Confucian Art During The Han Dynasty

During the Han dynasty, a new philosophical age that would influence and become the center of Chinese thought, emerged. Confucianism, a philosophy that emphasized on the rightness of life, humanity, and nature, concentrates on moral actions and thought. There are many focuses within this philosophy, however, three major ideas present in Confucianism are the attainment of social harmony and respect, self-discipline, and later on, attaining an invaluable perspective for seeing nature as valuable. These three main focuses are most evident in the works of art that emerged from this period. Attaining social harmony and respect is directed to society as a whole, including not only filial piety and friendships but also towards authority, which was
The focus on social harmony and respect are also evident in the scroll painting Admonitions of the Imperial Instructress to Court Ladies, which relates to seven Confucian stories about wifely devotion and rightness (Text 342). The story revealed in this painting exhibits Lady Feng placing herself between a vicious bear and her husband, the emperor, making it is easy to assume that she is expressing both her devotion and respect towards him. Attaining self-discipline not only encompassed the teachings of being motivated and controlled but also focused on the cultivation of one's self. In works of art, this becomes obvious simply by observing the brushstrokes of both paintings and calligraphy, both of which were believed to reveal the artist's true self and his improvement with self-discipline. This act of self-discipline required the artist to harmoniously orchestrate skill, patience, and their overall understanding of Confucian philosophy, which would be reflected in works of art. Furthermore, self-discipline tied into the developed perspective for seeing nature as valuable, also noticeable in