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The Invisible Body in Chinese Calligraphy and Painting

  • Book
  • Jul 2025

Overview

Authors:
  1. Jianping Gao

    1. Shenzhen University, Guangdong, China

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  • The first book to explore Chinese calligraphy and painting aesthetics through the lens of body movements
  • Presents Chinese painting and calligraphy as traces of the artist's emotionally expressive actions
  • Distinguishes between ancient Chinese and European concepts of painting with in-depth analysis

Part of the book series: China Academic Library (CHINALIBR)

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About this book

This book explores Chinese calligraphy and painting from an aesthetic perspective, using modern visual theory to analyze the theoretical implications of the relationship between ancient Chinese literati painting and calligraphy, in contrast to Western aesthetic traditions.

It highlights the action-oriented nature of Chinese calligraphy and painting, demonstrating that these art forms should be viewed not as static images, but as dynamic traces of the artist’s expressive movements.

This book is ideal for those interested in aesthetics, art historians, scholars of visual theory, and anyone fascinated by the dynamic essence of Chinese artistic traditions.

Keywords

  • Chinese Painting
  • Chinese Calligraphy
  • Act of Painting
  • Quality of a Line
  • Performance
  • Expression
  • Strength
  • Monmentum
  • Rhythm
  • Self

Authors and Affiliations

  • Shenzhen University, Guangdong, China

    Jianping Gao

About the author

Gao Jianping, Ph.D. in Aesthetics of Uppsala University, Sweden, Research Fellow of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Professor of Shenzhen University. Currently, he is the President of Chinese Society for Aesthetics, and was served as the President of the International Association of Aesthetics (2013-2016). His representative books include  Aesthetics and Art: Traditional and Contemporary China in a Comparative Perspective (English), and L’esprit Esthétique Chinois (French), as well as more than 20 books in Chinese.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Invisible Body in Chinese Calligraphy and Painting

  • Authors: Jianping Gao

  • Series Title: China Academic Library

  • Publisher: Springer Singapore

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: FLTRP 2025

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-96-6645-4Due: 07 August 2025

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-981-96-6648-5Due: 07 August 2026

  • eBook ISBN: 978-981-96-6646-1Due: 07 August 2025

  • Series ISSN: 2195-1853

  • Series E-ISSN: 2195-1861

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: VIII, 266

  • Number of Illustrations: 2 b/w illustrations

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