Exhibition Introduction
The Chinese New Year print is an important art form for several reasons. It casts a wide influence on the history of Chinese art, especially woodcut prints. New Year prints also reveal a wealth of information about folk customs, local operas, folk literature, and people’s views of current events; and finally, they may be enjoyed for their own aesthetic qualities.
The origins of Chinese New Year prints can be traced back to the Zhou dynasty (841-256 BC). As a formal art form, it flourished from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) up to the mid-twentieth century. The Shanghai Library’s collection of New Year prints totals over 3,000, mostly dating from the late Qing (1644-1911) and early Republican period. Displayed in this exhibition are sixty fine examples from this collection. They can be divided into four groups:
Folk Customs
In ancient times artisans drew pictures of “door gods” to drive away evil spirits. By the Song dynasty (960-1279), rather than just being simple pictures of protective spirits and gods, the content of the New Year print began to show local customs, particular locales, detailed portraits of local life. New Year prints showing “slices of life” became the most common type of picture made and sold.
Local Operas
During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722) and the Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795), New Year prints depicting local operas became popular, perhaps because of the greater stability and prosperity of the times. Local operas were often adapted from popular folk novels. The New Years pictures that depict operas show an enormous amount of detail in the arrangement of the tableaux; individuals’ postures often show vivid movement. The costumes dazzle the eye and facial expressions are incredibly lifelike. One can easily see why local opera depictions became one of the most popular themes for New Year prints.
Folk Stories/Literature
From generation to generation people have handed down stories. The battles between beauty and ugliness, truth and falsehood, and good and evil are the topic of fairy tales and folk stories worldwide. Chinese folk-tales like “The Herd Boy and the Weaving Girl”, “Meng Jiangnu Looks for Her Husband”, and “The Story of White Snake” are just a few examples of the types of stories that were shown in New Year prints. In addition, legends, ballads, fables, riddles, proverbs, and songs, a wealth of folk literature, were illustrated by New Year prints. The folk literature enriched the pictures and the pictures inspired the literature in their turn. This dynamic enriched artistic themes and helped to form distinctive local and national styles of art.
Current Events
New Year prints depicting current events began to appear after the mid-nineteenth century. Following the outbreak of the Opium War and the consequent “opening” of China, social and political life began to change rapidly. Soon, New Year prints showing Chinese battles against Western incursion and others, depicting favorable aspects of Western science and technology, became popular. Current Events New Year prints uniquely reflected this historical backdrop.
It is hoped that in addition to providing pleasant viewing, this exhibition will help to increase appreciation for this art form and foster greater knowledge and understanding of the past.