Reflection of Spiritual Culture in the Images on the Folding Screen

Chzhan Wen Pu Postgraduate student of the Department of Art History and Pedagogy of Art, the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia 191186, Russia, Leningrad region, Saint Petersburg, St. Nab. Moika River, 48 jinbao7@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Perhaps one of the most important qualities of a good work of art is the ability to excite the audience and convey the information or inspiring thoughts laid down by the author. This article discusses some of the key factors and cultural aspects that have had the greatest impact on the art of painting on a screen.1.      

The educational role of Confucian cultureSince ancient times, Chinese Confucian culture has talked about hierarchical concepts of monarchs and ministers, fathers and children, wives and husbands, forcing people to believe that they should unconditionally obey the orders of their superiors and in no case resist or raise objections.

However, this approach tends to unnecessarily suppress a person's personality and teaches them to follow the rules without question.

Precisely because the ideological concept of Confucian education fully corresponded to the desire of the ruling class to maintain the norms of public order, the ruling class began to use it in its own interests as a means of strengthening power. As a result, traditional Chinese art, united with Confucian principles, embodied these ideas in painting, in order to educate and propagandize, instilling in the masses a sense of respect for traditional Confucian culture ^{[2, p. 19-20]}.  Such a way of spreading Confucian ideas was especially relevant, since not all the population was literate and had the opportunity to get acquainted with the Confucian canon through reading. 

  You can learn about the educational role of painting from the traditional works of art of Chinese classics. For example, during the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Zhi wrote the following in the "Preface to the Praise of Painting" (""): "Painting is able to express emotions that cannot be conveyed in words, and good painting can direct the viewer's thoughts in accordance with the thoughts of the author" ^{[13, p. 204]}.

In ancient times, the Chinese advocated that painting enlighten people, and this topic was often depicted in illustrations on ancient screens. As you know, the traditional Chinese screen had completely different shapes. One of the most common forms were multi-leaf screens, consisting of several interconnected, identical-sized shutters (segments). One of these screens that has survived to date is the Xiaojing screen by Li Gonglin. However, in order to better preserve the picture depicted on the sashes of this screen, it was removed and stored separately from the frame. The first part of the screen (Fig. 1) is an image based on pastoral life. In the house depicted in the picture, the children take turns treating their parents to tea, and there is a large text screen behind them. The lines from the Confucian canon written on the screen make people remember the upbringing they received from their parents and not forget about proper filial piety. Thus, in this image, the screen enhances the semantic load, being in fact an important part of the author's educational plan.

Fig. 1. Li Gunlin. The Book of Filial Piety. The time of creation – about 1085 is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Fragment).

 The second part of this famous screen (Fig. 2) depicts a scene in the courtyard of the palace, in the center of which the "Son of Heaven", surrounded by servants, sits in front of the screen. In addition to the emperor, the key figure in this scene is a man in official attire greeting the "Son of Heaven". This meeting embodies Confucian culture in the best possible way, demonstrating to the audience a moral example of virtuous relations between a monarch and a minister: the latter is obliged to obey implicitly, even if the ruler tells him to go to his death. At the same time, the landscape depicted on the screen behind the emperor speaks about the emotional component of this picture. He accurately conveys that relations between people are in absolute harmony, and there is complete mutual understanding and friendliness between the emperor and his subordinates. This painting once again confirms the Chinese belief in the truth of Confucian laws, is a remarkable example of the influence of Confucian culture on Chinese traditional art.

Fig. 2. Li Gonglin. The Book of Filial Piety. The time of creation – about 1085 is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Fragment).

In the third part of the picture on this screen (Fig. 3), a scene from family life is presented, where two oldest family members are sitting in front of the screen, followed by a young man and a girl and, finally, children. A young man greets elderly people leading a friendly conversation, a young man and a girl, apparently, are preparing for the ceremony, and the children who are farthest from the screen are listening attentively to what the representatives of the older generation are saying. The position of the screen reflects the position of an elderly person in the family according to Confucian tradition and is a reference to Confucian ideas about the relationship between father and child, husband and wife. The painting teaches people to adhere to the principles of traditional Chinese Confucian culture, according to which parents and children should love each other, and husbands and wives should respect and live in harmony with each other ^{[9, pp. 324-325]}.

Fig. 3. Li Gunlin. The Book of Filial Piety. The time of creation – about 1085 is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Fragment).

The image of a screen in a painting is a process of expressing abstract ideas through a pictorial form. Here, the role of the screen is to convey the carrier of the spiritual wealth of civilization, bearing social culture, ritual and religious thought, moral and moral orders, as well as the popular propaganda of Confucianism. Thus, the screen has significant value for understanding Confucian thought and culture.

2.       The impressiveness of Imperial superiority

 As you know, one of the main functions of the screen is to protect the imperial place in the palace. At all official ceremonies, the emperor had to stand in front of a screen facing south — a tradition that persisted until the fall of the last Chinese Qing Dynasty. Historical records of important court celebrations held in the early years of the Zhou Dynasty clearly state this requirement. As a rule, the screen was located behind the emperor and served to determine his position, demonstrate his power in a ritual and symbolic manner ^{[17, p. 341]}. In the picture (Fig. 4), the emperor is sitting in front of an extravagant screen consisting of three impressive-sized parts, which depict several dragons towering over clouds and water. The figure of the emperor is located right in the center of the painting, surrounded on each side by images of majestic dragons. In this case, the mythical creature is the main symbol of imperial power: it not only dominates the main image on the screen, but also adorns its elaborately carved base and the golden throne of the emperor. In addition, the screen seems to flow smoothly into a colorful carpet on which the emperor's feet are standing, and therefore the dragons from the screen and the dragons depicted on the carpet are surprisingly harmoniously combined with each other, while enhancing the semantic tension of the picture. In the Forbidden City, similar classical compositions with images of dragons of all sizes, from the ceiling to the steps of the gate, were found in many ceremonial rooms ^{[4, p. 157-159]}. Thus, it can be concluded that these unique screens embodied the cult of imperial power.

Fig. 4. Portrait of Emperor Mu Zong. The Ming Dynasty.

3. The transcendental spirit of the Taoist culture of the unity of thingsDuring the development of ancient Chinese painting and calligraphy, artists often used landscape images as the theme of their works, depicting natural scenes and characters in a single Taoist culture, separated from the mental state.

The Taoist view of life, which chooses the "path of nature" and puts forward "less selfish desires", defended by Lao Tzu, provided the artist with good moral theoretical support. The cultures of Taoism and Confucianism are ideologically different. For artists whose minds are oppressed, Taoism appears to be the only possible way. The spirit of "natural unity" awakens inside the artist, because only with such spiritual support, oppressed, he is able to transcend the world and live in solitude among mountains and forests. Despite the love of artists for nature, the desire to merge with it and to live in solitude, most of the masters still did not have the proper perseverance and perseverance, so necessary in the harsh natural conditions of the mountains. Therefore, many painters put their aspirations and ideals into the images of nature in their paintings ^{[18, p. 133-136]}.  

Fig. 5. Qiu Ying. An ancient map of the bamboo courtyard. The Ming Dynasty.

  Let's consider this phenomenon by the example of the works of Qiu Ying "The Ancient map of the bamboo courtyard" (Fig. 5) and Liu Guandao "Seeing off Summer" (Fig. 6). It can be noticed that most artists like to place landscape screens inside or around the painting. The existence of a screen in the painting not only reflects the elegant artistic temperament and high moral qualities of the author, but also demonstrates the contrast between nature and the artist striving to achieve spiritual unity with her.

Fig. 6. Liu Guandao. Seeing off the summer. The Yuan Dynasty.

 The painting of the Chinese master Wang Qihan "Kangshutu" (Fig. 7) is a self-portrait. Wishing to enter the service of the emperor, the artist Wang Qihan tried to pass the most difficult state exams to obtain an official position, but his efforts were not crowned with success. Being a Taoist, he embodied his view of the situation in painting. In the famous self-portrait painting "Kangshutu", he undoubtedly vividly showed the Taoist worldview and worldview ^{[19, p. 114]}. So, the painting depicts an incredibly large landscape screen designed to reflect a sense of solitude in the bosom of nature, which the artist cannot experience in real life. The huge screen depicts majestic mountains, emerald rivers, a vast forest spread out on the hills, and several houses sheltered in the shade of trees, it seems that the person depicted in the picture plunged into this fabulous country. However, the reality is that the main character is too busy with routine chores and work, and therefore he does not have time to enjoy the beauty of the landscape on the screen.

Fig. 7. Wang Qihan. Kanshutu. The Southern Tang Dynasty. The painting is kept at Nanjing University.

In the painting, the artist captures the moment when he enjoys reading in a calm atmosphere. This scene shows that, despite all the failures with exams and difficulties in his career, Wang Qihan does not get upset and remains calm. At this moment, the artist seems to merge with the nature depicted on the screen. Despite everything, his heart always stays with her, because he understands that he is only a small part of nature. It doesn't matter what happens in life, because what should happen will happen. Nature exists by itself, even if a storm happens, it does not cease to exist, but continues to live on. Birth, illness, and death are only part of the natural cycle.

In the understanding of Taoism, man is also a part of nature, along with any flower, bird or stone. For Taoists, there is no concept of the privilege of one being over another. In addition, the social structure of society does not matter much to them, most of them consider it appropriate to move away from people and live alone in the bosom of nature, observing its development and merging with it into a single whole. This is what Taoist philosophy says: "Man was originally born in nature, and everything in nature is one. There is no distinction between right and wrong, beauty and ugliness, good and evil, nobility and meanness" ^{[2, p. 2155]}. Thus, with the help of the image of a screen with a landscape in the picture, the artist managed to convey such a deep philosophical meaning in it.

Aesthetic appeal of traditional cultureStudying the ways of using the screen, it becomes clear that its main function is protection.

Therefore, the screen is also called a "multi-leaf door" or "barrier screen", often used in ancient times as a door or window ^{[7, p. 422]}. In ancient China, houses were usually built of wood, naturally, they were not as strong as modern ones. To protect themselves from the wind and protect the furniture, they came up with such an object as a screen. A poem by Liu Xi from the Han Dynasty says: "A screen can help me protect myself from a sudden wind" ^{[10, p. 226]}. Thus, directly wind protection is another way of using the screen.

 "Family shame should not be disclosed" and "family wealth should not be disclosed" — these phrases reflect the Chinese view of relations with the world. They show us that the Chinese are influenced by traditional feudal ideology and culture, and therefore tend to be more introverted. Regardless of the form in which the Chinese express emotions, this expression is usually vague, because, according to the moral norms and moral concepts of the people, it is believed that hidden introversion is a manifestation of modesty and charisma ^{[14, p. 174]}. Of course, these rules are reflected in the everyday life of the Chinese. For this reason, the arrangement of furniture in a Chinese house does not allow guests to see all the decoration of the rooms at a glance, creating a sense of subtle beauty. Thus, the presence of a screen can block the view, create a hidden space in the house and form a psychological feeling of modesty and politeness of the owners of the house among the guests.

 Chinese sophistication has existed since ancient times and is especially evident in the image of a Chinese woman who was influenced by traditional rituals and was subject to particularly strict discipline. For example, women were usually not allowed to show their faces in public, and their chambers were usually located at the back of the house. The use of a screen allowed the girls to communicate with other people without revealing their appearance, which fully corresponded to Chinese traditional aesthetics ^{[16, pp. 210-211]}. In addition, the screens helped women to observe the outside world. Thanks to this property, the screen has become a mandatory subject of women's rooms. Confirmation of this can be seen in a story by the poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty, where the poet describes an incident at an imperial banquet, of which he was a guest. At the banquet, Li Bai suggested inviting the emperor's favorite concubine. The emperor wanted to satisfy the wishes of the guests, but he did not like to show the beauty of the concubine to other men. To hide the concubine's appearance, he installed a luxurious screen, after which he allowed the girl to perform songs behind the screen. Despite the fact that the guests could not see the girl, they could enjoy her beautiful voice and admire the shadow of her silhouette. Thus, in an instant the banquet was shrouded in mystery ^{[10, p. 327]}.

This story is reminiscent of the poet Bai Jui's poem "Lute" (""): "After repeated appeals and persuasions, the girl slowly came out and shyly embraced the lute, covering half of her face with it" ^{[1, p. 572]}. These poems describe the shy behavior of the singer, her delicate and timid nature. Thus, the screen partition is used to hide from extraneous things, which not only coincides with the traditional Chinese concept of sophistication, but also implies a kind of restrained aesthetic psychology of the screen. This aesthetic concept and philosophy of life are filled with vivid Chinese features.

 The painting "Han Xizai Night Banquet" by artist Gu Hongzhong (Fig. 8) depicts a woman who is attracted by a banquet held at the estate ^{[11, p. 136]}. However, she cannot decide to join the celebration. Her hesitation and indecision is transmitted thanks to the girl's half-covered figure. The image of the screen in the picture emphasizes the liveliness of this image, adds a special meaning to the picture.

Fig. 8. Gu Hongzhong. Han Xizai's night banquet. The Southern Tang Dynasty (3 fragments).

Another striking example of the embodiment of subtle Chinese psychology is the screen in the painting "Listening to the Zither" (Fig. 9). Here is a portrait of the famous Chinese woman Zhuo Wenjun. According to Chinese sources, the girl was from a rich family, famous for her beauty, musical talent, and ability to play chess. She also studied calligraphy and painting. Sima Xiangzhu was a poor scientist who was constantly unlucky at that time. Although the personalities of these two people were very different, Zhuo Wenjun admired the talent of Sima Xiangzhu, who in turn was captivated by this woman, despite the fact that he had never seen her. One day Sima Xiangzhu played the song "Phoenix in Search of Phoenix", and Zhuo Wenjun heard it. The moment of Sima Xiangzhu's gentle playing on the zither, while Zhuo Wenjun listens to him, hiding behind a screen, is depicted in this painting. This painting has become a kind of symbol of a love song ^{[12, c. 1844-1847]}.

Fig. 9. Min Dujin. Listening to the Zither.  The Ming Dynasty.

Although the space of the painting is divided into two parts by a screen, it was thanks to its presence that Zhuo Wenjun was able to meet Sima Xiangzhu, who admired her for so long. The screen in the painting not only created a romantic atmosphere, but also fully showed the subtle expression of a woman's admiration for a man. This technique corresponds to the Chinese desire for refinement and restrained aesthetics. Only through continuous study of traditional Chinese culture can one understand the deep meaning of Chinese painting.

It can be concluded that the culture of the screen in painting is influenced by all aspects of traditional Chinese culture, and the spiritual culture transmitted by Chinese screens has influenced the values and aesthetic concepts of the Chinese people to a certain extent. A screen is a unique kind of Chinese furniture, on the one hand, it may seem like a simple object depicted in traditional painting, on the other hand, it can become a window that opens up the meaning of Chinese painting in a new way. The opening of this window is like a key to the inner world of the painting, reflecting the world of images depicted on screens in ancient Chinese painting.