also formed a far-reaching tradition. Practical sculptures with decorative functions have been developed from handicrafts such as pottery, bronze, jade and lacquerware, which have occupied the mainstream position in past dynasties. They are divided into two categories, one is pure handicrafts, such as hieroglyphics, small craft carvings for display and so on. One is the decorative sculpture of buildings (including tombs), such as the stone carvings of tombs in the Southern Dynasties to ward off evil spirits and the stone lions in Shunling in the Tang Dynasty, which are listed in the general appreciation textbooks. Practicality is not only reflected in decorative sculptures, but also in the art of funerary wares and religious sculptures. Funerary objects are funerary objects, among which sculptures occupy an important position, mainly figurines and animal sculptures. Textbooks generally take the terracotta warriors and horses in the burial pit of Qin Shihuang Mausoleum as an example. Small statues are substitutes for human sacrifices, and animal sculptures are also used to replace living bodies. They are very practical, not pure sculptures. The same is true of religious statues, which are used by believers to worship, and Buddhist statues are the most representative. Appreciation of teaching materials is mainly based on the works of the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty, because the artistic level of Buddhist statues in these times is generally high. There are also good works in Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Buddhist statues have special religious modeling requirements, which are different from the real and natural gods in ancient Greece. When you appreciate them, you need to know all kinds of rules and regulations, such as Buddha's ears hanging on his shoulders, hands reaching into his knees and so on. Otherwise, it is easy to think that the proportion is inaccurate and the anatomy is wrong. Pure sculpture is generally represented by commemorative sculpture. In ancient China, people used painting to commemorate people and things, but rarely used sculpture. For example, heroes of Han and Tang Dynasties and emperors of past dynasties were all painted on murals and scroll paintings. In the Western Han Dynasty, before the emperor got his hands on painting, there were occasional commemorative sculptures. The most famous example is to appreciate the stone carvings of Huo Qubing's tomb, which are introduced in textbooks. In addition, the statue of Li Bing in Dujiangyan, Sichuan in the Eastern Han Dynasty and the sitting statue of Wang Jian, a master of Shu State five dynasties ago are also existing ancient memorial sculptures, which are really rare. China has both the historical and cultural particularities of China and the artistic particularities of China. We can't refuse to know, understand and appreciate just because there are few practical sculptures.

Secondly, based on the above reasons, the decoration of ancient sculptures in China is quite outstanding. This is the birthmark brought by its birth in arts and crafts. Whether it's people or animals, whether it's the art of funerary wares, religious statues or architectural decorative carvings, it generally embodies the long-standing traditional decorative interest. The most obvious examples are Yungang's appreciation of teaching materials, sitting in the open air in the Northern Wei Dynasty, exorcism in the Southern Dynasty, and stone lions in the Tang Dynasty. The Buddha's symmetrical sitting posture and patterned robes make it show strong decoration. Compared with western realistic religious deities, the Buddha statues in China have an impersonal mystery because of their decorative virtual elements, but they also contain a kind of kindness. Because the decoration is different from the real life, it is also the ubiquitous artistic reality of China people in their lives, so it has this effect. At the same time, decoration is also very effective in enhancing the solemn atmosphere required by Buddha statues. The overall shape of the stone lion to ward off evil spirits is completely decorated and deformed, just like the decorative part on bronze or jade. The body is even covered with patterns to enhance this decoration. Decorative deformation treatment is one of the techniques of exaggeration and generalization. Stone animals treated in this way are often more dignified, brave and sacred than realistic carved stone animals, and can better play its role as architectural decoration. (Stone lions to ward off evil spirits are mostly ceremonial decorations of tombs, which are used to show the authority of the tomb owner. )

Thirdly, the ancient sculptures in China are obviously painterly. China ancient sculpture and painting are brothers, both born in primitive arts and crafts. Since the era of painted pottery, plastic painting has been complementary and closely combined. Both of them are mature, still shaping and painting, adding color to the sculpture (the technical term is makeup) and improving the expressive ability of the sculpture. Many existing sculptures of past dynasties are pieced together by clay sculpture, stone carving and wood carving. Today's sculpture art has been completely westernized, and there is no more color, but folk sculpture still maintains the tradition of makeup. Ancient western sculptures are also colored. After the Renaissance, except for religious statues, most of them continued to be colored, and general sculptures were no longer colored. The separation of China's sculpture and painting leads to the consistency of aesthetic requirements between sculpture and painting. In ancient China, painting was paid much more attention than sculpture. Sculptures have always been made by craftsmen, and literati rarely participate. Only artisans were the authors of early paintings, but since the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, scholars and even emperors have participated in painting creation, and since then they have become the backbone of China's ancient painting creation team. They are the rulers of the country, society and culture, and naturally they also rule painting, so that the status of painting is above that of sculpture, and they influence sculpture with their artistic concepts, so sculpture is infected with obvious painting. Its painting performance is that it pays attention not to the volume, space and block surface of sculpture, but to the rhythm and rhythm of outline lines and human clothing lines. These lines, like painting lines, have undergone a high degree of scrutiny, generalization, refining and processing, reflecting the shape of outlines and clothing lines with rich changes in block surface and space, which is completely different from western classical sculpture. The latter has a strong sense of volume, while the former has only a great relationship with volume, and most parts are flat. Sometimes intaglio lines are used to express the wrinkles of skin and clothes on the plane, but there is still no three-dimensional effect, only the plane effect of painting. Therefore, the surface of sculpture is usually smooth, and there are not as many subtle changes in light and shade as western sculptures. This feature can be seen in the most frequently cited works in textbooks, such as pottery figurines in the Han and Tang Dynasties, Tang sculptures in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Buddhist sculptures in Maijishan Grottoes in the Song Dynasty, and sculptures of maids in the Song Dynasty in Jinci, Taiyuan, Bodhisattva in the Liao Dynasty in Xiahuayan Temple in Datong, Ming sculptures in Shuanglin Temple in Pingyao and Luohan Qing sculptures in Zhu Qian Temple in Kunming. Starting from this feature, China's sculptures have been handed down from generation to generation. Up to now, most folk craftsmen still like figure painting, first hook the draft of figure line drawing, and then copy it into sculpture. Some people sketch directly on hard materials and then carve them. It is understandable to create a sculpture by painting. The ancient sculptures in China are very picturesque, with oriental flavor, which conforms to the appreciation habits of ancient China. They look at sculpture art from the perspective of painting art. Today, when we appreciate ancient sculptures, we also need to borrow the aesthetic vision of Chinese painting to grasp the aesthetic point. If we only use the artistic standards of western classical sculptures to criticize the lack of China's ancient sculptures, it is tantamount to cutting the feet to fit the feet.

Fourthly, another feature of China ancient sculpture is imagery. Western sculpture has been trying to imitate and reproduce nature since ancient Greece, which is very realistic. China's sculptures and paintings left the mother of arts and crafts very late. For thousands of years, they are only two decorative means of arts and crafts, which is the main reason why plastic painting is not divided, and also the main reason why China modeling method, which is highly combined with line carving and plane relief painting, is particularly developed and lasting. Decoration does not seek to reproduce, but to express the object. Therefore, China's sculptures and paintings have developed the similarity and simplicity of personality (highly realistic reproduction of nature) and formed a high degree of imagery. Chinese painting, whether meticulous or freehand, is not as accurate as western painting in sketching and depicting objects. It is mainly based on the impression gained from observation and experience, plus imagination, which is beautified through subjective processing and keeps a considerable distance from objective objects. Chinese painting doesn't draw light and shadow (this is an important factor to express the realism of the subject), and the color only expresses the inherent color (so the realism is limited), and the modeling and picture effect are very flat. The background is generally a blank of paper and silk, which does not seek the depth of space, but focuses on the expression of the verve of the object. Therefore, if we measure China's ancient paintings according to the scientific standards with high accuracy such as the anatomy, scale, perspective and color of western paintings, we will feel nothing. But if you understand that China's art has its own system and pursuit, you will know and like to taste the beauty of Chinese painting. The same is true of China sculpture, which is consistent with the concept of Chinese painting and runs through the whole history of ancient sculpture. Although the Terracotta Warriors in Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum show higher realism than other times, they only focus on the head description of the Terracotta Warriors, and the images are only divided into several types. Not everything is different, but all the body parts are enjoyable without exception. No matter how realistic the head is, it can't be compared with western sculpture. Just like Chinese painting, it is as detailed, deeper and more subtle, and it still belongs to image modeling in essence. Other pottery figurines in Han and Tang dynasties, stone carvings in Huo Qubing's tomb and religious statues in previous dynasties all showed the characteristics of imagery. Like Chinese painting, they pursue verve rather than simplicity. If we look at the standards of western classical sculpture, we can find that the lack of anatomy, inaccurate proportion and insufficient texture shaping will cause obstacles in appreciation. We must change our eyes and appreciate the artistic effect of ancient China sculptures depicting gods with our own national artistic level and aesthetic habits. In this way, when we understand the meaning of this idiom from the Dunhuang Bodhisattva, Jinci Maid-in-waiting and Zhu Qian Temple Luohan Statue, it is not like appreciating the famous sculptures of ancient western countries often introduced in textbooks, such as the discus thrower, laocoon Group Statue and Augustus Statue. It is a concept as accurate as a real person from form to god, but it just feels the metaphysical things such as human vitality, mental state and religious realm conveyed by a work of art.

5. The concise language of China ancient sculptures is another artistic feature derived from images. China ancient sculpture never invented the modeling of western sculpture to accurately shape objects, but based on feelings and understanding, it used economic language like Chinese painting, which was concise and lively, winning more with less, thought-provoking, and often gave people artistic enjoyment. Exaggeration or even deformation to emphasize the charm of people and animals is a widely used technique, and the Sichuan rap figurines and stone beasts in Huo Qubing's tomb in Han Dynasty are the most representative. These works only obey the author's feeling and understanding of objects. What they care about is not the exact proportion and the real effect, but the expression of the dancers' dance and the different habits and exuberance of animals such as tigers, elephants, horses, cows and wild boars. This must be a trade-off, exaggerated or even abstract, the effect is more prominent, more artistic and more impressive. This is similar to western modern sculpture. Western modern sculpture, contrary to traditional realism, pursues the variability of sculpture language and the freedom of sculpture space, and is not enslaved by objective images, making artistic creation more pure. In fact, China ancient sculpture has reached the artistic realm of the variability of sculpture language and the freedom of sculpture space. According to the situation, the stone beasts in Huo Qubing's tomb use pictographic modeling techniques, make full use of rocks, naturally associate with the shape of an animal, and only carry out minimal artistic processing, so that the shape of the stone beasts shows the freedom of space, rather than sticking to modeling. Processing languages include round carving, relief carving and line carving, which change according to the dual needs of rock modeling and animal image. This language of circle, float and line carving can be seen in pottery figurines, stone beasts and Buddha statues in the Han and Tang Dynasties. They make China's sculptures more exquisite, so sometimes they have a sense of sculpture and even architecture. For example, sitting in the open air in Yungang Northern Wei Dynasty, and the giant Buddha in Tang Dynasty in Fengxian Temple in Longmen are outstanding representatives.

6. Since China's ancient sculpture is imagery, it pays attention to depicting the gods in form, and it must also pay attention to depicting the head, just like China's paintings. The ancients in China thought that leaders were shrewd masters. (The Yellow Emperor Su Wen) The head where God lives is as round as the sky. From the primitive times, the craft decoration paid special attention to people's face or head, which should be one of the reasons why the ancient plastic arts in China developed to pay special attention to vividness. This concern has run through thousands of years. Until today, in folk sculptures and peasant paintings, the head is still the first part of the artist's performance. Parts of the human body other than the head are considered subordinate and unimportant. In this way, in China ancient sculpture and painting, big head and small body gradually became a habit. If the relationship between the head and the body is not handled well, it will inevitably lead to uncomfortable visual characteristics, which is unnecessary for the ancients to hide. However, excellent works often shift people's attention from attracting short boards to depicting wonderful avatars. These heads don't look as deep as western sculptures, but the structure is very strict. Anyone who has made sculptures knows that it is easy to copy western sculptures, but it is quite difficult to copy the heads of ancient sculptures in China. They are not as precise and distinct as western sculpture structures, but they have another kind of perfection, and it is difficult to copy them to that state. In addition to the head, rhythmic body lines are used to exert aesthetic feeling, and it is not the accurate skill of proportional structure that infects people, but the vivid beautification. The giant Buddha, the Buddha-worshipping statue and the Lux statue in Fengxian Temple in Longmen are all serious, but they are still beautiful, which is a typical illustration of this feature of ancient Chinese sculpture.

7. In ancient China, gentle and sincere poems were the theme, which was closely related to the temperament, living conditions, geographical environment, philosophy, ethics and other cultural factors of the Chinese nation. Another kind of art is also pursuing this point, which is manifested in the implicit beauty and inner beauty in plastic arts. Sculpture, too, China ancient sculpture gives people the feeling that it is not as clear and vivid as western classical sculpture, but it has no head and its meaning is still unfinished. There is no nervous, outward anger, but like China's book brush hidden front, wrapped strength in it, giving people more aftertaste. For example, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum, the female figurines singing and dancing in Han and Tang Dynasties, the mighty king Lux in Tang Dynasty, and even the powerful evil spirits in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the stone lions in Tang Dynasty all have this effect. By comparing the tension and generation of the discus thrower's strength with the violent catharsis of laocoon's emotions, we can understand the aesthetic characteristics of China's ancient sculptures. It is consistent with the aesthetic ideal of other ancient arts in China, just as the aesthetic ideal of western sculpture and painting is also consistent. When you appreciate China sculpture, you may feel that it is not as smooth as western sculpture, just like drinking tea and coffee. Drinking tea requires taste. If you are not familiar with the tea ceremony, you will never enter the realm of tea.

Eight, China ancient sculpture style often embodies the ancient philosophy of China. Influenced by the Confucian philosophy of advocating destiny, China's art is embodied in lofty, solemn, magnificent, solemn and elegant aspects. Taoist philosophy advocates nature, but it is characterized by elegance, boldness, simplicity, simplicity, indifference, innocence and childishness in art. Both Chinese painting and sculpture have the style characteristics of these two systems, such as Buddhist statues and tomb sculptures, which generally have the style of the former system, and the giant Buddha in Fengxian Temple in Longmen is the most typical. It was built at the expense of Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty, which embodies the spirit of an emperor. Its style must emphasize loftiness, solemnity, respect for mu and elegance. Most figurines and animal sculptures in the art of funerary wares belong to the style of the latter system. They are closely related to life, pursue nature and have a simple and lovely style. Both have their own interests and advantages. The style of western classical sculpture is close to the former system, but there are few style characteristics of the latter system. Gu Zhuo in ancient Greece was a natural product of the naive stage of artistic skills, not a deliberately pursued style. Chinese painting and sculpture, on the other hand, are interested in returning to nature and maturity, pursuing an inner beauty, an original beauty and an ingenious philosophical spiritual realm. These pursuits are difficult to understand from the perspective of western art, so people who are used to appreciating realistic sculptures always have obstacles when appreciating ancient sculptures in China. Therefore, it is necessary to improve China's traditional cultural accomplishment and fundamentally understand China's art, otherwise it will be difficult to appreciate or create.

Nine, China ancient sculpture heritage belongs to a large number of Buddhist statues, Buddhist art has its special rules and regulations, forming its own characteristics. Buddhist art originated from ancient India, and Buddhist sculptures in China originated from the Buddhist sculptures of Gandhara, mathura and Kedu in ancient India. In the process of learning imitation, China artists gradually transformed it, which not only retained some original styles, but also embodied more China characteristics. The Indian Gandhara Buddha statue was influenced by the classical sculpture in the Hellenistic period, and there was also an evolution process of localization of sculpture. Therefore, when appreciating the ancient Buddha statues in China, comparing them with the ancient Greek and Indian sculptures will help us to deepen our understanding and understanding of their aesthetic differences. At the same time, we need to understand the ritual of Buddhist statues. The Buddha statue mentioned above, with two ears and two shoulders, hands over the knees, is self-disciplined. There are so-called 32 images of Buddha statues, and there are 80 good deification features, such as earlobes, shoulders, hands over the knees, green images of spiral cyanosis, top bun (not ordinary bun), fine eyebrows and so on, all of which can be expressed through plastic arts, and the carving must strictly meet the requirements. The body movements of Buddha and Bodhisattva, especially the gestures (called handprints or imprints) have their own meanings. Various Buddhist figures have different shapes according to their identities (for example, some have three heads and six arms, some have thousands of hands and eyes), different clothing signs (for example, Buddha and Lohan wear simple robes, while Bodhisattva wears gorgeous clothes), and different postures (for example, Buddha stands after receiving Buddha, while other Buddhists are sitting). If you don't understand, it's easy to think that Buddhist statues are grotesque and similar.

All the above features are not isolated, they are interrelated. When we appreciate the ancient sculptures in China, we need a comprehensive understanding before we can draw a reasonable conclusion and admit that they do have many benefits. Features are not necessarily advantages. But art has its own characteristics, reasons and values for its existence and development. China's art, including China's sculpture, stands out among the world's art because it has many unique features. These characteristics have been recognized and respected by the world. When many China people go to the West to study sculpture, western sculptors also come to China to study China's ancient sculpture. An American sculptor once said to students majoring in sculpture at China Academy of Fine Arts: Don't beg with a golden rice bowl. I heard this sentence with my own ears when I was a graduate student in sculpture history. I put it as a reassurance at the end of this article, and give it to my colleagues who still have doubts about the merits and demerits of China's ancient sculptures and dare not teach them confidently in the appreciation class. I hope it works.