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Possibly the best use of knowledge
is the ability to apply what one has learned outside of its original context. The purpose of
this site is to present in detail how historical knowledge can be applied accurately to analyze art
and literature. In ancient China, art was mainly |
| used as a political and social voice of the emperors. Through
commissioned works, imperial artists imparted political, spiritual, and social messages to the
subjects of the emperor. By narrowing our window to ancient China, we will look at how
art and literature conveyed Confucian ideology based on an examination of the Analects. The first piece of art we will examine is a relief from the Wu Family Shrine, showing how Confucianism was implemented as a state ideology. Next we will analyze a portrait of four neo-Confucian scholars who are the embodiment of Confucianism. The following section serves as a preface of how I will use Confucius' teachings to determine the structure, order, and subject matter of these works of art as they reflect his philosophy. |
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