Peculiarity of the Origins of Chinese Historiography of the Fine Arts

Abstract

Summary The article is dedicated to the research of the origins and peculiarity of classical Chinese historiography of fine arts from the broader civilisational perspective. Based on the principles of comparative analysis, the paper reveals the peculiarities of formation of Chinese historiography of fine arts, its attention to the analysis of various methods, styles, schools, directions and different internal and external factors of artistic creativity and development, highlighting its relationship with neo-Confucianist ideology that influenced the rise of “Chinese renaissance”. The article focuses on written work by three most prominent historiographers of the Tang and Song eras, Zhu Jingxuan, Zhang Yanyuan and Guo Ruoxu. The analysis of authentic treatises of historiography first exposes the theoretical peculiarity of the founder of this tradition, Zhu Jingxuan, the principal scope of issues that interested him, and the impact of his research strategies and methods on later scholars. The article follows with the research of Zhang Yanyuan’s and Guo Ruoxu’s theories, particularly their relationship with neo-Confucianist ideology. Based on the detailed comparative analysis of their treatises, the analysis shows the broadening of the field of historiographical issues of interest to them, as well as separation of historiography of fine arts into an individual influential direction of art criticism.