On Art

Gong PengchengHainan Publishing House · ChinaAug 2024

Rating 3.8
Word count
142K words
Chapters
22
ISBN
9787573012739

Tags

Social Sciences Literati CalligraphyYan ZhenqingAwareness of LifeAcademic StudyArt CriticismTraditional AestheticsLiberal Knowledge

Summary

This book collects Mr. Gong's recent essays on art and the social sciences. It explores the development and characteristics of literati calligraphy, the sense of life embodied in calligraphic works, and the artistic traits of calligraphers such as Yan Zhenqing, while also introducing knowledge from mathematics, aesthetics, history, sociology, management, and economics. The writing on calligraphy is plain and substantive, densely informative, broad in scope, and lucid in argument, offering a glimpse of the depth and richness of Chinese calligraphy; the perspectives and views on the social sciences will likewise give readers a fresh outlook.

Editor's review

Tan Yi is Mr. Gong Pengcheng's in-depth exploration of the spirit of Chinese art, and its value extends far beyond a collection of art criticism. Rather than simply listing art-historical facts or appreciating works, the book draws on deep scholarship to cut across calligraphy and painting, literature, and thought, attempting to sketch the unique, coherent spiritual system and philosophy of life behind Chinese art. Mr. Gong's writing combines scholarly rigor with literary flair, weaving the seemingly lofty "art" and "Way" into analyses of specific figures, works, and ideas, so that the discussion has theoretical depth without losing warmth and tangibility. For readers, reading this book is more like an intellectual journey: it challenges our habitual ways of seeing and understanding and prompts us to ask: What is the ultimate pursuit of Chinese art? How does it relate to our individual experience of life? In an age of image saturation and thinning meaning, revisiting the spirit of classical art may offer a precious resource for settling the mind. The value of this book lies in the profound perspective it provides for understanding Chinese culture, and its illumination extends well beyond art enthusiasts.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. It is advisable to read the preface and table of contents first to grasp the book's central questions and overall framework.
  2. While reading, consult the classical works mentioned in the book (such as calligraphy, painting, poetry, and prose) for comparison and deeper understanding.
  3. There is no need to finish it in one sitting; it is suited to slow, reflective reading chapter by chapter, with related art-historical materials as supplementary reading.

About the publisher

Hainan Publishing House China · Founded in 1985

Hainan Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for literary and intellectual works, covering foreign literature, philosophy, classics, world-famous works, classical poetry and prose miscellanies. Its catalog includes foreign literary classics such as Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and Romain Rolland's Jean-Christophe, philosophical works such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Social Contract: Expert Companion Edition, and Chinese classics and poetic studies such as Lu Xun's essays and prose collections and Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, as well as illustrated popular-science works like Fabre's Insects. The involvement of translators such as Zhong Shufeng, Fu Lei and Chen Xiaoqing reflects the publisher's emphasis on translation quality and expert guidance. Public information is limited, and the above is based mainly on the books in the catalog.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 书法中的生命意识——路上无人，天上炮响
  3. 什么是文人书法
  4. 执笔——古来万事贵天命
  5. 书法由来大艰辛
  6. 书卷气与金石气
  7. 追忆似水年华的中介
  8. 中国到底有多少种字体？
  9. 美学在台湾
  10. 定夺苏格拉底
  11. 我授希腊哲学以宗教之名
  12. 梅洛·庞蒂的说法如此优雅
  13. 不是数学的希腊几何学
  14. 理解上古史，从穿衣吃饭开始
  15. 费孝通的《乡土中国》
  16. 不要把对近代史的喜爱推崇到误读的地步
  17. 中国历代都有史官，这是其他国家没有的
  18. 华侨消亡史
  19. 客家人已逐步去客家化
  20. 管理学是被问题不断改变的提问者
  21. 儒家经济学真是一种重大风格
  22. 无需控制郑和努力的方式

FAQ

Does this book require a strong foundation in art history? The book focuses more on artistic spirit and cultural philosophy than on a systematic account of art-historical facts. Some familiarity with traditional Chinese culture helps, but the author's accessible exposition allows motivated beginners to enter and benefit as well; the key is to keep thinking and questioning.
Which art forms does the book mainly cover? The book takes Chinese calligraphy and painting as its core field of discussion while ranging widely into literature, poetry, the qin, and even intellectual history, reflecting the author's holistic vision of breaking down disciplinary boundaries in pursuit of the unity of "art and the Way."
What is Mr. Gong Pengcheng's writing style like? Mr. Gong's style is erudite and reflective; he cites classics extensively without seeming to pile them up, and excels at drawing grand ideas from small, concrete cases. His writing combines a scholar's logical force with a literary sensibility, and requires quiet, attentive reading.

Related on WeRead

谈艺 龚鹏程 谈艺 于良子 一曲微茫：充和宗和谈艺录 张充和 张宗和 摄影美学七问（阮义忠谈艺录II） 阮义忠 想见 看见 听见（阮义忠谈艺录I） 阮义忠

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Gong Pengcheng Author · Chinese · 1956

Gong Pengcheng was born in Taipei in 1956, with ancestral roots in Ji'an, Jiangxi. He holds a doctorate from the Graduate Institute of Chinese Literature at Taiwan Normal University and is a renowned contemporary scholar, thinker, and educator. Long devoted to the study of Chinese academic culture, he is versed in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. He served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Tamkang University, founded Nanhua University and Fo Guang University in Taiwan and served as their founding president, and later taught at Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Beijing Normal University. Since 2019 he has been a chair professor at Shandong University's School of Literature, and has published more than 180 monographs. His writing spans literary appreciation, history, modern poetry, social science, classics, and essays, combining scholarly works such as Lectures on The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons and A History of Chinese Literary Criticism with popular history like The Great Transformation of History: Shaping Three Thousand Years of China, as well as studies in the history of Chinese fiction and poetry.