岁朝图:元旦、元宵与王朝正朔

New Year's Day Pictures:New Year's Day,Lantern Festival,and the First Day of the Dynasty

清代苏州版画中岁朝题材的盛行,既有皇家推动,也有民间氛围,如蔡卫源版《岁朝图·梅雪争春》和桃坞主人版《岁朝图》。百子题材苏州版画中多有孩童燃放爆竹的场景,应与“春雷百子”的观念有关。清代苏州版画繁盛期与乾隆时期使用“年画”概念的时间相重叠,此时的岁朝图,也应与当时清宫的“年画”概念相契合。

The imperial theme of New Year's Day(Sui)gained widespread popularity in Suzhou prints during the Qing dynasty,fostered not only by the royal court but also imbued with a folkloristic charm.This is exemplified by Cai Weiyuan's rendition of New Year's Picture:Plum and Snow Struggle for Spring and Taowu's interpretation of New Year's Picture.Suzhou prints often depict scenes of children playing with firecrackers,a motif likely connected to the traditional concept of“spring thunder and a hundred lads”.The flourishing era of Suzhou printmaking in the Qing dynasty coincided with the adoption,during the reign of Qianlong,of the term"New Year pictures".Consequently,the New Year pictures of this era aligned with the prevailing notion of"New Year pictures"within the context of that time.