Author(s)

Xing Zhou

Corresponding Author

Xing Zhou

Abstract

For a long time, when it comes to the New Year paintings, everyone is familiar with folk traditional Chinese paintings in the traditional sense, such as the door god paintings, as well as the historical paintings of the historical figures, myths, operas, and auspicious patterns. These new year paintings either symbolize the multi-childity, the wealth, or the idea of expressing evil spirits. Even the drama stories are mostly about festive and auspicious topics. Little is known about the “non-mainstream” New Year paintings such as “Gusu Version” of woodcut New Year paintings. Is such an annual painting really like an independent art form that cannot be formed without the fixed tradition and common foundation, as some people think? Let's explore it in this paper.

Keywords

Folk New Year Paintings, 'Gusu Version' of Indepedent Art Forms