Abstract
Illustrations within classical Chinese dramatic texts are visual representations constructed through the interaction of textuality and imagery. “Textuality” refers to the potential of the text form to convey its subject. Under the influence of textuality, the poetic tradition of Chinese drama leads textual illustrations towards a poetic ambiance. On the other hand, “imagery” represents the potential for visual portrayal, including the historical grammar of painting traditions. The most prominent manifestation of visual traditions within textual illustrations is found in the illustrations of Selected Yuan Plays. These illustrations specify that a total of ninety-nine artists, ranging from the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties to the Yuan dynasty, were imitated. This imitation underscores the inheritance of syntactic elements from the painting tradition.
Keywords
dramatic images, ontology, textual illustrations
First Page
11
Last Page
21
Recommended Citation
Liu, Xiaoming. 2024. "How Illustrations of Dramatic Texts Come to Be Possible?." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 43, (5): pp.11-21. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol43/iss5/2
