(共17张PPT)
Unit 1
Art
1. To learn to catch the main idea and the key words while watching.
2. To learn about the famous painting Qingming Shang He Tu.
3. To learn to love and appreciate Chinese fine art.
Watch the video and guess which painting it presents.
Qingming Shang He Tu
One of the most famous Chinese paintings in the world is the Qingming Shang He Tu or Along the River During the Qingming Festival, by the Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan.
It captures the daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today’s Kaifeng in Henan.
The theme celebrates the festive spirit and prosperous street scene at the Qingming Festival, rather than the holiday’s ceremonial aspects, such as tomb sweeping and prayers.
The entire piece was painted in the handscroll format and the content reveals the lifestyle of all levels of society from rich to poor as well as different economic activities in rural areas and the city. And it has been called “China’s Mona Lisa.”
The original painting, which measures 24.8 by 528 cm, is now in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. This long handscroll has three major sections:
The right section is the rural area of the city. There are crop fields and unhurried rural folk in bucolic scenery. A country path broadens into a road and joins with the city road.
In the middle section, there are businesses of all kinds, selling wine, grain, musical instruments, paintings, medicine, as well as many restaurants.
The left half is the urban area around the city gate. Many economic activities, such as people loading cargoes onto the boat, shops, and even a tax office, can be seen in this area.
What do you know about the Chinese painting Qingming Shang He Tu Read the statements below and decide whether they are true [T] or false [F].
( )1. Qingming Shang He Tu is no more than 24 cm wide and 520 cm long.
( )2. The painting was once lost during the Yuan Dynasty and hundreds of copies were made.
( )3. It is believed that the version in the Palace Museum is the Song Dynasty original painting.
( )4. The painting shows life along the Yellow River during the Qingming Festival.
( )5. The painting scroll also includes a short biography of Zhang Zeduan and the seals of its previous owners.
Check the answers in Before You Watch.
Take notes about the details that are displayed in the painting.
Left Right
The city The first city gate The roads leading to the city The Rainbow Bridge The road and the river The country-side
Discuss the following questions in groups.
What does the following statement mean:
“This painting’s great appeal is that it provides us with a look into ordinary people’s lives in the Song Dynasty”
Who do you think the painting is most appealing to
2. Do you know of any other paintings like this one
Do you know the painting on the stamp Do you like it What did the painter want to express in the painting
Surf for more information about Chinese famous paintings. Choose one and take note of it.
