Famous Paintings and Masterpieces (Volume I)
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Summary
Editor's review
As an editor, I believe the book's core value lies in its "guided tour" function. For beginners in art, the vast sea of art history often feels impossible to navigate. Using "masterpieces" as a thread, this book offers a relatively clear and focused entry point. Xing Chunru's narrative style is plain and restrained, avoiding excessively subjective praise and instead concentrating on conveying basic art-historical knowledge and appreciation methods. This allows readers to gain tools for understanding art while appreciating the beauty of the paintings themselves.
Of course, as the first volume of a series, the book's coverage is necessarily limited, and its depth emphasizes popularization and guidance rather than in-depth academic discussion. It is more like a patient guide who leads you through the door of the temple of art and points out the landmark "signposts." For general readers who wish to systematically improve their artistic literacy and cultivate aesthetic judgment, this is a solid starting book. Its reading value lies not in offering startling new ideas but in building a reliable, systematic foundation of basic knowledge for further exploration.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Beginners interested in Chinese and foreign painting history but lacking systematic understanding
- General readers who wish to improve their art appreciation and aesthetic literacy
- Teachers or students who need a guide to classic paintings
- Enthusiasts who enjoy immersive learning by combining images and text while reading
Not a good fit for
- Experts and scholars seeking cutting-edge art theory or in-depth academic analysis
- Collectors of purely visual art albums who expect large numbers of high-definition, full-color printed paintings
Reading tips
- Read chapters in order to first establish a basic framework of historical periods and schools
- While reading, search for high-definition images of the paintings mentioned in the book to compare and view alongside the text for better results
- It is not necessary to finish the book in one sitting; it can be kept as a desk reference and dipped into anytime for painters or periods of interest
About the publisher
Liaohai Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for textbooks and the collation of ancient works. Its publishing scope covers state-approved textbooks, local curriculum materials, supplementary educational books, and national and local ancient-text compilation projects, while also extending into humanities fields such as Eastern philosophy. Its catalog contains about 4,694 titles, with representative works including the multi-volume Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), and its author resources include classic writers and works such as Sima Qian and Confucius. Grounded in educational publishing and the transmission of traditional culture, the press maintains sustained investment in ancient-text collation, forming a publishing profile that balances textbooks and scholarship. Due to limited public information, its more specific publishing directions and features require further supplementation.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 《中国艺术史话》编委会
- 前言
- 一、画家轶事
- 敬君画妻
- 毛延寿丑化王昭君
- 赵岐墓中自画像
- 艺术家为官
- 戴逵父子雕塑
- 晋明帝画佛像
- 画像钉心
- 画能通神
- 耻作画师
- 阎立本画水官
- 张藻画双松
- 王维辨画
- 王维画渡水罗汉
- 王墨泼墨
- 吴道子画钟馗
- 吴道子画地狱变相
- 吴道子募人刺杀同行
- 吴道子画菩萨无哀泣容
- 舞剑助画兴
- 杨惠之弃画从塑
- 周昉改画
- 黄筌绝艺
- 黄筌改画
- 郭忠恕之死
- 李成寒林图
- 李成读碑窠石图
- 贯休画罗汉
- 范宽画壁画
- 东丹王挟书降后唐
- 孙知微画水
- 武宗元画赤明和阳天帝
- 许道宁街头卖画
- 李公麟好钟鼎古文奇字
- 李公麟自题飞骑射
- 李公麟与苏轼
- 苏轼画扇救人之急
- 契顺下海南求东坡字
- 二苏评画分歧
- 东坡造墨
- 东坡诲葛延之
- 东坡书画劫后余生
- 米颠
- 米芾诙谲
- 小米墨戏
- 强盗拜画师
- 赵孟頫遭奚落
- 阿尼哥与元代雕刻
- 刘元与元代雕刻
- 脊背当画案
- 黄公望下狱
- 黄公望教规之严
- 王渊画鬼
- 王蒙下狱
- 岱宗密雪图
- 吴伟醉画
- 钟钦礼充军发配
- 沈周宽厚
- 文徵明书画三不应
- 唐寅下狱
- 徐渭自杀与杀人
- 戴进遭排挤
- 金工改做画家
- 金农代笔弟子
- 八大山人之号
- 郑板桥假画
- 板桥画石不点苔
FAQ
Does this book include color illustrations?
What is the relationship between this book and Masterpieces of Famous Paintings (Volume 2)?
What is the background of the author Xing Chunru?
Comments
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About the author
Xing Chunru is a Chinese full-time book editor about whom publicly available information is limited. He has long compiled popular series for institutions such as Liaohai Publishing House. His output is considerable, with more than 700 titles held in the collection, covering fields such as art history, science and military affairs, politics and history, language and writing, and film and television. Representative works include Chinese Martial Arts (Part II), A History of Chinese Art, A History of Chinese Science and Technology, A Course in the Art of Language, Famous Paintings and Masterpieces, and the series A Grand Garden of Chinese Cultural Knowledge. These books present specialized knowledge in an accessible style, emphasizing systematic organization and readability, and are intended for young readers and general audiences, helping to popularize and guide understanding of traditional culture, art appreciation, and language expression.
